I thought about setting it outside. I was advised by two different people not to set the drawers or chest outside. The sun is so intense here they said. One reason was that the stuff they applied to try to cover the inside would become, I guess, gummy for lack of a better word. Just the opposite of what you think would happen. The other person said the drawers would warp and not fit correctly when putting it back together. I don\'t know much about these things, but I have to agree with them the sun is extreme down here in the South. Nothing like when we lived up North.

Hi, M:

My parents were in the antique business. I refinished furniture for them when I was a kid. Yes, putting the drawers outside on a sunny day is a good idea, but don't put them in direct sun. Put them in a shady spot but not in direct contact with soil or grass to avoid moisture. Direct sun is too hot and will interfere with the curing process. Direct sun will cause gumminess in the finish. Be sure to bring the drawers inside at night to prevent them from getting wet from dew. It will take time, but the drawers should air out with time.The key is to research finishes before applying them.

There are numerous paint and wood finishing products companies out there that make safer finishes. Here's an info site with a list of companies that make VOC free finishes: www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm. It generally is cheaper to purchase small containers of several products that appear promising as far as your tolerance to them is concerned and testing them. Get a 2x4 or some other piece of wood and cut a piece for each finish you're going to test. Brush each finish onto a piece of wood and give them the old sniff test over the number of days it takes for them to cure well. Decide which one seems best.

Then get a piece of formaldehyde-free plywood a couple of feet square, apply the most promising finish to both sides and all the edges, giving it the number of coats recommended on the label. Let it cure for a few days outside, then bring it into the room in which you're going to use the finish and see how you do with the plywood in the room. It's work but it sure will save you the trouble of potentially ruining a piece of furniture or anything stored in that furniture.

Best of luck!

Peter in CT

Frankly, I'd be more worried that your air conditioning sucks in odors from the garage. If you park cars in the garage or store anything there you're getting anything that it off gasses sucked in. I'd have your AC contractor check all the seals around your air handler to solve that problem. You may also want to check the seals around the door from your house to the garage.

In terms of the off gassing getting the drawers into a low humidity environment will hasten curing and the off gassing. Dry heat works best. One thought is to buy or rent a dehumidifier and set it up in a small bedroom or big closet. Then block the AC ducts, put the drawers in the room and run the dehumidifier. A few days of the dry heat created by the dehumidifier may solve a lot of the problem.

Peter,

I want to thank you ever so much for your response to my post. I sure appreciate the information. I can't wait to check out the website you listed. Again, many thanks for the information.