PERFORMANCE
Working Properties:
Yellow-cedar is considerably harder when dry than most commercial softwoods so it is strong. It is known for its exceptional working properties and can easily by machined and finished. It turns, planes and shapes well and can be sanded to a smooth finish. The wood glues satisfactorily, has moderate nail and screw holding ability, and takes a good finish.
| Process | Performance | Comments |
| Machining
|
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| Planing | Excellent planing quality | Recommended planer settings: 20 degree hook and 8, 12, 16, or 20 kmpi (knife marks per inch) No major defects. Slight dulling effect on cutting tools |
| Turning | Medium to high surface quality | Good surface quality when turned using a rotary knife lathe |
| Sawing | Easy to work with tools | Known for its exceptionally good working qualities |
| Boring | Moderate | Much better boring quality with brad point bits than with single twist bits |
| Mortising | Good to moderate | Excellent mortising quality is found with a hollow chisel mortise |
| Shaping | Good shaping quality | Recommended: The use of a counter piece for end-grain shaping |
| Veneering | N/A | |
| Sanding | Excellent | |
| Fastening
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| Screwing | Moderate | Average screw retention: 476 lb. |
| Lateral Nail Holding | N/A | |
| Nail Retention | Good | Equivalent to Douglas Fir |
| Gluing | Satisfactory | Bonds satisfactorily with good-quality adhesives under a moderately wide range of bonding conditions |
| Finishing
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| Staining | Moderately easy | Natural finish looks best. As stain gets darker, uneven color is pronounced. A wash coat would even out color differences |
| Painting | Moderate paint holding ability | Older wood should be wiped with pain thinner to remove surface 'greasyness' |
| Lacquering | Good to moderate | Reasonably smooth results with only two topcoats |
| Waxing | Good | Good results are obtained when using light- to medium-colored waxes (e.g. Mellow Pine, Chestnut) |
| Drying
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| Ease of Drying | Moderately easy | Dries without difficulty, but there is a tendency for surface checking to occur in thick stock with some end splitting if the drying is forced |
| Durability
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| Natural Decay Resistance | Durable | Appropriate for outdoor usage |
| Treatability | Impermeable | Can be improved by incising |
Table: data compiled by Forintek Canada Corp.
Strength properties:
Strength properties at 12% moisture content of Longleaf Pine, Shortleaf Pine, Douglas Fir, Yellow-cedar and Western Red Cedar:
| Longleaf Pine | 6150 |
8220 |
950 |
470 |
1500 |
9300 |
14300 |
1.93 |
| Shortleaf Pine | 5090 |
7270 |
750 |
470 |
1390 |
7700 |
13100 |
1.76 |
| Douglas Fir | 5850 |
7430 |
870 |
340 |
1160 |
7800 |
12200 |
1.95 |
| Western Red Cedar | 4360 |
5020 |
610 |
220 |
860 |
5300 |
8000 |
1.04 |
| Yellow-Cedar | 5210 |
6310 |
770 |
360 |
1130 |
7100 |
11100 |
1.42 |
| When Longleaf Pine equals 100% | ||||||||
| Longleaf Pine | 100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
| Shortleaf Pine | 83% |
88% |
79% |
100% |
93% |
83% |
92% |
91% |
| Douglas Fir | 95% |
90% |
92% |
72% |
77% |
84% |
85% |
101% |
| Western Red Cedar | 71% |
61% |
64% |
47% |
57% |
57% |
56% |
54% |
| Yellow-Cedar | 85% |
77% |
81% |
77% |
75% |
76% |
78% |
74% |
| Douglas Fir | 5850 | 7430 | 870 | 340 | 1160 | 7800 | 12200 | 1.95 |
| Western Red Cedar | 4360 | 5020 | 610 | 220 | 860 | 5300 | 8000 | 1.04 |
| Yellow Cedar | 5210 | 6310 | 770 | 360 | 1130 | 7100 | 11100 | 1.42 |
| When Douglas Fir equals 100% | ||||||||
| Douglas Fir | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Western Red Cedar | 75% | 68% | 70% | 65% | 74% | 68% | 66% | 53% |
| Yellow Cedar | 89% | 85% | 89% | 106% | 97% | 91% | 91% | 73% |
| Where: | ||||||||
| FSPL - Fibre Stress at proportional limits | ||||||||
| MCS - Maximum Crushing Strength | ||||||||
| MTS - Maximum tensile strength | ||||||||
| MSS - Maximum Sheer Strength | ||||||||
| E - Modulus of elasticity | ||||||||
From American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) as quoted in Understanding Wood Technology: a Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology, R Bruce Hoadley, Taunton Press 2000
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