Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 16, 2002 07:03am | #1

   Ron, try sanding the inside of it first.  Be sure to wear a mask.  There's a good possibility, IMO, that you can sand out the mothball smell and get down to cedar.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   uncommontree | Sep 17, 2002 05:12am | #2

   Ron .

    What F_G said!..............Dont forget the mask. Rick

3. 
   JeffKurtz | Sep 17, 2002 06:21am | #3

   Ron,

   After you're done sanding, you can "refresh" the scent with cedar oil.  I've seen it somewhere, but can't remember where.

   Jeff

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 17, 2002 07:31am | #4

   Chances are the sanding alone will refresh.  I've done this on a few old Lane chests in the past.  forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 17, 2002 07:38am | #5

   Ron: When I first seen your post.. smelly chests.. I thought HMMMM what kind of girls are you hanging out with???  LOL.. oh well silly me, what do I know????

     Happy Woodworking... ToolDoc

5. 
   bobhallsr | Sep 17, 2002 08:03am | #6

   Ron, if you are not in a hurry, there's an outside chance that you can de-oderize this chest without much work. I have had some success with an odor problem using this method.

   Put a couple bags of BBQ charcoal in the chest. Use natural charcoal, not brickettes. Put the charcoal in a cloth bag, such as an old pillowcase so that the fumes can circulate through it. Charcoal is a natural absorbant and is used in many purifying and decolorizing processes. The BBQ charcoal is not the optimum charcoal to use but it should work. When you are through with it as a deoderant, you can BBQ with it because the absorbed mothballs will be vaporized by the time you get the fire ready for cooking.

   And hey, if it don't work, what have you lost?

   BJ

   Gardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland
1. 
   Phil_Twiss | Sep 17, 2002 04:49pm | #7

   ...and if all this fails, shellac the inside of the chest, it won't let the cedar smell out but it will block the stinky mothballs.

   Cheers

   Phil

1. 
   Gretchen | Sep 17, 2002 05:25pm | #8

   Sand the inside. You will get the cedar smell out which will also adhere to the things you store in it just like the moth balls.  So you will still have to air out your clothing.Gretchen