Cedar Differences

[Rick_B]

Good morning folks - I am going to build a bird feeder and was planning on using cedar.  What I have on hand is aromatic cedar - somewhere deep in the bowels of a failing memory :
seem to recall that not all cedar is aromatic.  I'm wondering if the aromatic version wpuld be a good choice for an outdoor project like a bird feeder

Thanks
Rick

[R Clark]

It'll work.

I've made several bird houses from it and some Adirondack chairs as well that are kept outside year-round.

I like aromatic red cedar, but I don't work it anymore as I get a contact dermatitis reaction form it.

[Rick_B]

It'll work.

I've made several bird houses from it and some Adirondack chairs as well that are kept outside year-round.

I like aromatic red cedar, but I don't work it anymore as I get a contact dermatitis reaction form it.

Thanks for the reassurance - any concerns with glue type?  I was planning on Titebond II

Rick

[chips ahoy]

You can also get western red cedar and eastern white cedar,either will work.TB III will work well.

Mel

[Robert Adams]

Aromatic cedar grows to our south and west. Have used allot of it in the past. I have some in the shop I got from from a friend but haven't built with it in years. The cedar(juniper) now is flat awful. We had called the wood supplier to order some ffr the school shop and the supplier said you really don't want it. We had them send a batch on the truck and it was all narrow stuff mainly sapwood. Told them  to keep it on the truck.

      If you can find some good stuff from someone who has it on their property you can find some good stuff. There is a guy that sells whole sawn logs at the weatherford monthly flea market and it wasn't bad but it was sawn way too thin. Still not the type of cedar I'm used to seeing. 

      Plain old glue is fine for it. It will hold up ok outside. It's the most common fence post I see anywhere.

[Steve N]

Western Red Cedar is BORG Cedar in the midwest, it probably varies across the US as the range of the many Cedars does. It is what I generally see as outdoor furniture, though it is mighty soft stuff (Janka hardness of 350), and hardware run through it has a tendency to wallow out the wood, making it get sloppy especially if heavier adults are using it. You can combat that by putting stainless or brass sleeves through the screw holes, and running your hardware inside of that, and using washers at each end. Aromatic is usually Eastern Red Cedar, or Aromatic Red Cedar, and is much tougher stuff with a Janka of 950. As stated it often is pretty runty in the woods, and finding stock more than 3 to 4" wide is often hard to do, or it costs a LOT. Smells great, looks great and both WRC, and ERC have good bug, and wet resistance. I have found both easy on tools, but if you are using it outdoors you want some Gorilla glue, TB III, or some Epoxy. Regular or TB II won't wear well outdoors.

[R Clark]

Today, I would use TBIII.  But, having said that, all of my outdoor pieces made from aromatic red were glued using TBII.  Never had a joint fail.  Several of the bird houses were coopered for a round shape, so they had LOTS of glue joints.  I had wood fail before the glue did; and even at that the cedar lasted outdoors in full sun, humidity, Midwest winters.  The one that failed the fastest was made from western red, and it lasted 10 years.  The one going the longest is still in use outside in Arkansas after 15 years.  My in-laws get bluebirds nesting in it every year.

[Foggy]

I make bird houses out of packing crate lumber. Last at least 5 years.Not pretty but the birds don't care.

[Rick_B]

Thanks folks - I appreciate the information

Rick

[MichaelMouse]

Thanks folks - I appreciate the information

Rick

As long as the water does not accumulate and remain on/in the wood, you may use anything.  May weather, but will likely outlast you and I as long as it can dry. 

I think insects will not be a problem on a bird feeder, merely an hors d'oeuvre.