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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Light-Induced Color Change
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Natural Growth Defects
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities
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Common Names
FALSE cypress, Ginuer pine, Lawson cypress, Lawson false cypress, Lawson's cypress, Oregon cedar, Port Orford cedar, Port Orford white cedar, White cedar
Regions of Distribution
North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia, Western Europe
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
New Zealand, United States
Common Uses
Beams, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boat building: planking, Boxes and crates, Broom handles, Building construction, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chests, Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Factory construction, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Joists, Lifeboats, Light construction, Matches, Millwork, Mine timbers, Musical instruments: piano, Oars, Piling, Plaques, Plywood: veneer (marine), Porch columns, Posts, Railroad ties, Rough construction, Shingles, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Toys, Vats
Environmental Profile
| Abundant/Secure |
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| Widespread |
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| Rare within its natural habitat |
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| Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk) |
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| Likely rare at the periphery of its range |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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| Apparently secure globally |
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| Abundant |
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Distribution Overview
Port-Orford-cedar has a very limited distribution, occurring near the Pacific Ocean in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The northern limit of its distribution is near Coos Bay, Oregon. The species' range extends southward about 220 miles (350 km) to the central portion of the Mad River drainage in Humbolt County, California. Isolated populations occur near Mount Shasta and the Trinity Mountains in northern California. It occurs in greatest abundance within about 40 miles of the coast. Farther inland, its distribution is spotty, and it is mostly limited to sites with abundant soil moisture and/or atmospheric moisture. Port-Orford-cedar is cultivated in Hawaii, New Zealand and Europe.
Heartwood Color
| Brown |
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| Yellow |
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| White |
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| Red |
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| Pink |
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| Orange |
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| Pale brown |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| White to cream |
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| Pale red to pink |
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| Yellowish tan |
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| Pinkish brown |
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| Pale - yellow |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| Yellow |
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| Brown |
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| Same as heartwood |
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| White to yellow |
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| Paler than heartwood |
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| Color not distinct from heartwood |
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Grain
| Straight |
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| Even |
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| Figure |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Weak (figure) |
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| Straight |
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| Weak figure |
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| Even |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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Texture
| Fine |
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| Medium |
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| Fine |
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| Medium to coarse |
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| Fair to medium coarse |
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| Coarse |
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Luster
Natural Growth Defects
Natural Durability
| Non-durable |
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| Durable |
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| Perishable |
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| Resistant to termites |
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| Non-resistant to termites |
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| Non-resistant to marine borers |
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| Susceptible to insect attack |
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| Durable |
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| Very durable |
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| Resistant to decay |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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This wood is reported to have found uses as storage battery separators because of its resistance to the corrosive properties of acids
Odor
The freshly cut wood has a pungent, ginger-like odor and a spicy, bitter taste
Light-Induced Color Change
Toxicity
Freshly-Milled Port-Orford cedar can give off an odor that can best be described as pungent and ginger-like. Prolonged inhalation of the smell has been associated with kidney complications in some people. Masks are usually worn as a protection against inhalation and the fine dust produced from sawmilling
Kiln Schedules
Drying Defects
| Checking |
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| Distortion |
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| Slight twist/warp |
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Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy |
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| Moderately Difficult to Difficult |
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| Easy |
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| Moderate |
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| Dries readily with little degrade |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
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Tree Size
| Tree height is 20-30 m |
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| Bole length is 10-20 m |
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| Bark width is 15-20 mm |
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| Bole length is 20-30 m |
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| Sapwood width is 0-5 cm |
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| Bark width is 10-15 mm |
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| Tree height is 30-40 m |
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Product Sources
The timber is over-harvested and the use of heavy-duty extracting equipment tends to spread a virus which kills the trees.
Supplies of Port Orford cedar are very limited, with stumpage prices of $3,000.00 per thousand board feet (1993 figures). It is sold mainly on the Japanese market. Some material culled from prime grade saw logs are available in limited quantities in areas where the tree grows.
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect
| Little |
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| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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Boring
| Fairly easy to very easy |
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| Fair to good results |
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| Excellent (95+ pieces out of 100 will yield excellent results) |
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Carving
Cutting Resistance
Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Excellent gluing properties |
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Mortising
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Moderately easy to mortise |
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| Good mortising properties |
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Moulding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Moulding ease is moderate |
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| Excellent moulding properties |
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Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement |
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| Stable |
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Nailing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Holds nails well |
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| Easy to nail |
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| Good nailing qualities |
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Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Easy to plane |
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| Ease of planing is moderate |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable heartwood |
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| Resistant heartwood |
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| Permeable sapwood |
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| Resistant sapwood |
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| Heartwood is moderately resistant |
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| Sapwood is permeable |
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The heartwood is fairly difficult to treat with liquids.
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
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| Responds Readily |
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| Easy to machine |
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| Moderate difficulty |
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| Difficult to machine |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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Sanding
Screwing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Easy to screw |
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| Screwing yields good results |
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| Good screw holding properties |
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| Excellent screwing properties |
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Turning
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Very good |
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Veneering Qualities
| Suitable for peeling |
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| Veneers easily |
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| Suitable for slicing |
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| Veneers moderately easy |
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| No drying degrade |
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| No drying degrade. Dries flat without splitting |
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| Moderately easy to veneer |
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Steam Bending
Painting
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Good results |
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| Satisfactory results |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Good results |
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| Satisfactory results |
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Staining
| Finish is generally good |
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| Stains very well |
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| Finish is generally satisfactory |
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Varnishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = medium |
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| Hardness (side grain) = very soft |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low |
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| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = low |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low |
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| Max. crushing strength (stiffness) = very low |
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| Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = very low |
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| Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low |
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| Hardness (side grain) = soft |
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| Weight = medium |
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| Toughness (total work) = medium |
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