Question about cedar

[Jerry Toschlog]

I have a bunch of wood that I got from an old 1905 barn, the 3 people I have talked to including a 70 yo woodworker feels its cedar, but.... The common comments are, it's lightweight, and looks like cedar, but there is no color or scent when cut, leaving everyone to question if it is. There were a few 2x4s attached to these boards that clearly were cedar,color and scent. The boards in question were up to 20 feet long. Any thoughts ?????????????????????????

Thanks, Jerry

[Brian Tymchak]

If you can provide some photos of the boards - cleaned up showing grain and color, including a clear photo of clean cut end grain, someone might be able to pin it down for you. Wood from barns usually is of a local species. You don't have your location set in your profile. Where are you?

[Jerry Toschlog]

Brian,

thanks as I did a profile after I read your reply. I am in Indiana, and I will get some pictures.

[Myk Rian]

What helps is to know what local trees there were when the barn was built.
Barn wood was often milled on site.

[Jerry Toschlog]

Ok I took these with the wifes cell phone as I am not at the studio right now.... surface and end shot.... I cut both ends and one end did have a very very slight scent but faded very quickly and I still am not sure.... 20131231_103930.jpg20131231_103957.jpg

[David Helm]

I can't really tell by the photos, but I have worked extensively with Western Red Cedar and can tell you that the boards from nearly 100 years ago will likely have very little, if any, cedar smell. The resins that cause the smell will have been pretty well evaporated by now.

[Jerry Toschlog]

David
That makes since to me, I even ask the 70 yo and he felt it would still have the scent. I felt like after so long it could dissipate.... I have a piece that is 4"x7"x3" sitting here and it is so lightweight it fees like cardboard.

[Brian Tymchak]

Ok, I'm inclined to agree that it could be/likely is Eastern Red Cedar. It is native to Indiana. Is there any dull reddish/brown color in any of the board(s)? I would think that there would be some even though cedar does lose color with time.

One other long shot - basswood - the end grain seems similar. It too is very light in weight.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Basswood is an excellent guess. although it's not known normally as a building material. It could be white cedar if the barn is in far northern Indiana. White cedar, although still aromatic, is less so than red cedar. Jerry, can you take a longer shot of the board to try to show the grain ?

[Roy Harding]

I work with cedar a lot, and can tell you that Red Cedar loses its scent after a while. You MAY get a whiff of cedar scent when you cut it, but it wouldn't surprise me to get no smell on boards that old. Yellow Cedar smells like a swamp when cut. The scent that most folks associate with cedar is usually provided by aromatic cedar (also known as Tennessee Cedar).

Your pictures COULD be red cedar.

[Lee Schierer]

I would be that the wood is likely to be eastern hemlock. It was commonly used for barn siding as it weathers well and will last for years. I've seen 100 year old barns in PA with hemlock siding that is still solid after years of weathering. It has little if any smell and is uniform in color.

[Cody Colston]

I don't know what kind of wood it is but it is not Eastern Redcedar.

[Jim Finn]

Looks a lot like Western Red Cedar which has little odor.

[Tony Streible]

I agree with Lee. My first inclination was Hemlock...

[Danny Hamsley]

It actually looks like yellow poplar. In the end grain shot, the growth ring looks like it terminates with a band of marginal parenchyma, a characteristic of species in the Magnolia family. This also would include cucumber tree, Magnolia acuminata.