Thread: white cedar

splits, but when dry is OK. needs to be processed again after dring.
soft. broad grain, blown colour, OK for cabinets etc. but too soft and not stable for table tops
Greg

Is the colour about the same as red cedar, and is it much softer then the softest red cedar ?

also, what do you mean by 'processed again after drying'. What sort of processing is involved.

thanks
Arron

I would say that the colour of white cedar is on the lighter end of red cedar colours. Hardness would be similar, I would not go and make a mallet out of it. It is also ring porous like red cedar too.

Colour is whitish to brown, not red.

Re-process... I mean that often the drying slabs will split, so they will need to be re-cut to obtain good quality boards. this can happen with all woods, but white cedar is prone.

The door panels on this cabinet I made are White Cedar

Here is a pic of my carving bench , white cedar / kwila top .

Veebull

Neat wood, but what actual species is your 'white cedar' , it seems to vary depending on what part of the world you live in?

Cheers

Ian

forgive me but I just pulled out some info about Yellow Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) which I had somehow confused with White cedar. But I thought it might be worthwhile just giving a summary. Its recently available as decking timber (140x26 and 90x26) in Oz. Its not cheap but is highly splinter resistant, finishing is optional as it is highly resistant to decay. If you could afford it, it sounds like the perfect timber for around pools and playgrounds and other exterior applications.
anyway...

Cheers
Michael

Ian , my book tells me white cedar aka tulip cedar ; Melia azedarach var. australascia .

Veebull

Yes, Melia is the one I was meaning. Known as 'white cedar' throughout Australia, though it wouldnt surprise me to hear that other timbers share the same name in more limited contexts.

I just asked because a neighbour cut a tree down a few months ago and I salvaged some of the timber. I cut a small piece off and noticed it looked quite like the coarser versions of red cedar, which raised my interest.

Arron

White Cedar Melia azedarach WIA
White Cedar Melia dubia MPA
From here....
http://www.vwa.org.au/list_ta_wxyz.htm

Hi

Here is a box sculpted from White Cedar. I would not have choosen White Cedar for this work, but for the fact that it was at most appropriate block of timber (size) I had at the time.

Tony Ward
www.tonyward.org