Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-04, страница 35

Wood Profile: Eastern Red Cedar

by Wes Demarest

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The tree is important not only for it's wood; it provides cover and food for wildlife, provides volatile oils, and is sold and planted as ornamentals for landscaping. The tree is easily distinguished from other cedars by its leaves and blue berries that are actually fleshy cones. If you have ever tasted gin, these are what was used for the flavoring.

Common on the East Coast, the Eastern Red Cedar is actually a type of juniper.

Eastern Red Cedar, juniperus vir-■.giniana, is a widely distributed evergreen that is not a true cedar, but a juniper. It can be found from Nova Scotia to Florida westward to the limits of the Mississippi drainage. The trees found in the southern coastal region, however, may be a separate species, juniperus siliciola. j Scientists are in disagreement as ■: to this being a separate species or J merely a variant of J. virginiana. i Another species is Ashe juniper, ■ juniperus ashel, which is found ^:: from the Ozarks, Oklahoma, south to northern Mexico.

The distinctive leaves of the Eastern Red Cedar.

The tree is often an important source of food for wildlife, especially in the winter. Here is an example of a tree browsed by deer.

Red cedar is tolerant of growing conditions and can be found from uplands to swamps and any place in between. In my area of northwest New lersey, the old growth stands arc long gone, victims of the developers chain saw. Given time and fertile soil, these trees can attain heights of 120 feet with diameters over 2 feet, but most found in ihe east today arc smaller. J. ushei docs not grow as tall, but still attains substantial girth. It is often a pioneer species of forest succession. In other words, when farm or vacant land goes fallow (dormant), it is one of the first trees to grow.

Red is often first species tree to grow fallow or

recognized.

The grain is strikingly beautiful. The heartwood can often contain many shades of pink.

The bark of the tree is also diagnostic of the red cedars and finds use as tinder for starting fires with flint and steel, bow and drill, or even matches if you have them. The wood is classified as moderately heavy with a specific gravity of .44. with j. ashei a bit heavier at .65, ancl is easy to work with machine or hand tools. The sap wood can be nearly pure while and the heartwood can have a number of shades of pink and red and is often intermingled with the heartwood, creating very interesting patterns. Not only is the color fantastic, it is prized for the odor it gives off, and there is not a wood worker that is not familiar with it. It has been used for chest and closet linings for hundreds of years because of its ability to repel moths. The wood is normally quite knotty and can have extensive areas of inter-grown bark, so when you buy it direct from the saw mill, be sure to specify what you are looking for.

There are two problems with this wood you should be aware of. One is that of toxicity. The boards and the dust created when working the wood can be toxic, causing respiratory distress and skin rash. Be sure to wear a respirator and clothing that covers your skin to rcducc the danger, and be extra careful when working this wood if you are perspiring. The other problem is that it docs not accept polyurethane finishes. The finish will not cure, but remain a gummy mess because it reacts with the oils in the wood. Use shellac instead. It can be used as a complete finish or a scaler under a poly finish.

You will also find that it is best to pre-drill holes for all fasteners to reduce splitting near the ends of the boards. If your fastener has a larger head, such as a sheet rock screw, use a counter sink. Wc even crcatc room for brad heads when working close to the end grain just like we do for cherry and maple. The scent of older wood can be restored with a light sanding with 180 or 220 grit sandpaper, and finishes do inhibit the scent, jjp

Creative Woodworks S. Crafts April 2003 • 19