Spanish Cedar

[TexMex]

I'm building a desk from solid Spanish Cedar. (It's actually of Brazillian origin). This is for a child so I would like a finish that is fairly easy to maintain. Having now read up on some of the properies of this wood, I probably wouldn't have picked it as my first choice, but I have it now so there you go.

Any suggestions what I should apply as a finish, (Oil? Stain?, Laquer? Varnish?).

 

[Jasonb]

Cedar is usually left unfinished to get the full advantage of its properties but this would be a disadvantage for a desk as it it relativly soft and absorbant. I would go for a water bourne lacquer to give the desk top a harder surface otherwise pens will leave a depression in the soft surface.

I would think there will be a lot of surface plecking ( raised grain) for the first couple of coats, it would pay to thin these down as they will get sucked in too quickly and drag. Rub down with 320g silicon carbide paper between coats.

And if your son ever starts smoking cigars he will have the pergect place to keep them!

Jason

 

[TexMex]

Thanks for the input Jason. Funnily enough, I nearly entitled this post "calling JasonB". (seen some of your other posts, some great work there). I will go out and get some water based laquer tomorrow.

BTW. I've been working with the wood today. I don't know if you have any experience of it, but it tastes absolutely foul. While working with it you end up with this foul taste in your mouth (presumably from dust). After washing your mouth out with lysterene by the gallon, you can get rid of it, but you only have to sniff, and you get it back again (presumably from the dust in your nose).

If you just, so much as handle a piece of it, it leaves the taste on your hands that takes endless scrubbing to remove. No wonder the insects don't like it. Tastes a bit like that "bitter alice" that is used to stop kids biting their nails.

 

[big-all]

i can only add two things to this thread
both so obviouse they are pointless
wear a dust mask and jason knows his stuff