Virginian Pencil Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Other names: Eastern Red Cedar, Pencil Cedar
Latin names: Juniperus virginiana, Juniperus silicicola
Family: Cupressaceae

Virginian Pencil Cedar

 

Virginian Pencil Cedar has a heartwood which is of uniform reddish-brown color with an aromatic distinct cedar scent and thin dark line of latewood marks at the boundary of each growth ring. The wood itself is soft, very straight grained, with a fine, even texture. Weight of cedar wood is around 530 kg/m3 (33 lb/ft3).

Pencil Cedar has medium bending and crushing strength and is classified as poor steam bending wood. The wood should be allowed to dry slowly to avoid fine surface checking and end splitting. Cedar works readily with hand and machine tools and has little blunting effect on cutting edges. Selected straight grained material works very easily, but the more decorative stock of knotty cedar has disturbed grain around the knots which tends to tear in planing or moulding, therefore the cutters must be kept very sharp to obtain a good finish. Wood likely splits when nailed, but glues, stains and produces a fine finish with the usual treatments.

Virginian Pencil Cedar wood is durable and resists insect attack. The fragrant, aromatic wood is used for cigar boxes, linen and blanket chests, ship building, coffins, and interior trim. Selected logs are sliced for highly decorative panelling and furniture veneers.

American Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Other names: Northern Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Spanish Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Cherrybark Oak, Shumard Red Oak
Latin names: Quercus rubra, Quercus falcata, Quercus falcata, Quercus shumardii
Family: Fagaceae

American Red Oak

The heartwood is non-durable and liable to insect attack; it resembles other Oaks with a biscuit to pink colour with a reddish tinge. American Red Oak is mostly straight grained and coarse textured, with a less attractive figure than White Oak due to smaller rays. The Southern Red Oak has a more rapid growth than Northern Red Oak and is also harder, heavier and with coarser texture.

Red Oak timber has medium bending strength and stiffness with high crushing strength and is classified as a very good steam bending wood with a weight about 770 kg/m3 (48 lb/ft3). It has a natural tendency to dry slowly, with liability to split, check or honeycomb, and needs a little care in both air drying and kiln drying process. This Oak also has a moderate blunting effect on cutters which should be always kept sharp. Nailing always requires pre-boring and has gluing properties that are variable. Final wood surface can be easily stained and polished to a good nice looking finish. It is mostly used in flooring, furniture, vehicle construction, interior joinery and plywood manufacture. As a wood veneer it is most often sliced for decorative veneers for all product ranges.