I've a wood pile full of eastern cedar (and 2 more large trees to take
down). Problems is I've developed a hatred for this beautiful wood. I
can't for the life of me get a gloss finish on the blasted stuff.
Well, that's not true either, there is a beautiful finish on 2 sides,
but the end grain sides suck the finish up like a straw.

Anyone got any ideas? I've buffed wax on the bowls in the past with
good results, but the folks around here are asking for a hard, high-
gloss finish. Any help would be much appreciated.

JD

JD wrote:
I've a wood pile full of eastern cedar (and 2 more large trees to take
down). Problems is I've developed a hatred for this beautiful wood. I
can't for the life of me get a gloss finish on the blasted stuff.
Well, that's not true either, there is a beautiful finish on 2 sides,
but the end grain sides suck the finish up like a straw.

Anyone got any ideas? I've buffed wax on the bowls in the past with
good results, but the folks around here are asking for a hard, high-
gloss finish. Any help would be much appreciated.



I often use Crystal Coat as a finish and it blotches badly on red
cedar. What I now do is spray a couple of light coats of lacquer
sanding sealer on. It drys in a few minutes. Then I lightly sand with
600 grit then use my regular finish.

I hate cedar because it is so soft.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Warranty voided upon receipt of final
payment.

"JD" wrote in message
...
I've a wood pile full of eastern cedar (and 2 more large trees to take
down). Problems is I've developed a hatred for this beautiful wood. I
can't for the life of me get a gloss finish on the blasted stuff.
Well, that's not true either, there is a beautiful finish on 2 sides,
but the end grain sides suck the finish up like a straw.

Anyone got any ideas? I've buffed wax on the bowls in the past with
good results, but the folks around here are asking for a hard, high-
gloss finish. Any help would be much appreciated.


Shellac's probably easier to use as a sealer than lacquer, and it'll help
control resin seep as well. Same principle as lacquer, high solids rapid
evaporation to keep it close to the surface. Do the end grainwith a 2-3#
cut, the rest with a 1-2#. No need for spray equipment, but the first coat
will raise some fuzz, so you'll want to level and clear it prior to any
subsequent.

My eastern white cedar ornaments shine up with shellac and maybe a little
wax just fine.

On Jan 14, 6:37*pm, JD wrote:
I've a wood pile full of eastern cedar (and 2 more large trees to take
down). Problems is I've developed a hatred for this beautiful wood. I
can't for the life of me get a gloss finish on the blasted stuff.
Well, that's not true either, there is a beautiful finish on 2 sides,
but the end grain sides suck the finish up like a straw.

Anyone got any ideas? I've buffed wax on the bowls in the past with
good results, but the folks around here are asking for a hard, high-
gloss finish. Any help would be much appreciated.

JD

Hi JD, A few coats of lacquer will result in a high gloss finish. Yes
the end grain will soak up the lacquer but after a few coats it will
be ok. If you don't have spray equipment Deft makes lacquer in spray
cans. I usually spray lacquer with the lathe turning slow.
Cedar is a beautiful wood for about 2 weeks then it turns to an ugly
rust red looking color and the sapwood is a pale yellowish color.
Looks like the 10 million little boxes sold in every gift shop in the
northeast. If you have a lot of it saw it up into boards and line your
closets. If it were mine I would cut it into turning blanks, wax the
ends and sell it on ebay.
With the profits I would buy a few pieces of bloodwood that will
easily take most any finish and stay red for years. I actually turned
a piece of cedar a few weeks back and now it is that ugly gift shop
color. Kinda makes me wonder why I bothered. :-) Bob
http://www.outofcontrol-woodturning.com

Hi JD, A few coats of lacquer will result in a high gloss finish. Yes
the end grain will soak up the lacquer but after a few coats it will
be ok. If you don't have spray equipment Deft makes lacquer in spray
cans. I usually spray lacquer with the lathe turning slow.
Cedar is a beautiful wood for about 2 weeks then it turns to an ugly
rust red looking color and the sapwood is a pale yellowish color.
Looks like the 10 million little boxes sold in every gift shop in the
northeast. If you have a lot of it saw it up into boards and line your
closets. If it were mine I would cut it into turning blanks, wax the
ends and sell it on ebay.
With the profits I would buy a few pieces of bloodwood that will
easily take most any finish and stay red for years. I actually turned
a piece of cedar a few weeks back and now it is that ugly gift shop
color. Kinda makes me wonder why I bothered. :-) Bobhttp://www.outofcontrol-woodturning.com

I hadn't consider selling the blanks on ebay, good idea. The problem
is, every piece I've ever turned out of the blasted stuff
sells....quickly. Whether, we as craftsmen like the material or not,
the customers do. The problem I've had is putting a good finish on
that doesn't take an extremely long time to apply and finish (thus
eating up my profit margin). I agree with you about the wood looking
like a million other cedar trinket stores. I live 5 minutes from
Mammoth Cave National Park, I'll take the tourist dollar as fast as
anyone else will (yep, I'm making those 1 in a million pieces of crap
we all buy while on vacation and take home). Honestly, I hate cedar,
but I've got a bunch of it and no wood stove in the shop, so.... gonna
make some money from it somehow. Ebay might be the easier way to go.
I'll have to consider that.... or if someone would like to make some
trades.............


Thanks,
JD

On Jan 15, 9:59*am, JD wrote:
Hi JD, A few coats of lacquer will result in a high gloss finish. Yes
the end grain will soak up the lacquer but after a few coats it will
be ok. If you don't have spray equipment Deft makes lacquer in spray
cans. I usually spray lacquer with the lathe turning slow.
Cedar is a beautiful wood for about 2 weeks then it turns to an ugly
rust red looking color and the sapwood is a pale yellowish color.
Looks like the 10 million little boxes sold in every gift shop in the
northeast. If you have a lot of it saw it up into boards and line your
closets. If it were mine I would cut it into turning blanks, wax the
ends and sell it on ebay.
With the profits I would buy a few pieces of bloodwood that will
easily take most any finish and stay red for years. I actually turned
a piece of cedar a few weeks back and now it is that ugly gift shop
color. Kinda makes me wonder why I bothered. :-) Bobhttp://www.outofcontrol-woodturning.com

I hadn't consider selling the blanks on ebay, good idea. The problem
is, every piece I've ever turned out of the blasted stuff
sells....quickly. Whether, we as craftsmen like the material or not,
the customers do. The problem I've had is putting a good finish on
that doesn't take an extremely long time to apply and finish (thus
eating up my profit margin). I agree with you about the wood looking
like a million other cedar trinket stores. I live 5 minutes from
Mammoth Cave National Park, I'll take the tourist dollar as fast as
anyone else will (yep, I'm making those 1 in a million pieces of crap
we all buy while on vacation and take home). Honestly, I hate cedar,
but I've got a bunch of it and no wood stove in the shop, so.... gonna
make some money from it somehow. Ebay might be the easier way to go.
I'll have to consider that.... or if someone would like to make some
trades.............

Thanks,
JD

Hi JD, If you can turn and sell it more power to ya. I see cedar
blanks quite often on ebay and it seems to sell. If you can get pieces
12"d x 4"h or larger you could get a decent price. I don't care for it
and you don't like it but I'm sure there are people who love it. After
all in some parts of the world sugar maple is an exotic and around
here it grows like a weed. Bob
http://www.outofcontrol-woodturning.com

Hey JD,
Ive always planned to build my own cigar box. Maybe this is the time.
Slice some 1/16 pieces with which I will line the completed box, and
send them over.
Cigar boxes are all lined with this wood as it manages the right
humidity, imparts
some flavor via its aroma and combats the cigar beetle (that hates the
cedar
aroma).
Max



On 15 ×™×*ו×�ר, 16:59, JD wrote:
With the profits I would buy a few pieces of bloodwood that will
easily take most any finish and stay red for years.

I hadn't consider selling the blanks on ebay, good idea.
Ebay might be the easier way to go.
I'll have to consider that.... or if someone would like to make some
trades.............

Thanks,
JD

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:52:28 -0800, Max63 wrote:

Cigar boxes are all lined with this wood as it manages the right
humidity, imparts
some flavor via its aroma and combats the cigar beetle (that hates the
cedar
aroma).

Actually, cigar humidors (not boxes) are usually lined with Spanish cedar.

Just got home from the university to find my neighbor unloading a
truckload of ................ wait for it..................... CEDAR.
He thought I might enjoy turning it.

I think I'll see if I can make a club from some of it.................
don't think bad of me.

I told him thanks before I slugged him.

Oh well, I guess the shop will smell good for a while.

What to do... What to do...

JD

"JD" wrote in message
...
I hadn't consider selling the blanks on ebay, good idea. The problem
is, every piece I've ever turned out of the blasted stuff
sells....quickly. Whether, we as craftsmen like the material or not,
the customers do. The problem I've had is putting a good finish on
that doesn't take an extremely long time to apply and finish (thus
eating up my profit margin). I agree with you about the wood looking
like a million other cedar trinket stores. I live 5 minutes from
Mammoth Cave National Park, I'll take the tourist dollar as fast as
anyone else will (yep, I'm making those 1 in a million pieces of crap
we all buy while on vacation and take home). Honestly, I hate cedar,
but I've got a bunch of it and no wood stove in the shop, so.... gonna
make some money from it somehow. Ebay might be the easier way to go.
I'll have to consider that.... or if someone would like to make some
trades.............


Thanks,
JD

I use aromatic cedar for scroll sawing and have thought about trying to turn
some but the only way I get it is buying it at bLowes in the packages for
closet lining. Cedar does go over big with people. I give those ornaments
out at our Christmas Eve service at our church. Works well for scroll sawn
ornaments but it would require glue ups to get it to a point where it's
turnable. And it's generally so full of knots I can't see it being easy to
work plus I would think it would tend to splinter.

On the other hand, getting my hands on a real turning blank might be a
different story. How does it turn? I missed the early part of this thread
so if you covered that I apologize.

I wouldn't mind trading some (I'm about 2 hours away from you) but I don't
really have anything to trade. In retrospect I'd trade a piece of cherry I
was given -- it was full of bugs. If my wife ever finds out what I used her
microwave for she'll kill me before the retirement kicks in. Between the
holes the bugs left and the fact that it would keep splintering off I've
gotten almost nothing out of it. Half of that blank got me one "bowl" 3" in
diameter and 3/4 inch high.

Off subject, I knew a fellow name of Charlie Daniel who taught at WKU.
Haven't seen him in 10 years or so. I imagine he's retired now.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Off subject, I knew a fellow name of Charlie Daniel who taught at WKU.
Haven't seen him in 10 years or so. I imagine he's retired now.

Sadly, Charlie passed away last year. He had retired from WKU a few
years before.

JD

On Jan 15, 7:15 pm, wrote:
I was offered a half a pickup load of cedar, been in a barn for 20
years drying..
took it in a heart beat.

I now have a 12 drawer, queen sized water bed. cedar faced drawers and
solid cedar rails..
2 side pieces each 3 feet wide and 7 feet tall-lower half are clothes
drawers, upper half of these are adjustable shelves.
making the doors for the fronts this year-ran out of enough wood for
the door faces...
overall the headboard/cabinets is 11 feet wide, 7 feet tall

--Shiva--

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com

I would have been happier had this been sawn lumber. Instead I've got
sticks of firewood. Although, some of these pieces are quite big
around. I just don't enjoy resawing anything. My bandsaw just isn't
big enough.

JD

Sorry to hear that. I lost track of him several years ago. We worked on
establishing the Senior Games here in Kentucky for a couple of years. I got
busy on other things and had to back off on something and that was it. I
ended up lusting track of him.


"JD" wrote in message
...
Off subject, I knew a fellow name of Charlie Daniel who taught at WKU.
Haven't seen him in 10 years or so. I imagine he's retired now.

Sadly, Charlie passed away last year. He had retired from WKU a few
years before.

JD



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I would have been happier had this been sawn lumber. Instead I've got
sticks of firewood. Although, some of these pieces are quite big
around. I just don't enjoy resawing anything. My bandsaw just isn't
big enough.

JD

that is why you put it on the lathe - don't saw it, just turn it into an
object of beauty



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:08:27 GMT, "George" wrote:


"JD" wrote in message
...
I've a wood pile full of eastern cedar (and 2 more large trees to take
down). Problems is I've developed a hatred for this beautiful wood. I
can't for the life of me get a gloss finish on the blasted stuff.
Well, that's not true either, there is a beautiful finish on 2 sides,
but the end grain sides suck the finish up like a straw.

Anyone got any ideas? I've buffed wax on the bowls in the past with
good results, but the folks around here are asking for a hard, high-
gloss finish. Any help would be much appreciated.


Shellac's probably easier to use as a sealer than lacquer, and it'll help
control resin seep as well. Same principle as lacquer, high solids rapid
evaporation to keep it close to the surface. Do the end grainwith a 2-3#
cut, the rest with a 1-2#. No need for spray equipment, but the first coat
will raise some fuzz, so you'll want to level and clear it prior to any
subsequent.

My eastern white cedar ornaments shine up with shellac and maybe a little
wax just fine.

Here's another vote for a shellac sealer coat. Useful for all sorts
of stuff, really. The nice thing about shellac is that it's alcohol
based, so it will separate just about anything without melting the
layer below. It's got it's downside as a finish, but it's an
excellent additon to a layer finish.

I guess what I'd suggest, as a guy who also makes most stuff for
customers with a hard, high-gloss finish is to do a couple of coats of
shellac, using it as a sealer, and then use an acryllic conversion
finish (you can get it in spray cans if you don't want to mess with a
gun) or spar poly to add some durability and water resistance.

I still can't say enough good things about spar poly- I must have
tried every finish availible at least once, and I always go back to
that. It's easy to spray, levels well, tough as nails, and just gets
glossier the more it's handled. Not for the natural finish
afficianados by any stretch of the imagination, but it's great for
stuff that needs a tough, shiny finish.

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:59:15 -0800 (PST), JD
wrote:

I hadn't consider selling the blanks on ebay, good idea. The problem
is, every piece I've ever turned out of the blasted stuff
sells....quickly. Whether, we as craftsmen like the material or not,
the customers do. The problem I've had is putting a good finish on
that doesn't take an extremely long time to apply and finish (thus
eating up my profit margin). I agree with you about the wood looking
like a million other cedar trinket stores. I live 5 minutes from
Mammoth Cave National Park, I'll take the tourist dollar as fast as
anyone else will (yep, I'm making those 1 in a million pieces of crap
we all buy while on vacation and take home). Honestly, I hate cedar,
but I've got a bunch of it and no wood stove in the shop, so.... gonna
make some money from it somehow. Ebay might be the easier way to go.
I'll have to consider that.... or if someone would like to make some
trades.............

What would you trade for? I've got a stockpile of silver maple and
weeping willow that's all dried... I'd have to look to make sure it
isn't cracked, but at the last check it all looked pretty good.
Neither is particularly rare or amazing, but then again, cedar isn't
either!

On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:13:59 -0800 (PST), JD
wrote:

On Jan 15, 7:15 pm, wrote:
I was offered a half a pickup load of cedar, been in a barn for 20
years drying..
took it in a heart beat.

I now have a 12 drawer, queen sized water bed. cedar faced drawers and
solid cedar rails..
2 side pieces each 3 feet wide and 7 feet tall-lower half are clothes
drawers, upper half of these are adjustable shelves.
making the doors for the fronts this year-ran out of enough wood for
the door faces...
overall the headboard/cabinets is 11 feet wide, 7 feet tall

--Shiva--

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com

I would have been happier had this been sawn lumber. Instead I've got
sticks of firewood. Although, some of these pieces are quite big
around. I just don't enjoy resawing anything. My bandsaw just isn't
big enough.

Well, it *is* cedar... if it's long enough, why not turn tenons on the
ends and use it to make some rustic lawn furniture. Even if you don't
want the stuff, it usually sells for unreasonably high prices in a lot
of places, and you wouldn't have to finish it at all.

I'd think even if they're stove lengths, you can still get some little
benches out of the deal with some planning.

The whole rustic thing is not my cup of tea, but at least it wouldn't
take more than a hatchet, a spade bit and some time to knock a few
pieces out- and it'd use up your cedar a lot faster than turning bowls
will.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:03:29 +0000, wrote:

I am in SW Missouri, and if I want BIG pieces of cedar I go find an
Amish saw mill.. Seems there are several within about an hours drive
and they seem to be contracted to cut and band saw cedar..
6 by 6 8 foot long 2 years back was $20
lumber at the time I bought some was a rough 1 by 6" (full inch) 8
foot long for (2006 prices) around 70 cents a bd foot

You guys must get the employee discount down there... A 6x6 cedar post
in my neck of the woods goes for close to $100 the last time I
checked.

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:38:11 +0000, wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:45:15 -0600, Prometheus
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:03:29 +0000, wrote:

I am in SW Missouri, and if I want BIG pieces of cedar I go find an
Amish saw mill.. Seems there are several within about an hours drive
and they seem to be contracted to cut and band saw cedar..
6 by 6 8 foot long 2 years back was $20
lumber at the time I bought some was a rough 1 by 6" (full inch) 8
foot long for (2006 prices) around 70 cents a bd foot

You guys must get the employee discount down there... A 6x6 cedar post
in my neck of the woods goes for close to $100 the last time I
checked.
Can I make you sick? a year back January we had a really bad ice
storm here, no power for 1 to 3 weeks depending on where you live..
I found and brought home-free, 5 walnut trees.
I got 3 pieces in my back yard, air drying for now, 2 of which that
weigh over 1,000 # each. The third is close to 900#. the total stack
is about 12 feet wide, and 4 feet tall, varying lengths from 4 to 7
feet, varying diameters from a foot and up to something in the 30"
range.
It required a 'cherry picker' (automotive tool) to pick these up and
load into the pickup.

Anything BELOW 9" I just ignored. I didn't need any firewood.

also got a cedar tree that was about a foot thick at the base,
tapered down to 9" and totaled about 10 feet in length.
I like turning cedar actually, and am going to take some of the
smaller limbs-the 1 1/2" stubs and make pens, and perhaps make bowls
out of the big.

That is a nice score- not quite as rare as cedar, but still expensive.
OTOH, I can get maple for the asking, and oak, ash, birch and
butternut are cheap as well. All depends on where you live...