Daniel Berg Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Okay so my wife wants deck furniture and I being a halfway normal husband is more then happy to oblige. So let the internet searching begin! Halfway decent hardwood sawyer: Check! Pricelist for said hardwood: Check! Cedar, Aromatic: HUGH? I am obviously wood stupid, you want fire alarm code and theory out of me and I can talk your ear off. So I am turning to the guild, is "regular" cedar and aromatic cedar the same thing? Should I go with cedar? Am I gonna get robbed here, not literally, but being a good German boy I want to have good value for the investment. Here is a link to their pricelist. As the man with the cowboy hat and the mustache said "If you have a local place try to use them." So I am but again wood stupid fire smart. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 "Aromatic" cedar is just fancy marketing for Eastern red cedar. It's a fine outdoor species...many a fence is built with ERC, including mine. Just a matter of whether you like how it looks. IMO cedar is better suited for an Adirondack...I don't think the Morris chair and cedar would be a great match. Keep in mind that white oak is also a good outdoor species and it's the traditional wood used in the original Stickley Morris chairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 I tend to agree with Kiki above.. However, if you wish to build the Morris chair from Cedar then who are we to argue? A very high end out door chair for sure but, it's your time, money, and shop so build what you like! Keep us updated on your build, we love to see them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Definitely do your homework if you build with cedar. After covering several dozens of homes with the stuff I can tell you it shrinks as it dries in sun exposure more than some species. I have not dug into the design of this chair because I am not building one but you want that shrinkage to be planned for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 ... do they know about shrinkage? The key to using ERC is to stay away from the white sap wood. Although it too is rot / bug redistant, it is much less so than the red heart wood. Also, an oil finish turns the red to a muddy brown. Unfinished, the stuff is certainly 'aromatic', and produces an allergic reaction in some folks. Test before you build. It is somewhat brittle and splintery, I wouldn't use it for thin parts subject to any stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted May 29, 2014 Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 I'm thinking, with cedar being so soft, will the joints hold up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I have some deck furniture made ( not by me ) from Western Red Cedar, much softer and lighter than the ERC we're talking about. It has held up well in the weather for 5 or 6 years now. It is not as brittle as ERC, and more straight grained. Thin pieces, like anything less that 6/4, still split quite easily, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 For the outdoor version are you going with the through tenon? It looks great but seems like a likely spot for water to seep into the arms and cause problems over the long haul. I am also thinking about an outdoor version out of white oak, which is rot resistant, but still . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Berg Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 I'm thinking about not doing the through tenon and actually using sipo dominos. Kind of cheating but I will have an excuse to use my new domino then. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 That is my thought as well. Once you get a Domino the opportunities to use it pop up everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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