Identify wood.

[F Murtz]

I am in Australia, bought a second hand wood heater and the wood came with it and I wish I had not burnt as much before I sawed a bit diagonally, it probably was grown in a domestic garden.

[dpb]

...

Ooooh...that means could be most anything--I think all of us responding so far have been USA and thinking of native species here.

It does definitely look like red cedar appearance-wise and I suppose they could have been imported as ornamentals but they're certainly not considered high on the list for it in the US except some areas where it's hard to get much of anything to grow -- like where I am in the semi-arid western High Plains.

Best guess then might be to take a piece to a local horticultural shop and see if they can identify it.

[F Murtz]

This does not seem to smell like pencil cedar

[Sonny]

That's what I meant to type, it is a type of juniper. I've never heard any refer to er cedar as juniper, either.

I would swear it's er cedar, despite it being in Australia. Someone must have grown it. The OP can search this site, to see if there's something else that fits the bill:

Sonny

[John Grossbohlin]

I agree with the others who suggest that it is eastern red cedar... juniper.

I don't think I've ever seen eastern red cedar intentionally used for firewood but I do recall seeing such trees burn. A fire ripped through forests and fields near my childhood home and I recall how the cedars crackled as they exploded in a ball of flames. It was a memorable experience!

RE pens, I've seen pens turned from this wood and they looked nice. However, the wood is so soft that after a bit of use they looked beat up. One fellow kind of solved that problem by finishing them with a thin variety of CA glue which soaked in and basically plasticized the wood. I imagine that thinned lacquer would do the same thing given enough coats.

John

[Martin Eastburn]

I would think it would burn fast and pop. Lots of oil and scent.

Either cedar or juniper. Might help saying where you are located and if the tree was local...

Mart> >>> >>> ...

[.]

Juniper, cedar, and other shrubs/trees of that family all have a similar red heartwood and white sapwood - and there are some pretty odd trees in AU that may look like that - beware though, my experience is that almost anything native to Australia is poisonous - beware of the dust until you know what it is (the bark looks like juniper to me)

[F Murtz]

I use superglue (cyanoacrylate or CA.for short) as a lot of pen makers do, it is being increasingly used on small bowls pepper grinders etc.

[clare]

Very common proocess in pen-making - and as for using it for firewood, there is NO better kindling than just about any variety of "cedar"

[clare]

Even a good urethane varnish can firm up cedar (and mahogany) quite well - water born better than solvent.

[John Grossbohlin]

Absolutely cedar makes good kindling and tinder... Not so good for firewood though as it burns fast and pitch pockets pop... definitely don't want the greens in the fire!

When camping involved cooking over fires (vs. the single burner stove I use now) I would pull cedar bark off trees, shred it up, and use it for tinder. Found nothing better.

John