Comments on: Cedar of Lebanon

By: Patrick Galvin

Patrick Galvin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:38:15 +0000

In reply to Mi?elis Reynolds. Very soft for knife scales.

By: Kero

Kero — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:17:46 +0000

I use this wood a lot since I am doing carpentry in Turkey. This is the traditional go-to wood for building windows. I am almost sure that the hardness and dried weight numbers are off. This wood is lighter and softer than regular pine. Almost close to spruce.
It is difficult to find knot free straight pieces. According to the mill people that is because there are not many big trees anymore and you cannot get much 1st grade lumber from smaller trees.

By: Kero

Kero — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:08:45 +0000

In reply to Tim. If there are small knots in the wood, the resin will bleed through almost any varnish. Also the endgrain that is on the upper side of the tree bleeds. And you will have the fragrance.

By: Guy Parker

Guy Parker — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 22:01:35 +0000

This tree was 60yrs old

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:48:46 +0000

In reply to Mario Cargol. Do you have any advice on preserving the fragrance of the wood? What kind of finish is possible without taking away the lovely parfume?

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:47:07 +0000

In reply to Bob. Do you have any advice on preserving the fragrance of the wood? What kind of finish is possible without taking away the lovely parfume?

By: David Moye

David Moye — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:18:16 +0000

In reply to Guajiro. This is a very loose grained piece of heart pine but I'm 90% sure

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 08 May 2021 10:30:38 +0000

In reply to Guajiro. While it's hard to say for sure from the endgrain picture, I *think* I can just barely make out resin canals in the latewood. This would rule out all cedars, and strongly point to a species of pine. Based on your location and where the wood was found, I'd guess it was probably a species of southern yellow pine.

By: Guajiro

Guajiro — Fri, 07 May 2021 07:50:38 +0000

In reply to Guajiro. Here is the material in question. I have at least 2 other similar species and some other interesting samples from this building, most seem to be left over trim peices from a remodel done long ago. I can send photos if ypur interested in some samples. Thanks. -Nick

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 06 May 2021 03:55:43 +0000

In reply to Guajiro. Thanks, can you try reattaching the image(s)? They didn't come through.

By: Guajiro

Guajiro — Wed, 05 May 2021 12:33:53 +0000

A while back I reclaimed quite a few old scraps of various woods from the attic of a very old building in New Orleans. I'm new to wood working, but I'm fairly sure one of the species I have is lebani. I've worked with it with handtools a few times with no ill effects, however during a recent project I seem to have become rapidly sensitized to it. The primary symptom is moderately sore throat and nose, and mild skin irritation from handling.

Attatched is a photo of the ukelele hanger I made. Just being in the same room was irritating my throat. The block is what I believe to be C. lebani, the arms I think are some other species.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 15:56:59 +0000

Workability. Working nice, clean, straight grained timber (quite difficult to find) with really sharp hand tools is a pure delight. I would do it all day just for the smell! But beware that, with a very high oil content, it often does not take glue well. Clean surfaces with a solvent first and abrade with sandpaper for reliable results. Cedar of Lebanon is fairly readily available here (Southern UK) because a lot of it was planted for ornamental purposes in the last century, and it is not too expensive. I have bought two whole logs from a local sawmill, and had them converted to 60mm planks. Air dry for at least three years (mostly drys well with few checks or defects) but be prepared to loose a lot to knots and gnarly growth. Good news (?) is that waste and offcuts make wonderfully aromatic firewood. I use clean timber for drawer bottoms and in jewellry boxes, for the lingering aroma. One of my all time favourite timbers.

By: Mi?elis Reynolds

Mi?elis Reynolds — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 23:37:00 +0000

Does anyone know a reliable source to import it from? I don’t need a lot just need some for some knife scales.

By: Mario Cargol

Mario Cargol — Sun, 15 May 2016 18:07:00 +0000

In reply to Gerald Utaker.

I buy it in a sawmill from girona (spain) wich works principally making house beams. it’s name is “fustes oliveras”. it’s full of massive raw logs about 90-50cmx7-10m
They usually sell it with douglas fir and i think it’s at the same price, the logs are not mixed with doug fir. I can’t tell you the price exactly but if i’m not wrong it’s about 600€/cubic meter the round logs without bark. they are almost never clean of knots but for making beams and structures is really ok ;) you’ll love the aroma. For me there’s no other better smelling wood, but maybe is very far away from you…

By: Gerald Utaker

Gerald Utaker — Sat, 14 May 2016 17:08:00 +0000

In reply to Mario Cargol. Mario, where do you purchase your cedar of lebanon from, or what places should I be watching for it to pop up (mills, websites, etc)? I am building a new house and needed to import some. Thanks and I really appreciate your insight in your comments!

By: Mario Cargol

Mario Cargol — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 14:10:00 +0000

I’ve done sof kayaks and some kayak pieces with this wood. I’ve worked with the three authentic cedar species: cedrus libani, Cedrus atlantica/atlantica glauca and Cedrus deodara. I’ve found the cedrus libani to be more lighter,(420-470kg/m3), aromatic and beautiful (light orange wood), the cedrus deodara and atlantica have almost same colour, the cedrus atlantica glauca has generally a much whiter wood as are their leaves do. If you work with the pieces near the branches you can find very rare and amazing colours like the phosforus yellow.
The most similar wood i’ve been working with is abies alba (spanish spruce?) little brittler and stiffer than pine but lighter and very resistant to insects and it never did problems to me with fungus. One of my favourite woods for boat building and home furniture, for home furniture i never seal it because of it’s nice aroma

By: Mario Cargol

Mario Cargol — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:41:00 +0000

In reply to North. I do

By: Mario Cargol

Mario Cargol — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:40:00 +0000

In reply to Murat. It's so nice to work with it in boatbuilding but commomly expensive. The one i can get is lighter than it is said here. My pieces where between 420 to 470kg/m3

By: Murat

Murat — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:52:08 +0000

North,

Here in Turkey, it is called Toros Sediri and we have the largest cedar of Lebanon population in the world.

But despite that, I have some doubts about it’s use in boat building. Because I have never seen anyone using it. Just stories of Ancient Egypt! For Turkish boat builders the best local wood is sweet chestnut.

By: North

North — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:39:59 +0000

Hi, does anyone know of any modern usage of Lebanon Cedar in boat building? Are significant quanties/qualities/sizes available (and ethical) locally in the Mediterranean?