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PostPosted: October 16, 2016, 7:25 pm 
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Joined: June 8, 2010, 8:02 pm
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
Hey guys,

I'm sure there are a few wood-workers on this site who may be able to answer some basic questions. I know basically nothing about wood. My first and only wood project was in Spring where I built a futon couch out of 4x4 cedar, and 2x4 spf. Since that project turned out, it's time to build a bed. I'm planning on using cedar 4x4 for the headboard posts, and cedar 2x6 or 2x8 for the side rails. Then just cheap SPF for the unseen slats etc. There is no real woodwork involved and all visible end grains will be covered with wrought iron or similar (though I may do some cosmetic cuts into the posts). There will be no visible wood joinery.

So I am not sure what to do about acclimation of the wood. Work will be performed in my unheated, but insulated shop. I live on the West-Coast where it is super wet, and around 10°C. I could store the wood in my house for a while, but not ideal. If needed, I can wait until next Summer but again, not ideal. I'm not after perfection, I just don't want the wood to turn into a banana or split/splinter.

I am also not sure what to do with staining/sealing. I left my couch unfinished as I wasn't sure if I would like it: I've come to like the pale cedar look of it. Is there a stain/sealer that would retain that? I don't want the typical red-cedar fence colour but other than that I am open to any finish (so long as it's safe for use inside, and easy to work with). Light or dark is fine.

Basically, I am wondering if I will be OK to buy lumber from the store, build in my unheated shop over a few weeks, stain, then bring home.

Also, for easy disassembly I was intending to use those thread-in nut-insert. Are they a good option for fasteners?

Thanks for any input.

Cory

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PostPosted: October 17, 2016, 2:58 pm 
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Joined: March 30, 2011, 7:18 am
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Location: central Arkansas
My Dad built a lot of stuff from cedar and juniper. He mostly used a semi-gloss clear polyurethane finish. It really brightened the colors, though. If you want a more muted look you might want to try one of the waxes.

Probably best to pick up some small containers of various finishes and try them on some scraps to see what you like.


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PostPosted: October 19, 2016, 1:10 am 
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
TRX wrote:
My Dad built a lot of stuff from cedar and juniper. He mostly used a semi-gloss clear polyurethane finish. It really brightened the colors, though. If you want a more muted look you might want to try one of the waxes.

Probably best to pick up some small containers of various finishes and try them on some scraps to see what you like.



Thanks. It'll probably come to that. I have some scraps left to test on so I will have a go. Still not sure about the acclimation though. I'm tempted to build the bed but leave the wood bare. Then do a final sand/finish next summer.

Cheers.

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PostPosted: October 19, 2016, 9:27 am 
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Location: Summerville, SC
Is the cedar air dried or kiln dried? When I was building the canoes, I would shop for air dried cedar from my local lumberyard that would let me pick through the stack to sort out straight, knot free, quarter sawn pieces for my project. The air dried wood was typically about 7-10% moisture content. *** Go to a lumber yard that will let you use their moisture meter. If they don't have one, go to a different yard.***

I would move the wood to my unheated garage to stabilize for about a week before working it. I didn't see any measurable change in moisture or dimensions on small pieces. We have an antique cedar sideboard my wife's Grandfather built. The only place on it I notice that changes with moisture are the raised panels in the doors. They're 1" thick and 15" wide bookmatched boards. When it's really dry, they loosen up a little in the rails and stiles.

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PostPosted: October 19, 2016, 10:14 pm 
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
I can get either kiln dried, or air dried. Tight-knot, clear etc. Pretty sure a local mill/store can provide any type of Cedar. One of the perks of living in BC I guess. I was intending to be the annoying guy going through all the wood to find some nice pieces, but didn't think of the moisture meter. Honestly with the style I have in mind, a bit of "character" (aka I got some cheap materiel, or screwed up) in the wood is acceptable, and maybe even desirable. I think I'll just build the thing, finish it and see what happens. It's simple woodwork, and not high dollar, so it can be redone if needed.

Cheers.

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PostPosted: October 20, 2016, 10:44 pm 
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Joined: January 2, 2009, 1:45 pm
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Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Aside from your direct question ...

If you are doing much cutting and sanding of cedar be sure to wear a dust mask. I have used a fair amount of it in boat-related projects and as a result of casually ignoring dust protection have become sensitized to cedar.
An hour's work, even with a hand plane, leaves me hacking. Be careful!

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PostPosted: October 21, 2016, 2:29 pm 
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Location: central Arkansas
TooBusy wrote:
knot free, quarter sawn pieces


Ah. That would be "real" cedar. What's sold in my area is actually juniper, and it's both knotty and too small to be quarter-sawn. I bought an 8' baulk a couple of years ago to make some rifle stocks with. The mill slabbed the piece I wanted out of the middle and the offcuts went to the scrap pile.

When I get the pantograph done I'm going to make some rifle stocks from it. Juniper isn't an optimal gunstock wood for various reasons, but the red, orange, and yellow stripes are pretty, and it's worth a try to see how it works out.


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PostPosted: October 21, 2016, 2:40 pm 
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Location: Summerville, SC
I was lucky, my local yard used to stock red and white cedar, juniper, clear spruce, Douglas fir, and some other nice softwoods. They would even special order balsa for me up to 2" thick... That was darned expensive though.

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PostPosted: October 21, 2016, 3:03 pm 
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Lived in Seattle in the '80s and made a lot of furniture with the locally available cedar 2x2's. Never put any finish on any of it. I've drug it across the country and still have it. I just leave it unfinished. I sanded wife's book shelves, though. As I look at this furniture now, it's all still straight with no splits. And still has some of those old cigarette burns.


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PostPosted: October 21, 2016, 10:02 pm 
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
Thanks for the replies.

Fortunately I was warned when buying Cedar for my last project about the dust inhalation as I had no idea prior. Even using a respirator while there was obvious dust in the air I still ended up sounding like Bill the Cat for a bit.

Good to know the Cedar holds up w/o any finish. I do like the colour/texture of it bare.

Cheers.

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PostPosted: October 21, 2016, 10:19 pm 
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Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I'm a big fan of boiled linseed oil on wood, but I've never built anything with cedar. The linseed oil will bring out the grain and the colors in the wood a bit, but it won't be a gloss finish unless you do a ton of coats and rub them into the wood. You can see mostly what it will look like by wetting a piece of wood with a bit of water.
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