Hi everyone,
I’m building a Cherry end table with a drawer. I plan to use a cherry stain and a rub on finish. What is the general rule for finishing the inside of the table. I’m specifically talking about the the drawer cavity (the part the drawer slides into). Do I stain it? Do I put a finish on it? Do I remove the extra glue seepage? What about my pencil marks?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Brian
Replies
This depends a lot on the nature of the piece and personal preference. Certainly high end gallery furniture tends to be fully finished, inside, out, and upside down. But reproduction furniture is not generally finished on the inside at all, just as the originals would have been quite crude on the undersides, etc. My personal interest is with reproductions. I remove machine marks, but never finish, even when theory says I should.
If you do chose to finish DO NOT use an oil based finish. In confined spaces the odor from the finish can linger for months and months. Shellac would be OK-- any odor it has dissipates quickly and is pleasant to boot.
Finishing all sides can reduce the risk of the wood warping after a sudden change in humidity. Early American pieces were often not finished on undersides,etc. but they had the benefit of very stable old growth wood that is largely unobtainable today.
I leave some pencil marks where they don't show. I've seen a number of antique pieces with knife markings, sometimes even in areas that do show (for example, layout lines for the tenon of a table apron on the legs). I'll be interested to see what others do.
Pete
Edited 6/14/2006 8:02 am ET by PeteBradley
Thanks for quick replys guys. Thats a big help. I think I like the idea of following the reproduction pieces the best (E.g. unfinished) I will, however, tidy up a little so it doesn't look so "raw".
Brian
Brian,
I often use lemon oil (made from lemon grass, not limone) in drawers, boxes and other containers. It smells good, dries out very quickly and provides some form of balance to the finish on the outside.
It's very thin, though, and your drawer will absorb quite a bit, so don't go mad if you do use it. My impression is that it soaks in a lot.
Lataxe
Brain,
I pre-finish the insides of all case work and I finish the complete drawer, except the front, with lacquer. In modern homes and buildings with controlled temperatures and humidity, using finish to equalize moisture absorption probably isn't necessary but it takes very little extra time and it makes me feel better about the finished piece.
Doug
I agree it's worth doing all sides. I had a friend who took delivery of a large unfinished pine cabinet. It was fine for some time unfinished, but when he finished it (poly on outside only), it warped severely and some joints opened up. It expanded on the unfinished side, which suggests that it was ambient summer humidity that got it rather than excessive starting moisture content.Pete
But DO NOT use poly or other oil based finish on the inside since it might take a very long time for the smell to dissapate. Shellac is very good, especially since it is a better blocker of water vapor than most finishes, requiring a thinner coat to balance other finishes on the outside. Personally, I dont finish the insides of case goods, but do finish the undersides of tables that would be free to warp, such as trestle tables or drop leaf tables.
Doug,
You made me think about the drawer. The drawers have lapped dovetails. A cherry front and basswood sides. I plan on finishing the Cherry with a oil/thinner/varnish mix. What do I do about the dovetails? Should I lacquer the basswood sides and tails, including the cherry pins?
Brian
Brain,
Usually I lacquer all but the drawer face, depending on the finish. Sometimes I tape off the drawer front edges and then finish them with whatever material I am using for the fronts. I think finishing the front only provides a cleaner look since it avoids a demarcation on the sides. I try to match the lacquer finish to blend with the overall finish on the fronts. I finsh the fronts last.
Doug
Thats what I will do. Thanks for the advice!
Brian
Here is a picture of the project.
Brian, nice job. I just posted photos in the Gallery of my recent work with cherry and maple using the rubbed oil/varnish finish.
Doug
Very nice work. Is this for a client or for you? Tom
I would clean up all marks, etc. and maybe do a little sanding to get fairly smooth surfaces... (make it look nice) :)
Then, I'd just give it all a coat or two of 1-2# cut of shellac to at least get a seal on it.
I am with the finish the inside group.
My rationale is for helping to stabilize the wood, but also to protect the wood from dirt and grime over time.
If it is finished, you can use a damp cloth, end dust, or a dry cloth to wipe off and grunge. If not finished, oils and dirt from fingers will work their way into the wood over time. Someone once told me that that was what "patina" could be defined as.
As far as layout marks go, I remove pencil marks ( they erase easily, or go away when the piece is sanded anyway) and most machine marks. I sometimes (depending on the piece) like to leave some of the hand plane or scraper marks. I will remove glue squeeze out from all surfaces and joints.
One final note - if this is a drawer that will have cloth items in it (dresser), then if it is not finished inside the cloth is more likely to snag of raised fibers.
Rick,
Alcohol is great to remove pencil marks. Eliminates the sanding.
Doug
True, however, if you are sanding anyway that gets rid of it. If I am not going to sand a board after marking it I will use alcohol to remove the lines. I usually use fine pencil for cut lines and chalk for orientation marks.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Also true although I usually finish sand what will be the insides before I do my layout marks.
I think the use of chalk is one of the better lessons imparted to me. I know I go through more of it than pencils.
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