Great find or waste of time free wood?

[keith ouellette]

Hello;
Everything sure has changed around here since the last time I looked.

Any way.

I was able to get some free cedar. It was old siding. Pretty darn old from what I can tell. 12" wide and 7/8 to 1" thick. I ripped off the edges with the nails so now I have around 20 - 7 to 8 ft long 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 inch wide pieces plus a few shorter pieces. Most of it is cupped but I can rip it into 3 1/2" wide and that pretty much removes the cup.

It is painted on one side but being 7/8" plus rough I can clean it up and still have 3/4" cedar. I posted a picture of a piece I just planed as well as most of the stack on the wall and my work bench.

I have never really worked with cedar other than siding. I Know its used in blanket chests but I don't remember seeing this wild grain pattern though I never really looked to closely at cedar before. It sure smells like cedar when its planned though. thats for sure.

So is this wood worth any more time as far as wood working goes or should it be left as siding or turned into exterior trim?

[Tony Bilello]

.......... I Know its used in blanket chests but I don't remember seeing this wild grain pattern ......So is this wood worth any more time as far as wood working goes or should it be left as siding or turned into exterior trim?

Generally, eastern red cedar is used in blanket chests. It has very definite red coloring.This looks like western cedar which is mostly brown and is used for siding. When freshly cut, they don't smell anything alike. Easter red smells almost like a potpouri scent and western cedar is udually pungent.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Looks like it might be great for a strip built kayak or canoe!

[Chip Lindley]

Western cedar is insect and weather resistant. That's why it was siding. Your boards would be great for outdoor ornamentals--bird feeders, bird houses, even dog houses. It's certainly too good to go to waste.

[keith ouellette]

Western cedar is insect and weather resistant. That's why it was siding. Your boards would be great for outdoor ornamentals--bird feeders, bird houses, even dog houses. It's certainly too good to go to waste.


I never thought of items like bird feeders. I have a friend who is heavily into bird photography that wants some feeders. thats a good idea.

I am a little disappointed in it. I should have gathered that it was made into siding for a reason. I agree it shouldn't be wasted but seeing I have very little money for wood working these days I was hoping for something better. Oh well.

This wood seems fairly dense. could some one clue me in on some of its other properties.

[Tony Bilello]

I have seen it used for dog and cat houses. Usually it is the exterior siding clad over Luan. The luan interior lining eliminated the cedar odor which apparently some pets don't like.

[Peter Quinn]

Western red cedar is very soft and rather weak over much of a span so if you make things with it you should think chunky, like picnic table style, all 6/4 thickness, or at least 5/4. You can certainly face glue your 3/4" pieces to make 1 1/2" pieces, essentially 2X4 at that point, and work from there. It's durable for out door use but could make nice casual indoor things as well. My dog is lucky to get t-111 on her house, I wouldn't be in a big hurry to use it for pet homes! It's rather expensive around here in a clear grade like siding typically uses. Your creativity is the only limit, though being soft I wouldn't use it for something that will take lots of daily human contact like a chair or eating table. I have a pile of cedar 8x8 drops from a pergola job that I resawed into 5/4-12/4 and am planing to make an out door seating type thing this spring. The material available will steer the design. I love using recycled or discarded materials. I made my entire work bench from QSWO flooring scraps culled from a dumpster, though you wouldn't know by looking at it. Good luck and enjoy it. I suppose it would makema lovely mailbox if you needed one.

[keith ouellette]

Western red cedar is very soft and .............. Good luck and enjoy it. I suppose it would makema lovely mailbox if you needed one.

Mail box is actually a fantastic idea seeing as how my wife was just complaining about our "Ugly" black plastic mail box. I could make the post a hollow square tube out of the cedar that would slide over a pre made re enforced concrete post. that way if any one tried to run it over (which happened to several of out neighbors last year) they would be in for a surprise.

[Mark Blatter]

Mail box is actually a fantastic idea seeing as how my wife was just complaining about our "Ugly" black plastic mail box. I could make the post a hollow square tube out of the cedar that would slide over a pre made re enforced concrete post. that way if any one tried to run it over (which happened to several of out neighbors last year) they would be in for a surprise.

Be careul of the reinforced concrete post idea. You would be taking on a great deal of liability if someone got hurt, even if they were vandalizing your mailbox at the time. Check with the post office as there are specific rules and regs about what they can be made from and how far back off the road they have to be set. I had one that was made out of about 150 lbs of steel tubing and a truck tire rim that was struck by a pickup. I found out I could have been sued if the driver had wanted to.

[Joe Angrisani]

"....waist of time....."

I have one of those. :D

[Phil Thien]

Well, before you go making it into bird houses you may want to price the stuff locally. I know that around here (SE Wisconsin) clear cedar siding will set you back a small fortune.

[George Bregar]

I would make outdoor furniture...like Adirondack chairs

[Chris Padilla]

I made an outdoor gate.

[Ted Wong]

Nice score. A few words of caution though. If it is really old (prior to 1970's) be careful. The painted surface could be lead based and planing it can release lead particles in the air for your ingestion. Also lead based paint will wreck your planer blades in a hurry.

[Mike McCann]

thats great stuff to make adirondack chairs.

[Neal Clayton]

"....waist of time....."

I have one of those. :D

and the thread winner, by way of knockout is... ^ ;)

[ian maybury]

The cedars are listed by the various official H&S organisations as being quite powerful sensitisers/allergy triggers too - probably why the bugs stay away from it. I've no idea what this means in practical terns though...

ian

[Thomas Canfield]

It definitely should be saved and used. I made some "pencil" boxes out of some old weathered cedar fence boards that were is a lot worse condition than what you have, but cutting off the bad ends, scraping off the dirt and surface planing ended up with some nice wood. I even resawed the boards to have some 1/4" and 3/8" material for the boxes.

[george wilson]

Mailbox lawsuit??? I got so tired of careless drivers knocking mine down,I made a post out of 2 1/2" square solid steel!!!! I have seen them made out of large ship's anchor chains welded up into a big "S". They might get law suits,too. Hopefully,out here in the country,sanity might prevail if someone knocks it down again.

[Mike OMelia]

I have a couple of uses that come to mind. If you decide to post in the classifieds, count me as a customer. No PMs please, classifieds is where I like to buy.

Mike

[Joe Angrisani]

Neal: But now my joke doesn't make any sense (since a moderator changed the title from waist to waste)....

On a serious note, I'll go +1 on the paint comments.

[keith ouellette]

Neal: But now my joke doesn't make any sense (since a moderator changed the title from waist to waste)....

On a serious note, I'll go +1 on the paint comments.


I got your joke. it was very funny. I have a very big problem spelling most words and have to rely on spell check way to often so things like waste or waist there and their and all other similar words get confused very often. If I took the time to fret over it I wouldn't ever bother posting but at least my problem gives the spelling nazis something to do.

[David Hostetler]

Outdoor furniture such as Adirondack chairs, benches, coolers, etc...