WOOD SPECIES:
Aromatic Cedar
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Juniperus virginiana
OTHER COMMON NAMES:
Aromatic Red Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Juniper, Red Juniper, Red Cedar, Savin, Virginia Pencil Cedar
TYPICAL USES:
Aromatic Cedar is commonly used as a drawer and cabinet liner, particularly in closets and chests. Other uses include carvings, outdoor furniture, pencils, fence posts and specialty items.
SOURCES:
United States, Canada
AVG BENDING STRENGTH:
8,800 psi
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
0.44
AVG WEIGHT:
33 lbs/cu.ft.
SAPWOOD COLOR:
The sapwood of Aromatic Cedar is typically light-yellow in color, appearing as steaks and stripes throughout the darker heartwood.
HEARTWOOD COLOR:
Aromatic Red Cedar exhibits a reddish to violet-brown heartwood, streaked with the lighter-colored sapwood. The heartwood typically contains a number of small knots, lending to its rustic appearance.
GRAIN:
Fine straight grain, with small knots and closed pores.
TEXTURE:
The texture of Aromatic Cedar is typically fine.
MOVEMENT:
Typically stable after proper drying, with little to no dimensional movement.
DURABILITY:
Very high resistance to decay and insect infestation.
BLUNTING EFFECT:
Minimal blunting.
CUTTING RESISTANCE:
Easy to work with little to no resistance to cutting.
PLANING:
Responds well to planing operations, yielding a smooth, clean surface.
TURNING:
Not typically used in turning applications.
BORING:
Reportedly bores easily and cleanly.
GLUING:
Satisfactory gluing properties.
NAILING:
Holds nails okay with some risk of splitting.
SCREWING:
Holds screws satisfactorily.
POLISHING:
Polishes to a high sheen.
STAINING:
Aromatic Cedar finishes well, although most prefer to leave it an unfinished, natural state in order to preserve its aroma.
STEAM BENDING:
Not typically used in steam bending applications.
