Eastern Redcedar — Density, Movement, Workability & Cost

Every pencil sharpened in a schoolroom for most of the twentieth century released the smell of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) — a wood that isn't a cedar at all in the botanical sense, but a juniper, and one of the few species where the scent, not the strength or the figure, is the entire commercial product. Chest linings, closet liners and pencils all exist because of that aroma specifically, in a way no other wood on this site's list is bought for its smell alone.

Small logs, small boards, and why "wide clear eastern redcedar" doesn't really exist

At 33 lb/ft³ and 900 lbf, eastern redcedar is denser and harder than its Pacific-coast namesake, western redcedar (23 lb/ft³, 350 lbf) despite the shared common name suggesting a similar wood — they aren't closely related botanically and don't behave alike at the bench. Eastern redcedar trees grow relatively small and irregular, with a lot of included bark and knots worked into the trunk, so boards tend to be narrow and heavily figured; a request for wide, clear eastern redcedar stock will generally come back empty, which is a real constraint on what a project can be designed to use.

Movement is genuinely low, and the reason small boxes stay tight

A tangential:radial ratio of 1.5 and a volumetric shrinkage of only 7.8% keep eastern redcedar well clear of the movement-prone range — a real practical reason, beyond the aroma, that cedar chests and small aromatic boxes have stayed tightly fitted for generations without the frame-and-panel construction a more movement-prone wood would demand. A 10"-wide flatsawn panel (a typical chest-lining board) moving from a 10% moisture content down to a dry 6% MC contracts about 0.063" (1.6mm) across its width, computed from this species' 4.7% tangential shrinkage figure — small enough that a simple butt-jointed lining rarely needs the expansion allowance a wider, more movement-prone hardwood panel would require. Run your own dimensions on the wood movement calculator. A 1/2"-thick, 10"-wide, 3-foot lining panel weighs about 3.4 lb — check other sizes on the wood weight calculator.

Working it, and the one rule for finishing a chest lining

It's brittle enough that knots genuinely blow out under a router if the bit catches one at speed, so light passes and sharp bits matter more here than the wood's modest hardness number would suggest. It turns and carves well between the knots, and its oily, aromatic surface needs a solvent wipe before gluing, with glue applied promptly afterward, or the natural oils migrate back and weaken the bond. The one rule that overrides every other finishing consideration: finishing the inside of a chest or closet liner at all defeats the entire purpose, since the aroma — the working ingredient the wood is bought for — comes specifically from the exposed, unsealed wood surface releasing its oils over time. Elsewhere, seal the knots or their pitch will bleed through a painted surface just as with any resinous softwood.

Durability, a genuine pest-control property, and a safety note

Rated very durable, and the aromatic oils that give it its smell are also genuinely, measurably effective at repelling clothes moth larvae — this is real entomology, not just a folk claim, which is why cedar chests and closet liners have stayed a standard moth-prevention method for over a century rather than being replaced by scent alone. The same oils are a recorded respiratory irritant, and the aromatic dust can trigger asthma-like reactions in sensitive workers, which is worth knowing given how often this species gets milled in small, enclosed hobby spaces like a home workshop.

Cost and where it goes

At around $7 per board foot, eastern redcedar costs less than western redcedar's $8 despite the greater density and hardness, reflecting the smaller average log size and lower structural demand rather than any quality difference. Chest and closet linings, fence posts, pencils, turnery and outdoor furniture are the five uses it shows up in most, split fairly evenly between the aroma-driven interior uses and the durability-driven exterior ones.

Common questions about eastern redcedar

Is eastern redcedar related to western redcedar at all? Not closely — eastern redcedar is a juniper (Juniperus virginiana) and western redcedar is in the cypress family (Thuja plicata); both share the "cedar" trade name and both are aromatic and durable, but they're different genera with different densities, different working properties and different typical uses.

How long does the aroma in a cedar chest actually last? The scent genuinely fades over years as the surface oils oxidise and the exposed wood ages, but a light sanding of the interior surface exposes fresh, oil-rich wood underneath and restores much of the original aroma — a standard maintenance step for older cedar chests rather than a sign the wood has failed.

Can eastern redcedar fence posts really go straight into the ground without treatment? Yes, within limits — the heartwood's natural durability holds up well in ground contact for many years without chemical treatment, which is a large part of its traditional use for fence posts, though the sapwood portion of any post has essentially none of that resistance and will fail faster if a post includes much of it.