Walnut & Cedar

[Alan Sadler]

A friend and I picked up a pallett of Cedar & walnut at an auction a few years ago. I'm not much of a woodworker, but I wanted to build a cedar closet and coundn't see paying money for a "box o' wood." Of course I haven't built the cedar clost yet, and the wood has lost most of it's aroma, just stickered in the basement, but the 60+ pieces of full 1" x 8" x 8' takes up a big piece of floor space.

The Walnut was a bonus, at the bottom of the pallet. There's about

40+ pieces also 1" x 8" x 8'

My friend said that the cedar is " Aromatic," but my question is: What should I do with iit. I could resaw it to 1/2" , plane it and make a closet. There's a lot of it. Is there any oother use for it?

I have even less clue about the walnut. I don't know what kind of walnut iit is, even if it matters. What iis it good for?

I'd love some info, and would be willing to share my the wood for some help. I'd also be willing to send some small pieces for ID help. As I mentioned the auction cost was relatively little, it's more that "Good Wood is a Terrible Thing to Waste"

Alan in Chicago

[Charlie Self]

Alan Sadler asks:

Cedar: it hasn't lost all its aroma. Sand the surface and you'll see why it is called aromatic. I have made several music boxes from cedar, plus numerous small items. Even turning an egg from it and sticking it in a drawer can help, at least as far as urban (and country) legend goes to keep moths out of your woolies. Make the closet and store your woolens there. After our recent fire, I found a pair of wool britches that had resided at the bottom of a cedar chest for at least 17 years (judging by the amount too small the waistline was, anyway). No moth holes.

Walnut in the U.S. is usually black walnut (Juglans nigra). There's a possibility it is claro walnut, but not a high probablity. It is a prime furniture wood. Makes fantastic presents in the form of jewlery boxes, any of a dozen kinds of keepsake boxes, cabinets, chests, mirror frames, about anyting that can be made of wood. Hell, I even used some fairly ratty strips as battens on my workshop exterior walls.

Hang on to ALL of it. Check out google for project ideas, as plans, both free and pay, are abundant. Hell, you have only got about 210-220 board feet of each. Do NOT waste it to get ideas and plans. Use google, buy a couple woodworking magazines (Popular Woodworking, Woodworker's Journal have good medium level plans much of the time...leaf through issues for the next 3 months or so to see which you like best).

Above all, enjoy.

Charlie Self

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Sir Winston Churchill

[Bill Orr]

------------------------------------ Hi Alan

I wanted a cedar closet so when I recently built my house, I had a closet lined with 1/4" cedar wafer board. I think it is available at most lumber stores . I then used folding doors that closed against ruber seals. That is a lot easier that using 1 inch boards and it is just as effective

Bill Orr

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

[Fly-by-Night CC]

So, Charlie, you're the one supplying the Stuckeys'!

[Charlie Self]

Owen Lowe responds:

Ha! I'm talking in the half-dozens here.

Jeez, I can't recall the last time I thought of, or was in, a Stuckey's. That said, we're taking a break today and heading somewhere. We'll decide where after we get the dog in the car. Maybe there'll be a Stuckey's at the end of the trip. Probably not, though. I think we're going to head north. And it's just a one day out-and-back trip anyway.

Charlie Self

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Sir Winston Churchill

[Fly-by-Night CC]

As I recall, the Divinity candy was pretty darned good.

[Charlie Self]

Owen Lowe reports:

My memory brings up something called a pecan log, which, IMS, was shared with my FIRST wife, so was probably 20+ years ago.

Didn't get far out of town today. Stopped by John Walter's Old Tool Shop to see if I could use his set-up and some tools for photos.

Bad place to go when you're broke. Of course, if you're not broke going in, it is very easy to get broke there. Fantastic assortment of old tools including an old pedal driven scroll saw with a wooden table, so many molding planes in good shape it's scary, and more transition planes than I've ever seen in one place before, plus shelf after shelf of other items.

Charlie Self

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Sir Winston Churchill

[Mark Jerde]

IDAGS but no joy. Where is the shop located?

-- Mark

[Charlie Self]

Mark Jerde asks:

408 Front St., Marietta, Ohio. Great little town, by the way. Lots of brick paved streets and a slew of great Victorian houses.

Charlie Self

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Sir Winston Churchill