Western Cedar?

[Bob Nieman]

Kinda related to Ken's post for a director's chair, only I have the plans and don't know where to find the wood.

http://www.minwax.com/build/intermediate/patiochair/art/lg1.jpg
The plans are on the minwax web site. It calls for western cedar "because it's both lightweight and strong", but I have yet to find it in 2x6 (6/4). Woodfinder.com wasn't much help (only two listings). I expected this to be easier to find, maybe as fencing material. I went to Albuquerque and checked out a few stores but didn't find any (plenty of aromatic red in 4/4). Shouldn't it be more common than this? I didn't look in the Home Depot that I visited (made a fruitless attempt to find more "driftwood" minwax stain)

I could make it out of a different wood that can be outside, but I didn't see anything in 6/4 (white oak, cypress) besides teak (gasp!). Honduran Mahogany and Ipe were no shows. If I made it out of a different wood, would I have to use 6/4 stock? White oak in 4/4 can be had (albeit 300 miles away).

I haven't tried mail order for anything other than thin figured wood on ebay.

[Per Swenson]

Bob,

In the North East, western red cedar ia available in most lumberyards.

Not home centers. High end decks, where the deck is carried through

the house outside are often werstern red. Check your local lumber yards

that cater to the high end market. Is there a Wickes Lumber near you?

If not any local Lumber yard should be able to order it for you.

I hope this helps.

Per

[Tom Jones III]

I recently built a glider out of western red cedar to match the cedar on my parents porch. There was only one lumber yard in Houston that carried it.

[John Bush]

Hi Bob,

I recently built several Adirondac style benches using recycled Western Red Cedar fencing material. I had several 6X6 posts that I resawed, after removing a few pouinds of nails, and the grain was tight and attractive. Also, most lumberyards here have 5/4X4" and 5/4X6" radius edged decking that usually is not as well grained, but will still look good for patio furniture.

Goof luck, John.