This cedar chest restoration for a long-time customer is coming along nicely. The original chest was in “ok” shape for its age but wouldn’t fit the needs for its new home. A few requirements were that it needed to be able to be used as a bench seat, it needed legs to raise it up slightly to the height required, and that the lock needed to be disabled as a safety measure for a house with kids.

Additionally, it needed the normal repairs a cedar chest that is a few decades old would require. Splits in the wood, scratches in the finish and years of neglect had taken its toll. In future posts, we’ll detail how to fix each item before prepping for this beautiful finish.

In the meantime, I just wanted to appreciate the amazing color change between the bare cedar (sanded to 220 grit) and the first application of General Finishes’ Arm R Seal in satin. The older wood drank in the clear coat rapidly. It’s important to let it dry fully before applying the next. While we would usually do three coats on an item like this I believe we will be closer to 6 coats by the time we’re finished. It’s going to look beautiful.

Check out some of our other restorations here.