Jeff Tate Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I was wondering if anyone has ever worked with Cypress. I have a mill near me and the prices are very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I've made a couple of pieces for my screened in porch. I made 2 end tables using standard M&T stretchers/legs with a glued up top, a bench for my wife's plants and a base for a left over piece of marble to make a coffee table. I finished the wood with a coat of preservative and everything is holding up well for over 2 years. Cypress mills easily and seems to be reasonably stable. It is a soft wood so don't expect it to wear like maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodninja Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 One of my favorite wood to work with and it's fairly readily available here in south Louisiana. I always buy mine from my local mill as well. I've built several interior pieces with it and the one recommendation I give is avoid finishing it with polyurethane. The high resin content of the wood causes the poly to take FOREVER to dry. Use lacquer. Below is a link to pics of a cypress blanket chest I did. All the wood was purchased rough sawn from the local mill. Worst case, cypress is cheap enough to practice with. Lots of lessons on wood movement can be learned from working with cypress. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245581278857181.56780.174620485953261&type=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Brian Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I made an adirondack chair out of cypress about 10 years and didn't put a finish on it. The first 5 years it sat outside in Phoenix year round and the last 5 years its been sitting outside in Denver. Other the being covered in two feet of snow right now it has held up great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsiard Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Works and tools well, has a tendancy to splinter similar to red cedar so close attention to grain direction when jointing and planing is important. I've made some outdoor planters and chairs in the past, all are holding up very well with a coat of CWF every three years or so. In upstate N.Y. I am paying about $1.90 BF for 4/4 and $2.80 for 8/4 KD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 I use it a lot as a secondary wood for drawer sides and bottoms. I have also turned it and carved it with great success. It is highly resinous so it needs to be carefully dried. If you see any weeping from the board at the lumber yard I question how well it has been dried and therefore it's stability. Otherwise, I like working with Cypress a lot. In the 18th & 19th century in southern colonies/states it was one of the primary secondary woods in furniture. Those pieces have held up well over the past few centuries so you should feel good about using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeGauss Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I also love cypress. I think it is a beautiful and works great for outdoor projects. It is usually more expensive up here so I only buy when I can find a deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKWoodworking Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I have used it in cutting boards and it looks beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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