How should I finish cedar scales?

Hello all,

I'm starting to finish my first set of scales made from aromatic cedar. I was wondering if I need to seal them (due to cedars natural resilience to moisture) or if there's something that you would recommend out of experience. I didn't see anything on the forums about this. Thanks for the information in advance.

Cedar will grey if you don't treat it - not that this is necessarily a bad thing: it depends on what you like. Not using any fishisher will preserve fragrance and natural touch best (although with time, surface grain relief will get more prominent); applying oil, wax, varnish,... will preserve colour and a smooth surface best. No matter what you decide: it should last for years. Cedar is even used untreated for outdoor furniture.

Personally: a silver grey vintage look is great, especially on objects like deck chairs. But next to a silver grey razor blade it would be a tad dull. The fresh reddish colour provides a pleasant contrast. I don't like the all too smooth plasticky look and feel of many varnishes though. Beeswax and linseed oil (or a mixture of the two) is what I prefer for lots of woods. You'd have to reapply it from time to time though. Camelia oil is nice too: it gives a nice 'grippy' feel and you can use it to protect the blade as well.

Epoxy. It won't smell as nice.

OR

Thompsons Wood seal.

What do you want them to look like, shiny with a clear film on top, close to the wood and satin? The look you are going after has a lot to do with the finish you use. Look through the gallery and see what finishes you like and do not worry about the kind of wood you are using. There are lots of finish options that work well and are easy-ish to use.

Charlie

I would seal the scales. Cedar is a very brittle wood and is subject to crack especially as thin as scales would be. Use several coats of poly or better yet epoxy as was suggested.

bj

i just finished a set and used a wipe on poly. after about 8 coats, looks great. kept the color between the red and clond quite well.

good luck.

vgod

Thanks for all the information. I would like to keep the beautiful red of cedar. I'm going to take the epoxy route per the consensus suggestion. I've used other finishes with previous woodworking and the epoxy is new ground for me. Since it's the first scales I've made I might as well have lots of "firsts" for this project. I'll post pictures afterwards.