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The western cedar linked to above is the Thuja family. It is a cedar, and not what is sold as aromatic cedar.
The wood sold as aromatic cedar comes from what is called the Eastern red cedar, which is a confusing name because it isn't a cedar. It is juniper, juniperus virginiana. There is also a closely related tree, Rocky mountain juniper, juniperus scopulorum. The junipers produce the "aromatic cedar" wood, which we really should be calling" aromatic juniper" to distinguish it from the cedar family of trees.

But, we all know that the common names over the years have added much confusion to everything.

So much info here.
I went to the "newly expanded" Woodcraft in Bosie here yesterday. Wow is always what I take away from there. I tell my wife it's like "William Sonoma" for men. They have many of the woods you've all mentioned here. An amazing supply actually, everything but Eastern Red Juniper-Like Cedar. I did also check out the website mentioned above, a great resource. I'll just have to experiment. I did find a line on a little more cedar, it just has to travel accross the country.

mrhart wrote:. I did find a line on a little more cedar, it just has to travel accross the country.

I'm surprised that you can't buy aromatic cedar locally. The different varieties grow over most of the US as native trees. The Rocky Mt Juniper is native from western North and South Dakota all the way to the Cascades, and from the Canadian border to the desert in New Mexico. It should be readily available everywhere. My local wood supplier here in town has it all the time on the shelf. Maybe you can find some local trees that are being cut down and get them.

I've been keeping my eyes peeled while driving around lately at what grows here. Just out of town is all pine and fir of different varieties, aspen and tamarack.
I'm still looking for Junipers. Trying not to rear end peolpe while doing so. A second trip through Woodcraft reveiled a very small section with just a few 3/4" x 3 maybe, pieces of eastern red cedar.

You might want to take a piece of the cedar you have to the Woodcraft for a positive ID on it. If this is the cedar you got from me a while back, I'm just "assuming" it is "aromatic red cedar" because it has a strong aroma, it had red in it, and I was told it was cedar!

heathicus wrote:You might want to take a piece of the cedar you have to the Woodcraft for a positive ID on it. If this is the cedar you got from me a while back, I'm just "assuming" it is "aromatic red cedar" because it has a strong aroma, it had red in it, and I was told it was cedar!

Yes sir, the few pieces I found at woodcraft look the same. It's definately aromatic, my cloths smelled wonderful from being in the "woodchip fallout area". Check out the post on the "lathe frist turn" thread or in the gallery for the pics. Not too complicated, but fun.

Hello,
The piedmont and western NC has a super abundance of red aromatic cedar. It is some what of and invasive species and grows everywhere. In apple orchard areas it's considered a pest. It's the host treee for cedar apple rust and can infect trees for several miles. I cut down all i find on my property because I have several apple trees. Timber cutters cut the large ones and sell them as fence posts. Sometimes they go for as little as $3 for a 6" x7' post.
Get a trailer and take a vacation and come to NC and load up. Excellent project wood.

johkat