Spanish cedar wood

Spanish Cedar

Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata)
Common Name(s): Spanish Cedar, Cedro
Scientific Name: Cedrela odorata
Distribution: Native to Central and South America and the Caribbean; alsogrown on plantations
Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 30 lbs/ft3 (475 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: .38
Hardness: 600 lbf (2,670 N)Rupture Strength: 11,640 lbf/in2 (80,280 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,338,000 lbf/in2 (9,230 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 6,210 lbf/in2 (42.8 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.2%, Tangential: 6.3%, Volumetric: 10.3%,T/R Ratio: 1.5
Color/Appearance: Wood is a relatively uniform pinkish to reddish brown; colors tend to darken with age. Random pockets of gum and natural oils are commonly present. Grain patterningand figure tends to be somewhat bland.
Grain/Pore: Spanish Cedar has a medium texture and medium to large sized open pores. The grain is usually straight, but can also be shallowly interlocked.Endgrain: Can range from ring-porous to diffuse-porous; medium-large earlywood pores, small-medium latewood pores; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral deposits (red gum) occasionally present;growth rings distinct due to terminal parenchyma in diffuse-porous samples, or lines of larger pores in ring-porous samples; rays usually visible without lens; parenchyma banded (terminal), apotrachealparenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric.
Durability: Spanish Cedar ranges from durable to moderately durable regarding decay resistance, and is also resistant to termiteattack; the wood is also reported to have excellent weathering characteristics. Older, slower-growing trees from the wild tend to produce wood that is more durable than wood from younger,plantation-grown trees.
Workability: Spanish Cedar is easy to work with both hand and machine tools. However, due to its low density and softness, Spanish Cedar tends to leave fuzzy surfaces if not machined...