Whats my Wood?

[Bryan Milham]

I've been given some wood. Nothing unusual there, but I don't know what it is.

What do I know;
it's been grown local to N Somerset (it's very freshly cut);
it's a softwood (my workshop smells like Detol at the moment);
the growthwood was soaking wet but the heartwood is almost bone dry (it crumbles not cuts);
The heartwood is red to burgundy in colour;

Anyone any ideas please.

[GBF]

I saw pictures of something like this recently but cant remember where it will be interesting to see what it dries like.

Regards George

[seventhdevil]

as for native red hearted woods as bold as that the only ones i can think of are juniper, redwood or plum.


as you say its a softwood that rules out plum but i didn't think the bark looked like either juniper or redwood?


i'll say thats it's probably juniper for the moment.

[Andy Coates]

I would suggest the obvious answer is the answer...it's Redwood, Sequoioideae. Nigel Fleckney has some bigger stuff slabbed. Not unusual to find it in the UK.

[Sevilla]

If it has an aromatic smell is eastern red cedar (virginiana) native of central eastern USA. The picture looks identical. Red wood of the sequoia is another thing.

[Eric Harvey]

I used to have a greenhouse made of Cedar,which was this colour inside,when I broke it up as it was very old and rotten.

[Bryan Milham]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I always have respect for the Hive Mind of a knowledgeable forum.

[Sevilla]

Now I am curious. Which conclusion if any did you reach on your wood? Does it have an aromatic smell?
Thanks.

[Graham]

I think the smell of Detol is the giveaway isn't it ?

[Bryan Milham]

Sorry I never specified did I. Going on the smell being like that of Ceder I've gone with the assumption it's Red Ceder.

Thank you all.

I'll post some of the finished vases in a few weeks.

[seventhdevil]

i got it right then...  wehey

never had any myself so i wasn't 100% sure but i was fairly confident that it was.

[Bryan Milham]

I think the smell of Detol is the giveaway isn't it ?

And it still smells this evening.

[Graham]

I think the smell of Detol is the giveaway isn't it ?

And it still smells this evening.

That reminds me of my school days ( yep, went more than once ) I loved the smell of the woodwork building, hated the smell  of the metalwork building.

[Bryan Milham]

I've spent more time researching this wood, having managed to get a piece of leaf from it.

We were right, it is Cedar, but more properly known as Aromatic Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Red Cedar is one of it's American or otherwise common names.

[Sevilla]

Exactly what i've said.