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Anybody use cedar, all or in part, for clothing drawer builds? If so, what kind? Making a chest for the missus! Thanks!

I've used T & G Cedar strips from HD that they sell for closets. Installs just like flooring.

Cedar is traditionally used for storage of wool garments to ward off moths.   Certainly it's personal preference, but I wouldn't use it for regular clothing as everything will smell like cedar. 

John

A friend of mine lined the inside of some cabinet drawers I made for him with the stuff from HD, just laid it inside so it can be removed if desired. That might be a good compromise.

what kind of cedar are you thinking of?

Have built some of these.

Easiest I suspect is to just use 1/2" aromatic red cedar for the screwed-on horizontal back panel of the cabinet. The rest made from the normal hard woods.

If the cedar smell fades all you have to do is remove the back and sand lightly to reach and rupture the new oil cells in the wood and you are back to square one.

Also learned the hard way that clothes are usually much heavier than you originally calculated so make the drawers with strong bottoms and slides.

Actually you will find just a 4" x 6" chip of Aromatic Cedar will do the work, no need to put in a wall full, moth be gone. As John stated it does impart a smell. Some love it, some hate it, some say they are allergic to it. I love the smell.


This is what you are looking for. Unlike some belief it is Western Red cedar, it is not. Eastern red, or simply aromatic red cedar.

I make these to hang in the closet, LOML loves them for the scent. We've never seen a moth inside the house, not sure if that is a big problem?

Good advice as always, gentlemen, thanks! Moths are not a problem. I just have noticed a cedar aroma in some drawers and wondered if clothing drawers were typically made that way. Makes much more sense to put removable pieces in so the choice is always there and it can be easily refreshed.

Refreshed = sanding it up a little, it will re-release the oils? or whatever makes the smell. We have pieces in our closets that are at least 25 years old.

I make a lot of drawers for clothing. I use port Orford Cedar for the drawer bottoms. This is not a true cedar it is a cypress, but it smells good (to me) and seems effective against moths.

We used Port Orford Cedar at ShopSmith for demo's mostly because it tooled so well. I liked the Ginger smell too, but much different than Eastern Aromatic Cedar.