Shopsmith Forums

I attended some interesting presentations yesterday at the Woodworking Show in St Paul. Roland Johnson had a great tip for musty or otherwise nasty smelling dresser drawers. Works well if you're restoring an antique that was recently a mouse house. Clean the offending drawer with normal techniques as best you can, then take some zinsers clear shellac sealer. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil, then shellac the inside of the drawer box. Every time you open that drawer for the next few years the heavenly scent of lavender will waft out.

Shellac by itself is a great sealer of wood and odors.

Tom, that's a great idea. It would work on new projects, as well. Think of a jewelry box.Every time it's opened the owner will enjoy the aroma and think of the maker.

Many decades back, one of my many summer jobs was working for a furniture maker. My Dad had arranged the job with his friend so I wouldn't "slack off".
The Norwegian I worked for did something similar for bureau top drawers (new construction). If the bureau was made for a woman (had lots of small dividers in the top drawer) he would add some rose water to the inside, though I don't remember that he added it to the shellac. If it was for a gentleman, he would add some hair tonic called Jaris ?? (sp) for fragrance. I don't think it made any difference if the intended recipient "liked" or "used" that fragrance, he did it anyway. .
That was a fond memory!! Thanks for jarring it lose and bringing it back!

Be well,
Ben

benush26 wrote:Many decades back, one of my many summer jobs was working for a furniture maker. My Dad had arranged the job with his friend so I wouldn't "slack off".
The Norwegian I worked for did something similar for bureau top drawers (new construction). If the bureau was made for a woman (had lots of small dividers in the top drawer) he would add some rose water to the inside, though I don't remember that he added it to the shellac. If it was for a gentleman, he would add some hair tonic called Jaris ?? (sp) for fragrance. I don't think it made any difference if the intended recipient "liked" or "used" that fragrance, he did it anyway. .
That was a fond memory!! Thanks for jarring it lose and bringing it back!

Be well,
Ben

rpd wrote:

benush26 wrote:Many decades back, one of my many summer jobs was working for a furniture maker. My Dad had arranged the job with his friend so I wouldn't "slack off".
The Norwegian I worked for did something similar for bureau top drawers (new construction). If the bureau was made for a woman (had lots of small dividers in the top drawer) he would add some rose water to the inside, though I don't remember that he added it to the shellac. If it was for a gentleman, he would add some hair tonic called Jaris ?? (sp) for fragrance. I don't think it made any difference if the intended recipient "liked" or "used" that fragrance, he did it anyway. .
That was a fond memory!! Thanks for jarring it lose and bringing it back!

Be well,
Ben

jerishairtonic.jpg

Yep! that's the stuff!

When you mentioned the tonic I thought back to my early years where out local barber would slap some of this stuff on after using the straight razor to trim you up.
I just came across this bottle the other day and was wondering what it smells like now........ it has aged in the bottle for a good number of years now, like maybe 30/35 years. I wanted to open it outside just in case. I was going to get rid of it but now I'm thinking of woodworking uses. How about scented pens?

Well OK I'll save it until spring and then see what that brings. I also found an old bottles of Old Spice, Wild West, and Stetson. So I should be set to make at least 5,000 pens with scents. Or maybe they will all find there way into the backyard as something to keep the critters away from the garden.

Ed

One of my favorite scents is bay rum.

I used to mix it in my mustache wax.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_rum

Another trick I've heard before, putting a few drops
of REAL vanilla in oil-based paint, when painting inside,
especially, in the kitchen. Didn't quite kill the smell
of the paint, but disguised it a bit. After the paint dried,
the vanilla smell lasted for a few weeks.

steve