Wood species

Cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Cupressaceae

Also sold as Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar is a juniper that has been called cedar since Pliny, and the wood everyone knows from a grandparent's chest. Small knotty trees, narrow slabs, and a scent that does not quit.

Janka hardness: 900 lbf
Density: 33.0 lb/ft³
Shrinkage T / R: 4.7 / 3.1 %
Origin: Eastern North America
IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Shop Cedar in stock (7)All live edge slabs

Cedar Live Edge Wood Slab #F983 95" x 8"-21" x 1.8" — overhead view — Oak City Customs

Pictured: Cedar Live Edge Wood Slab #F983 95" x 8" - 21" x 1.8"

About Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar is a juniper, not a true cedar, and the wood shows it: reddish to violet-brown heartwood, pale yellow sapwood in sharp contrast, straight fine grain, and knots almost always present. It carries the closet-and-chest scent everyone knows, and the scent lasts. The wood is easy to work, though its high silica content dulls cutters, so we sharpen before the final pass. It is rated excellent against both decay and insects, one of the few slabs we will put outdoors. Trees run narrow, so widths are modest. It suits benches, mantels, shelves and accent tops more than a hard-use dining surface. Ours is milled and kiln dried in Zebulon, NC.

Working & finishing

Easy to work overall, though the high silica content dulls cutters, so the shop sharpens before the final planer pass and changes sander paper more often than on poplar. Glues and finishes well. A clear oil or hardwax keeps the red-and-cream contrast and lets the scent through; a film finish seals the scent in. Reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation in some people, so dust collection matters.

Care

Wipe spills and clean with a damp cloth. At 900 lbf it is a medium top but brittle at the knots, so avoid dropping hard objects on knot clusters. Rated excellent against decay and insects, so it can live outdoors, but any wood outside grays and moves without an annual oil.

In stock now