Thread: Westerm red cedar

1. It's soft

And cockatoos think its tasty

3. It looks nice finished

The dust is very hazardous
Good timber for drawer bottoms as moths don't come near it.
The timber can trigger asthma attacks/

Bob,

Very interested in your reply. Is it the timber that triggers asthma attacks or is it the dust (associated with machining) that triggers the attacks?

Regards,
Mike.

The dust is real bad.

Knew a woodie years ago who couldn't go inside a wrc house without suffering an asthma attack. So the timber was a prob in his particular case.

Originally Posted by j.stevens

Does anyone have much experience with WRC - characteristics or any useful info. I know its used a lot for outdoor house and furniture, but what about indoor furniture and cabinetmaking. Anyone experience with that?

wrc is commonly used as strip planking as the core for composite construction of boat hulls, covered in fibreglass and epoxy. im not saying i wouldnt use it for anything else but i can think of other timbers that would be better suited for most other applications.

Originally Posted by echnidna

The dust is real bad.

Knew a woodie years ago who couldn't go inside a wrc house without suffering an asthma attack. So the timber was a prob in his particular case.

As Echnidna said, the dust is "real bad".

I work with WRC regularly and the fine dust created when sawing and sanding can certainly trigger asthma and dermatitis. DAMHIK.

Structurally I would use other timbers for indoor funiture before even considering WRC.

Tools need to be as sharp as buggery, the resin in the timber will take the edge off any tool quicker than you can blink.
IMHO only suitable for wall panelling, although I have made a bird feeder out of it.

It's nice & stable - good for use in drawer bottoms & sides.

Originally Posted by AlexS

It's nice & stable - good for use in drawer bottoms & sides.

I use it for my letterboxes because its great outdoors, I use some off cuts in incense holders and things but I wouldn't recomend it for anywhere that will be scratched or dented easily.

I love the smell of it when freshly cut (didn't realise it was so bad to breath in tho).

Here's a pic of a Bed Side Table I finished recently and used WRC for the drawer back piece (unfinished) so the drawer will have the nice smell and be resistant to moths. I've never really noticed that it bluntens the tools fast, I use Tas Oak, Jarrah & Cedar & found Cedar to be easiest to cut, sand and machine.