Atlas cedar

[firecrest]

In my quest to get good wood for bowdrilling, and inspired by the ease of Georges cedar bowdrill set at the midlands meet I went looking for cedar.
Would you believe it there is a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD!! flipping heck Ive been walking right past it and its right there on the green. I noticed it earlier today and took a pine cone and sprig back to google to ID, it definately is an atlas cedar as Ive not seen pinecones like this before. which are like this one:

So...Has anyone tried this kind of cedar? whats it like.

 

[Peter_t]

such a nice tree, i recently went to kew gardens with college and they have loads the qualities of the wood will be very similar to the other cedars exept for western red and japanese cedar which are not actualy cedars at all

also they'r CEDAR cones btw lol

pete

 

[addo]

Its Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) that George was using i think, which is quite different. Thats the problem with comman names, loads of cedars all quite different.

Blue atlas is one of my favorite trees and has a corker of a latin name if your into that sort of thing, which seems to change every few years.

Give it a whirl though and see how you go. Western red is supposed to be one of the best for fire by friction, your more likely to see it growing in a garden, as its almost identical to leylandii hedging. The id feature is that the foliage is much flatter, almost like its been pressed in a book. Smells gorgeous when crushed too.

 

[firecrest]

wrong tree? bugger.

 

[addo]

At least you get to walk past it and notice it a bit more. Does my head in when I dont know what a tree is and its uses.

 

[Peter_t]

iv herd cedar bark is exelent tinder, but which cedar
i have used laylandii bark and that is one of my favorites. just buff it up and it goes all fiberous then its usualy first strike with the firesteel

pete

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Be careful as Western red Cedar has carsigenic wood dust.

Nick

 

[addo]

iv herd cedar bark is exelent tinder, but which cedar
i have used laylandii bark and that is one of my favorites. just buff it up and it goes all fiberous then its usualy first strike with the firesteel

pete

Ive used Japanse (red) Cedar Cryptomeria japonica Its bark is a bit like the redwoods, and seems to do the trick mixed in with a tinder bundle. Its very dry and can be broken up as needed.
Will have to try it on its own as its been a while since I tried.

 

[Goatboy]

I used to harvest the cones.. a huge way up, tied off to a little splinter of apical dominant leader that had a BAD habit of shearing off when tou weren't really wanting it to. Popped them into onion sacks. ( The seed is worth a packet ) The cones fragment by themselves when dry, a pile of flakes really. Burn like Buggery though. Never tried to turn it seriously though. though cedar tends to fracture due to it's growing habits so not sure if it can be.
Let me know how you get on, the one "fresh" bit I turned produced ribbons of waste that flew out of the shed door whch were pretty cool, but was too soft to use really.
Cheers
Goatboy.