Cedar suitable for grips?

[NikA]

I took the day off work to do some last minute winter prep, including a fair amount of wood gathering. Started with the trees that are dead or nearly so, including a number of very large stumps (several feet tall and maybe 2.5 feet across). As it turns out, these are nicely aged cedar heartwood, which is hell on the chainsaw, but might make some nice wooden goodies.

Any grip makers here used cedar before? Advice on its suitability for grips/other wooden accessories?

 

[GunnyGene]

What species of Cedar? There are several which really aren't a true cedar at all. In some cases they belong to the Mahogany family. And some are far too soft. Take a look here:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

 

[cas6969]

Keep the moths from eating your holster.

 

[NikA]

I'd guess, based on my location and a little research plus the wood pics (thanks!) that it's some sort of very hard juniper. I would say it's certainly hard enough to stand up to some abuse: I ended up sledging up the root area, and the wood was more prone to splitting than denting. Color is a nice red; I'll pick a piece off the wood pile and try to cut some blanks from it this weekend.

 

[GunnyGene]

I'd guess, based on my location and a little research plus the wood pics (thanks!) that it's some sort of very hard juniper. I would say it's certainly hard enough to stand up to some abuse: I ended up sledging up the root area, and the wood was more prone to splitting than denting. Color is a nice red; I'll pick a piece off the wood pile and try to cut some blanks from it this weekend.

Juniper is indeed very hard. I have a small box I made from a old overgrown yard juniper many years ago. You could pound nails in concrete with it. :lol:

Probably Alligator Juniper given your location. More about this wood: https://www.wood-database.com/alligator-juniper/

This and Eastern Red Cedar (which I have a lot of on my property) are very closely related, although the Juniper above is a good bit heavier and harder. I don't know how susceptible the juniper is to splitting or other problems when drying it, so I'd advise to let it dry naturally and slowly out of the sun. Paint the endgrain of the raw log after debarking and for a inch or so along the length of it as soon as possible with roofing tar or something similar to slow the release of moisture too fast.

 

[contender]

I have made a set of cedar grips in my beginning attempts at grip making. Miss Penny says that they are very pretty,, and her favorites. But the wood is softer,, (my reason for using them, as a test medium,) so in some types,, the softer ones can dent easier. Sadly,, my skills were green then,, & they don't fit as good as I'd like.

 

[bobski]

itll make your gun smell nice.......

 

[OVERLOADDED]

Use what you have. I cut a Priority Flat Rate box full of hedge(Osage orange) blanks and sent them to one of our members who also is on rimfire central. He made some beautiful grips for my River Mark II! They are it a state of aging yellow, orange and brown colors! Overloadded

 

[LDM]

itll make your gun smell nice.......

And keep the moths away. I would also agree that most types of cedar are too soft for gun grips.

 

[caryc]

Here's the Janka hardness scale for wood.

https://www.bellforestproducts.com/info/janka-hardness/