FYI: Musings on Spanish Cedar

[xrundog]

I drove out into the country to see my supplier today. I had been waiting for a new shipment of SC for a few weeks. Finally came in. I asked him if all his SC is kiln dried. I expected a no. But he said that it IS. So I asked: Why does some of it still bleed sap? He says that the lower grade stuff will bleed even after it's planed and sanded. Being pretty intimate with this lumber now, I think I know what he means by lower grade. Usually the rosier hued tight grained stuff is the best. The lighter wood has very acrid sap. The wider grain has a tendency to shred and won't sand completely smooth. Unfortunately, sometimes one must take what's available. I've also noticed that sometimes a board will only bleed at certain places along it's length. There is almost always a certain amount of waste with this stuff.
The wood I got today looked good in the rough state. It's hard to tell. You have to see and use alot to really know the difference. Even then, one can be fooled. I dropped off three 13ft. 1" thick boards at a place that restores wooden boats to be sliced, planed and sanded. We'll see what I get.