Spanish Cedar

Anyone have much experience turning Spanish cedar?

I've got to turn up some spindles for the porch railing at the lake. They are 2-3/4 square at the ends, so I'll have to start with 12/4 stock. They will be painted but will be beaten up pretty badly by the weather, so I'll want something durable. Spanish cedar and African mahogany come to mind. Honduras / South American mahogany would also work, but it's starting to get awfully pricey.

I've worked quite a bit with Spanish cedar but only tried turning a piece yesterday. It was somewhat fuzzy - as is a lot of it that I've used - but I was able to get it fairly smooth. I'm not crazy about doing a whole lot of sanding on it - that dust is no fun.

So, has anyone done much with it? Is it hard to consistently get a good surface? Any other suggestions?

John Martin

Reply to
John
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Hello John,

I have turned Spanish Cedar occasionally over the years and find it "ok"... As you mentioned it can be fuzzy, and seems to vary a bit from lot to lot. It may be a wee bit too soft though for your use. What about turning Bodark, aka Osage Orange. It is quite hard and weather resistant and no doubt cheaper than Spanish Cedar. Down in our part of the country, lots of fence posts are made from Bodark and they hold up to years of weather. You may be able to find some locally, but I'm not sure where you live. Good luck and best wishes in all of your woodturning endeavours!

Reply to
Steve Russell

also known as "Hedge Apple".

Reply to
Barry N. Turner

Does anyone know: is Spanish Cedar the same as Port Orford Cedar?

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Carbon steel (CS) tools -- can be made sharp enough to get minimal fuzz.

I have turned white pine and basswood and obtained a relatively polished

surface. Mind you I resharpened the skew so it was a lot more oblique.

The cutting angle was quite steep when I bought the CS set. On a (Darlow?) book recommendation I resharpened the large skew with a more oblique angle (< 30 deg angle) -- better cuts on soft wood -- that's for

sure. I get incredibly small curly shavings that look like sawdust -- when I am doing a "polishing" passs with the skew.

Reply to
WillR

It is not. Cedrela odorata from the south, rather than Chamaecyparis lawsonia from the north.

Reply to
George

Wood Explorer indicates this :

Scientific Name Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Trade Name Port Orford cedar

Family Name Cupressaceae

Common Names FALSE cypress Ginuer pine Lawson cypress Lawson false cypress Lawson's cypress Oregon cedar Port Orford cedar Port Orford white cedar White cedar

Regions of Distribution North America Oceania and S.E. Asia Western Europe

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Jeff wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Thanks to you and Martin for the clarification. Port Orford was used as decking on some of the mahogany boats of the golden era--i.e. 40s, 50s, and

60s--of boatbuilding. Chris Craft was noted for using it as a contrasting wood with the mahogany. Someone once told me it was also known as Spanish Cedar, but I was skeptical. Now I know.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

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