Dougf
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I bought a firewood permit from the Forest Service last year that allowed me to cut and gather dead wood on National Forest lands. My main purpose was to try to find nice big pieces of manzanita, but I always keep my eye out for anything that looks like it might be uke worthy. So when I spotted a huge charred stump, I decided to investigate further.
It turned out to be the remnant of an old-growth incense cedar. Cedars in general are very decay resistant, so it’s possible the tree itself was felled over a hundred years ago. Cutting into it with my chainsaw revealed some very promising heartwood, even though the outside was quite charred.
And after running a few pieces through the bandsaw, it became clear that the charring must have infused the rest of the wood with sort of a natural stain. Here are a couple of shots comparing the ‘smoked’ cedar with freshly cut incense cedar.
It turned out to be the remnant of an old-growth incense cedar. Cedars in general are very decay resistant, so it’s possible the tree itself was felled over a hundred years ago. Cutting into it with my chainsaw revealed some very promising heartwood, even though the outside was quite charred.
And after running a few pieces through the bandsaw, it became clear that the charring must have infused the rest of the wood with sort of a natural stain. Here are a couple of shots comparing the ‘smoked’ cedar with freshly cut incense cedar.