#27
I bought some western red cedar today. Beautiful wood, and it smells awesome. 4/4 rough on both sides. But.....there's always a but ! I am having trouble planing it. I get a lot of tear out around the knots, regardless of feed direction. My planer blades are relatively new. Is this common with red Cedar?  I have never worked with it before. Will it simply have to be sanded down to thickness?

Thanks  Greg
Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut, and have the world think you a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
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#28
I have limited experience with it, but I think that is common. I've noticed that it seems a bit brittle. First, of course, make sure your blades are sharp. Then make cuts a fine as you can. You can also try dampening the surface for each pass. This sometimes helps. You may need to find someone with a stationary drum sander.
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#29
I quit trying to plane it down. I did take one piece down to 3/4 and stopped. I don't want to ruin this awesome wood. I put on new blades, and took off as little as I could, with limited improvement. I will wait until I can locate a drum sander. There are a few on Facebook, but I hesitate to buy something like this used. According to the reviews I have read, the Jet 1836 is suppose to be pretty good, but it's almost 2k. That's a lot of dimes and nickels.
Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut, and have the world think you a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
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#30
I've run hundreds of feet through my jointer and planer and it usually turns out great with little to no tear out, even at the knots.
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#31
Try soaking the knots in alcohol before you plane it.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#32
Need to know what planer you have and how many knives.

Ed
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#33
I have a Dewalt 733. 2 knives. Just replaced.
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#34
I took a piece of the cedar back where I bought it, and he ran it through the sander for me. Is that some pretty wood or what?  I think so.The pic does not do it justice. It's a lot more vivid. [attachment=43639]
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#35
That looks more like eastern red cedar, (aromatic cedar) than western.
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#36
Well, it is quite aromatic, so maybe it is eastern. IDK ????? First time I have ever worked with it.
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Western red cedar


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