Specs
- Common Names
- Western Red Cedar
- Scientific Name
- Thuja plicata
- Origin
- Pacific Northwest US and Canada
- Appearance
- Heartwood reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown areas. Narrow sapwood is pale yellowish white, and isn’t always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Straight grain with a coarse texture and moderate natural luster.
- Avg. Dried Weight
- 23 lbs/ft3 (370 kg/m3)
- Janka Hardness
- 350 lbf
- Modulus of Rupture
- 7,500 lbf/in2 (51.7 MPa)
- Elastic Modulus
- 1,110,000 lbf/in2 (7.66 GPa)
- Crushing Strength
- 4,560 lbf/in2 (31.4 MPa)
- Shrinkage
- Radial: 2.4%, Tangential: 5%
- Durability
- Durable to very durable against decay; mixed results against insects.
- Workability
- Easy to work with both hand or machine tools, though it dents and scratches very easily due to its softness, and can sand unevenly due to the difference in density between the earlywood and latewood zones. Glues and finishes well. Iron-based fasteners can stain and discolor the wood, especially in the presence of moisture.