Thread: Hardening Cedar

Some more info would be good.

Durability............. to weathering, resistance to mechanical abrasion, knocks etc.

To knocks, I will be finishing with shellac but wondering if I can do something underneath to give it that little bit more dent resistance

If you're going to finish with shellac I would stay with shellac all the way through.

What sort of dilution to get penetration into the wood to harden it?

I don't think you will be able to harden the timber itself. You can use a number of 'hard' finishes but the timber underneath will still be the same as it was before it was coated. UBeaut's hard Shellac gives a hard finish that extends only as far it enters the timber surface but, even with a dilute first coat, it doesn't soak in very far.
I used to use Satin Estapol (sorry Neil) with a VERY thin first coat and then several more coats with a light sanding in between, but it gave a finish that looks like a thin layer of plastic on top of the timber. I would then 'polish' the surface with Scandinavian Teak Oil rubbed on with 0000 steel wool. If that surface is hit hard enough it will dent but the surface finish doesn't crack.
I now use UBeaut Hard Shellac, thin first coat, several more unthinned, sanding in between and polished with wax. For really hard wearing surfaces like a table top I will use MinWax wipe on poly (WOP) between the shellac and the wax. This gives a much tougher surface but not as repairable.
fletty