Any Wood hobbyists here ?

[SPDMETL]

My question is; I'm cutting down a bunch of trees at my house, and some of them are Cedar. Are the Trunks of the Cedar trees worth anything ? The branches smell nice when I run them through the chipper, but if somebody would want them...the trees are not particularly nice; fighting for light in the forest.

Should I save them or shred them ?

 

[southalabama]

Depends on how big they are and whether you intend to do some woodworking yourself. Around here, the commercial loggers usually give the cedar trees away. Having said that after Hurricane Ivan I stacked up a few logs, had them cut and intend on using the lumber myself.

 

[Steevo]

Cedar makes nice kindling for fire starting.

 

[Toolfool]

Around here, we save the larger trunks for the local chainsaw carvers.

 

[brianh]

It would depend on the type of Cedar, is it white or red? also the diameter, under 12" is not going to be worth much to anyone.

Red cedar is really attractive I carve it or mill it into planks for benches, white cedar chips and rots fast.

 

[5lima30]

One other thing that makes a difference is knots. The less the better with cedar.

 

[kbs2244]

If small, fence posts.
If big enough it makes good siding.

 

[KEH]

Uses for red cedar in addition to those posted above.:

Boards for furniture making. Bottom boeard in a blanket chest come to mind.

Fence posts.

If they are large and long enough they can be used to make a pole barn.

KEH

 

[hcs1947]

Good for carving and whittling. I remember the old guys when I was a kid standing around downtown, just shaving sticks of cedar with their pocket knives, spitting tobacco juice, and bs-ing. It was a matter of pride that your knife was sharp enough to shave the thin shavings off without effort. Piles of shavings a couple feet deep sometimes. Smelled really good to a kid too.
Some of the guys were very good at whittling toys, or chains, or the sticks with intricate sides, hollow inside except for a ball inside it. I guess those would be folk art now.