what is most powerful smelling wood?

[Kevin Gregoire]

im wanting my woodshop to start smelling more like a woodshop and i want to know what kind of wood is the most aromatic?
i am guessing that cedar is the strongest smelling? if not, what is? and how long would a box of chips/shavings last?

and does anyone have a box of shavings and what would you charge to ship them to south dakota 57069?

thanks

[Prashun Patel]

Kevin-
A box of shavings will not remain aromatic for a whole heck of a long time.
PM me your address.

I'm in the fragrance industry, and I will send you some distilled cedar OIL. You can blot a tissue with it, put it on top of yr cabinets in yr shop and it'll keep the shop smelling like red cedar for weeks.

The shipping will be negligible.

- prashun

[Dennis Ford]

Camphor is the strongest smelling wood that I have worked. Cedar would be second and Sassafras third. There are probably many others that I have not used (yet).

[ray hampton]

what do this cedar oil mix with ?

[Todd Burch]

If you want a strong smell of cat pee, (and you probably don't), try some wet cottonwood.

There's nothing like fresh cut pitch pine to smell up a shop nice.

[Todd Burch]

Oh, Sandalwood smells pretty good. A lot of men's cologne is sandalwood.

Hey Prashsun - how's about some sandalwood oil over this way? ;)

[Prashun Patel]

Unfortunately, sandalwood oil is largely prohibited in the world. There's an Australian variety now, but it's not like (IMHO) Indian Sandalwood in character.

Most of the sandalwood you get in mens and womens' colognes is synthetically replicated.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Port Orford Cedar Smell like perfume when you mill it.

[Gary Herrmann]

And fresh cut Catalpa smells like cotton candy.

[Ron Kellison]

Spanish cedar lasts for 3-4 weeks but smells wonderful. Pao ferro (morado) is wonderful to work with but reminds me of fresh cow manure. Growing up on a dairy farm leaves a legacy that can't be ignored!

Rom

[Jerry Lawrence]

Zebrawood has a pretty strong aroma, but I would NOT want my shop to smell like that!

[Van Huskey]

Camphor is the strongest smelling wood that I have worked. Cedar would be second and Sassafras third. There are probably many others that I have not used (yet).

+1 that was what I opened the thread thinking, camphor. But it doesn't really smell like "wood".

The funny thing is with our knowledge of wood dust and its potential ill effects having a shop that doesn't smell like wood may well be a "good" thing.

[richard poitras]

Maybe just start working on a project and let the smells come naturally?

[John Coloccia]

Zebrawood has a pretty strong aroma, but I would NOT want my shop to smell like that!

That was my immediate first thought. Zebrawood smells like Zebra po...er......well, it's not very nice but it's quite pungent.

[fRED mCnEILL]

My neighbor uses a lot of yellow cedar and his shop always smeels very nice.

[Brian Kent]

My walnut burl smelled like a doggie accident. Don't try that one.

Buy a couple of cedar boards and make something.

[Martin Melderis]

Another vote for Western Yellow Cedar. Wonderful stuff.

[Edward A Miller]

Freshly harvested Eastern Hemlock if ya like the pungent aroma of Turpentine; it will take your breath away!

[Ole Anderson]

I always liked the smell when cutting fir plywood. Not fancy, but a good shop smell.

[Mike Cruz]

Kevin, I have some maple that is arguably the most pungent wood I've ever smelled. NOT at all in a GOOD way either. I'd be happy to send you some. Then you can make a bunch of shavings out of it, and your shop can smell as bad as mine for weeks! :D

[Greg Book]

Some of the most pungent smells I can think of come from a dull saw blade and thick wood. Burnt pine lasts a long time, and anything involving Luan plywood on the table saw smells for days.

[Todd Burch]

I got to where I would not buy plywood with Verona ply cores. That stuff is just nasty.

[jonathan eagle]

I love the smell of bubinga!

[Jacob Reverb]

Green white oak...smells like a whiskey barrel!

[curtis rosche]

go cut and split some wet oak, and stack it in your shop to dry. then you will have a real wood smell

[David G Baker]

I pruned some bottle brush bushes and shredded the wood, it gave off a very sweet smell. It was one of the best smelling wood I have ever smelled. I love the smell of pine that has been freshly cut. I have a small barn that was built in 1943 out of Tamarack. The walls are 1"x8" and the supports are log beams. The wood still has a nice comfortable smell but I can't describe a comparable like smell.

[Andrew Joiner]

I have a small barn that was built in 1943 out of Tamarack. The walls are 1"x8" and the supports are log beams. The wood still has a nice comfortable smell but I can't describe a comparable like smell.

Wow David,
You just hit a memory for me. My Dad was born in a Minnesota Tamarack log cabin in 1911. He and I hunted near that cabin when I was a boy. Dad told me many stories in that cabin and several Tamarack barns that were still sound in the 1960's. The smell was earthy and exactly as you describe.

I love the smell of Brazilian Rosewood.

The smell of Doug Fir reminds me of the neighborhood lumber yard as a boy. I'd lurk around the yard and dream about woodworking as often as I could. To this day, when I cut Doug Fir I go right back to boyhood dreaming.

I'm so lucky that my current local yard only carries real Doug Fir. SPF creates BAD dreams!

[Steven Lee, NC]

Lignum vitae is very strong and smells like powerful cologne/perfume. My workshop tho tends to smell like a Bug Candle and spray Off in an attempt to keep the mosquitos at bay

[Kent Chasson]

Santos Mahogany (Myroxylon balsamum ) has a very long lasting smell, like cinnamon and cloves. I sucked up some dust with my shop-vac and it perfumed the shop for months every time I turned it on.

Brazilian Rosewood smells the best but that would be some seriously expensive shavings.

[Jim Rimmer]

The smell is not powerful but fresh cut pine takes me back 5o years or so to my grandfathers shop.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I like the idea of an air freshener more so than sawdust which could have negative health effects. haha

During the holidays there will be an explosion in pine fragrances, and then you can buy them cheap in january when they go on clearance.

I bought the large New Yankee Candles for $7 instead of $30, and one of them was called "home for christmas", and it smells the house like a fresh cut pine christmas tree.

[Mike Cruz]

Green RED oak smells like cat urine!

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Unfortunately, sandalwood oil is largely prohibited in the world.


Why is this?


I machined a large amount of aromatic cedar years ago. I had to pull my dust collector apart and thoroughly clean the bags because the smell was giving me a headache. I like it in small amounts, but too much is too much.

[Jim Matthews]

Naturally processed cedar gets my vote...228568

[Mike Cruz]

Now, who's going to argue with HIM?!

[scott vroom]

Pass the popcorn...this is entertaining.

[Angie Orfanedes]

Olive wood. Smells very different and very pleasant - like a sweet vinagerette dressing.

[Joe Spear]

Tulip poplar smells like a horse stall to me, which is not entirely unpleasant.

[Thomas Canfield]

Wet Red Bud smells like a moldy dish rag and will definitely give your shop some odor, but cedar would be a better choice. I turned a piece of Lebanon Cedar that had a nice sweet smell and to me was better than the normal aromatic red cedar. Even sappy yellow pine has a good smell when cut on table saw, jointer, or planer.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Since some did mention not good smelling wood.... The most powerful wood that I have turned is Orchid Tree (Bauhinia). I turn with a resiprator, so I could not smell it. My wife came out from inside the house and asked what I was turning. So did my neighbor across the street. It is much more aromatic than cedar, camphor and lig vitae. Just my opinion of course.

[Prashun Patel]

overharvesting. It's an endangered species, but the Indian government could not control the pirate harvesting for many years. Now, sadly, there's not much left. It's highly regulated.

[Lupe Duncan]

I would love to get the smell of Amboyna. Heck I would wear the stuff if I could.

[Steve knight]

Vera wood is fantastic it is sweet and very pleasant. a little bit would really make my shop smell good. the sawdust can be squeezed together and would form a clump no dust mask needed.
desert ironwood I had smelled like there was a dead animal in it. very nasty. bloodwood is pretty sweet but it makes super fine very hard to capture dust. Hate the smell of bamboo sometimes it can be ok sometimes very strong.

[Wayne A Hall]

Heart Pine gets my vote.