I have tried to use three different types of clear epoxy to finish my wood scales -- None have worked that well in my opinion.

I have since moved on to different sealing and finishing techniques. The best I have found yet is to use stabilized wood and then do all of my shaping and sanding. Once sanding is finished, I use Crazy Glue to get a high gloss finish.

Crazy glue is also the best finish I have found for unstabilized wood (best to use some dried wood). It will permiate into the wood and it will seal the wood somewhat, while also leaving enough surface material to sand. Mulitple coats will be needed, and a soft hand when sanding will help prevent sanding through the layers of glue. I let each coat dry for 24 hours prior to sanding. I also coat both side of the scales so that all of the surface is sealed. I usually try to get a minimum of 8 layers of glue, depends on the wood and how much is absorbed initially. Sand to 400 or 600 each layer, making sure that there are no white spots (air bubbles) left before I put on the next layer.

There are so many different posts and pieces of advice on this forum. Google has taken me to a variety of wood working forums that have provided tons more on working with wood. While it may not be a cedar chest, the techniques are the same regardless of the project size.