Uses for Cedar?

[bassJAM]

I've got numerous red cedars in my front yard, but one split into 2 trunks about 12' high, and finally lost one of the trunks (about 10") last month across my driveway. As I was cutting it up, I had the same thoughts: what else besides firewood can I use this for?

My first plan is to make some coasters for the house out of some of the mid sized limbs. I tried cutting them into 1/2" disks with a miter saw and putting them in the oven on the lowest temp with the door open, but they all split. So I'm trying to dry them whole now (not in the oven) and see if that works and then coating the disks with linseed oil.

I might just make the rest into either kindling, or fire pit wood.

 

[lindnova]

Wow, lots of information on cedars. I am in Minnesota. I believe to have lots of eastern red cedar. It has reddish to purple heartwood and the blue berries. The deer love it for cover and berries, but it is kind of invasive and will die off under forest canopies. I tried some for fence posts 10 years ago and all the small ones under 6" dia have rotted off. The larger ones are holding. I am guessing the small ones didn't have enough heartwood.

As far as burning, it burns ok in my wood stove. Kind of sparks and burns real fast, but smells great. I kept some pieces by the stove just for the smell and looks. In my outdoor furnace, it makes a lot of smoke when the fan kicks on. Probably because of the choke and burn cycles.