Finish the inside of drawers?
Brian Gray in Sandusky, OH
>Pretty self explanatory question...
I've gone through about three or four methods, and I think that I've found the best...at least for me.
My preferred finish on most projects is my own concoction of oil/varnish...spar varnish, linseed or tung oil, mineral spirits. I hand rub this, and my first coat is heavier on the mineral spirits within the mix to get good penetration, and as the coats go on, I get heavier on the varnish for durability.
I used to finish the inside of drawers with this mixture. I found that the smell wasn't really that bad. However, I've also found that projects that I did with this method that I completed 4-5 years ago STILL have the smell. I have no idea as to when I can expect the smell to go away completley...maybe never, unless I leave the drawers ajar constantly. Again, it's not a bad smell, but anything that is stored in the drawer generally holds that aroma....not good.
Then, I went to a new mixture, and I added some lemon oil to the concoction. That's a nice alternative, but it depends on if you like the smell of lemon oil within the drawer, and on the items stored inside.
Then I went over to shellac for the insides. Turned out to be more of a hassle than what it was worth. It's tough to get a nice even coat after the drawer is glued up. Maybe I could wipe on shellac before assembly. (?) Also , most of my drawers sides are maple, or something light, and I found that even the blondest of shellacs darkened the maple more than what I wanted....when I dovetail drawers by hand, I want as much contrast between the typically darker front, and the maple sides to show a striking difference in the joinery.
So now I've adopted my newest, and hopefully my final method.
I use my oil/varnish on the outside of the drawer front. I then tape off the sides of the drawer so that ONLY the pins and tails are exposed. Then wipe on the varnish so only the joinery of the dovetails get a coat. It makes a nice constrast. I find that my scribe lines make a nice barrier. The tape, as well as the scribe line act as a nice divider...the oil collects slightly in the scribe line and won't be beyond (if applied lightly), and the tape helps, also. The rest of the drawer insides gets a light wiping of wax.
Thoughts?
I think that the wax is optional, but my current project involves drawers for a wine cabinet. If wine was spilled within a drawer by accident, I don't want zero finish to protect it.