Lawsons Cypress logs required

[Mike Dempsey]

Of course the bottom 2 are douglas fir. That smells nice but the df I got was brick hard and blunted my bandsaw blades pretty quickly. The fact that it is very light means that it is easy to cut and gentle on the bandsaw blades. For a while I was using Cedar of Lebanon but I was finding that it is quite an oily/greasy timber and the red ribbons were going all stiff with the dried up oil. I now only use lawsons cypress which is non oily.
I buy all my cypress in log form and cut it up and air dry it myself and that way I know its not going to twist and cup or go like a propeller. Its the nearest I get to milling these days!

[openspaceman]

20 minutes ago, Mike Dempsey said:

For a while I was using Cedar of Lebanon but I was finding that it is quite an oily/greasy timber and the red ribbons were going all stiff with the dried up oil.

That's why I find it difficult to burn smokelessly in my stove.

 

BTW last picture needed a blue background

Edited December 14, 2021 by openspaceman
missing adverb

[Big J]

 

This was the last cladding I cut whilst I had the sawmill in Scotland. It was a friends house up in Kincraig, near Aviemore. All lawsons cypress. 

 

It's much harder and denser than WRC and it's barely greyed. It's very attractive up close too, and draws a lot of comment.

[Mike Dempsey]

10 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

That's why I find it difficult to burn smokelessly in my stove.

 

BTW last picture needed a blue background

The amount of smoke when burning the cedar of lebanon in the stove is incredible. I am on an industrial estate so I can get away with burning anything legal. The cedar I preferred to burn at night or at weekends with no neighbours about.

[openspaceman]

1 minute ago, Mike Dempsey said:

The amount of smoke when burning the cedar of lebanon in the stove is incredible. I am on an industrial estate so I can get away with burning anything legal. The cedar I preferred to burn at night or at weekends with no neighbours about.

I'm so glad you corroborate that I was worried I was doing something wrong. I have found some work arounds as my neighbours would jump on me if they saw smoke coming form my chimney.

[Mike Dempsey]

A neighbouring workshop has big spotlights on a wall looking into their car park. Unfortunately it also lights up the smoke coming from my chimney. A passing motorist saw all the smoke one evening and dialled 999. Two fire engines with blue lights showed up and they wanted to inspect my stove as they were sure the workshop was on fire. Crazy night!

Edited December 14, 2021 by Mike Dempsey

[devon TWiG]

Thanks for the explanation , I was somewhat puzzled why anybody specifically wanted Lawsons !

[Squaredy]

This is what Wikipedia says about Lawson Cypress (or Port Orford Cedar as it is known in the US).  

 

The wood is light yet has great strength and rot resistance, and is particularly highly valued in east Asia, with large amounts being exported to Japan where it is in high demand for making coffins, and for shrines and temples.^[7] Its lumber is also known for its highly fragrant ginger aroma. Due to the straightness of its grain, it is also one of the preferred woods for the manufacture of arrow shafts. It is also considered an acceptable, though not ideal, wood for construction of aircraft.^[8]

However, it is considered more than acceptable for use in stringed instruments. Its fine grain, good strength and tonal quality are highly regarded for soundboards in guitar making.^[9]

 

Of course when it is an overgrown garden tree it will be knotty, but when it is forest grown it is one of the best softwoods.  Far superior to Larch, Western Red Cedar or Douglas Fir.  Even Leylandii is fantastic timber if forest grown.

 

 

[timberonabike]

We felled some years ago in a woodland and most of it went for garden sleepers due to it being oversize. The heartwood of bits left behind from first thinning were still pretty solid when it came to pushing them out the way.

We milled some for ourselves for some picket fencing, when we sent it for tanalising after drying, it sucked the tank dry and were were told not to send any more. The second load had a wrap of Sitka around the outside to hide what it was. 😂 Fence is still sound.

 

I think the smell is more pineapple, not got many left to see if there is a ginger aroma.

[nepia]

Funny how people perceive the smell in such an array of ways; to me the fresh cut timber is a cross between lemon and vanilla!

Edited December 15, 2021 by nepia