Spanish Cedar Questions

Brian Gumpper

Member
Messages
91
Location
Heathrow, FL
My local whosesaler of wood had a section in their latest mailer that they are now carrying spanish cedar and that it is very much like mahogany which I have read.

I was wondering if anyone has used spanish cedar and if it would be good for wall paneling and an outdoor chest I am planning to hold pool supplies. Seems like it's termite and rot resistant, you just don't hear much about it.

Thanks for any info and experiences.
 
Hi Brian!


Spanish Cedar is mainly used for lining cigar humidors. It is very stable and easy to work, resistant to bugs and rot, plus it has almost no odor.

Cheers!
 
Thanks Stuart. That mailer said you can use it anywhere you would consider mahogany which I am not sure about. The pictures in my books make it look very porous to a point where you would have to fill the long grain for furniture.

Good point on the humidors, I did read that as well. I have an incredibly beautiful humidor I bought before I knew what a table saw was. I thought that cedar had the usual smell to it. I also read that spanish cedar is used for cigar boxes, I wonder if that's what most smokes ship in.
 
You should not consider Spanish Cedar to be a replacement for genuine mahogany. It is similar in its resistance to rot and water induced problems, but it it certainly in no way as good a material for fine furniture. Also, it has a tendency to "bleed" resins after it is milled. These resins will go through paint, too.

So, beware what a sales person at a lumber yard tells you. Many of them don't know what they're talking about.
 
Hi Brian, :wave:
About 13 years ago I contracted a cabinet, bar, and walk-in "locker like" humidor set up for a cigar bar. People would rent lockers, with keys, and keep all their cigar paraphenalia in their lockers, which was inside a "humidor" room. Point being the lockers where Spanish Cedar. Dixon is right, it is no substitute for mahogany except for qualities of rot and decay. There is a slight odor, not like aromatic cedar. It is a soft wood, easy to mill and sands up nice too. Sap may start running when placed vertically, but only about a 15% problem as I recall. Sometimes it just seeps out of some pores in specific places, like tacky sweat. Don't sweat the sweat! :rofl: :rofl: Probably a great use for that outside cabana.
Speaking of sweat, I have to go work out before it gets too hot, don't have a project like Marty to go to.:D
Shaz
 
Thanks guys for the good info, gonna keep it off the walls for sure. I may give it a shot though for that outside project. Must hold up well in the humid Florida air being it's used in humidors.

I'll call Monday for their pricing, I wonder how much better it is than genuine mahogany.
 
I can't see a simularity between Spanish Cedar and Mahogany... I have worked with both and fail to see any likeness other than being Wood. Dissimular grain, dissimular color, dissimular weight, dissimular density, dissimular price, dissimular in every way I can think.
 
Bill,

I did a little more research and from what I read they say spanish cedar is part of the mahogany family. Your first hand experience is what I was looking for and based on the other comments, doens't sound like a good material for furniture or wall panels.

I did read though that in its native countries, they use it for almost everything and one reference even mentioned wall panels.
 
Spanish Cedar is in the same family of wood as Mahogany. It's used mainly in humidors because of the smell, ability to sustain humidity etc. It is rot resistant. I would not recommend spanish cedar over mahogany though for most applications. I have seen complaints of spanish cedar leaking sap for years even after being kiln dried etc.

Smells good though, great for humidors...
 
They may be related but they sure don't carry similar charastics (IMHO) (perhaps a Rogue in the wood pile, so to speak) (or a stranger in the Family tree) OK, I'm sorry for the Punnage. :rofl:
 
They may be related but they sure don't carry similar charastics (IMHO) (perhaps a Rogue in the wood pile, so to speak) (or a stranger in the Family tree) OK, I'm sorry for the Punnage. :rofl:
Real Cute Bill and yet quite sappy,:rofl: yet I must admti You type much bettere than me.:D Nice work keeping us shart errr sharp...:wave:
Shaz
 
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