I have had some camphor wood for several years but am looking for …
(1) wood is obviously VERY aromatic. Any toxic issues?
(2) I believe camphor is resistant to mildew … etc. Would it be good for outdoor furniture which is in the sun a lot?
(3) Any “classic” projects for camphor, besides a chest since I do not have enough wood for that.
Thx,
SteveO
Jon Arno
Replies
Hey Steve , A classic project could be a small Silver caddy or chest . Maybe the Camphor has some qualities that resist tarnish on Silver Ware . Some countries have banned any medicines that contain Camphor , and have determined it to be a Cancer causing agent . Not sure about the outdoor qualitys.good luck.
I hope it isn't toxic. I've got three logs worth drying right now.
Re: outside use. I have a piece which has been outside for about 18 months being used as a sign. It seems to be doing okay. It has been varnished, though. Perhaps Jon can give you more exact feedback.
It is, however, a beautiful wood. It's interlocking grain can make it difficult to plane.
Here's quick pic of a TV cabinet I made using camphor (japanese-"kusunoki"). The grain can get come very nice figure in it.
Scott
Beautiful cabinet ! Your picture definitely gave me some ideas. The book matching is great (and looks like the wood I have). Where did you get your logs? I may be looking for more.
Thx again for your info. Perhaps I can try my outdoor furniture idea and use a Marine varnish for UV protection, although I'd rather use an oil ... time for an experiment perhaps.
Thx again. SteveO
By the way, what is the other wood you have in the piece? Looks like Birch or butternut or ... ?
SteveO
The other wood in the picture is plain old red alder from America.
My first camphor came from my local sawyer. I was looking for a piece of lumber with an unusual look to it to use as a sign board for my shop. He happened to have a fairly twisted (he thought) log of camphor just lying about and gave it to me free of charge! It literally brought tears to me eyes when we sliced it. Like swimming in a pool of mentholatum.
My second batch is still drying. I was on a stroll with the wife last winter and had the sounds of chainsaws going at the local hospital, which backs up against a mountain. I was about two or three hundred meters away when I could smell the camphor tree they just cut. I didn't hesitate and asked if I could have it. They saved the first couple of meters of the butt for themselves, but I ended up with three nice logs out it myself. Plus they let me take away about 20 logs of various other species. I'm overflowing with lumber drying out.
One of my plans is make a sea chest out of some. Maybe just use the camphor for the lid.
scott
Thx for the red alder info! Sounds like your wood stock pile is in great shape !
Have fun with it all!
SteveO
Steve, camphorwood belongs to the Laurel family and this family is known for its potent chemistry. Many of its species are irritating to work with and potentially allergenic...or worse. For example, sassafras is also in this family and it contains an oil that has been declared a carcinogen. Perhaps it is when ingested in quantity or over a prolonged period of time...but I think the government goes a little too far in its quest for public warnings. They've already nailed tobacco and alcohol and now the Liberals are on a hambergers and freedom fries crusade. Any day now I suspect they'll be pressing for a warning on bubble gum wrappers...in view of the serious dangers of chewing it while playing Russian roulette.
Camphorwood has a long cabinetmaking tradition in the Orient and it doesn't seem to have stifled their population much. Personally, in small doses, I think the scent is pleasant and camphorwood's other functional woodworking properties are outstanding. It is comparable in density to walnut and has excellent shaping characteristics. It has good stability and very good decay resistance...not to mention the beauty of its figure. You're lucky to have a supply.
If this is your first experience with camphorwood, though, I'd recommend that you introduce yourself to it slowly. In other words, don't jump into the project by filling the shop with its dust and fumes. If you have a particularly high sensitivity to its chemistry, chances are the symptoms won't show up in force until you've worked with it several times...So, go slowly at first...and even if it just appears to be a little annoying (irritating) as it is to many woodworkers, wear a respirator.
Edited 6/22/2003 12:33:11 PM ET by Jon Arno
Jon, Thx for the info. I did talk to a few folks at FWW and they recommended I talk to you, so I appreciate your time! I did read a FWW article on sassafras but was not aware of the relationship. I have had some experience with my camphor wood and noticed that it is clearly very aromatic to say the least. I have planed a few rough pieces with a few weeks in between (by chance) and have not noticed any negative reaction yet. I do have a fine filter I can run in my small shop so I think I can keep my exposure low (combined with a respirator). I am very impressed with the look of the grain and will continue looking for an appropriate project(s).
Do you have any comments about outdoor use? I have some wrought-iron furniture with oak slats which have taken a beating ... this would be an easy begining project for some of the wood, if it would weather like , say, teak.
I have seen book-matched doors which look great as well, so perhaps a cabinet will be on the agenda.
THX Again!
SteveO
SteveO, camphorwood has excellent decay resistance as well as resistance to borers and termites. It would perform very well in an exterior application.
My only concern here stems from conservationist motives. Camphorwood is now a relatively rare species, with most supplies coming from plantation stock where it is grown for the medicinal oil it produces. Personally, I'd rather see you use it for finer projects. Outdoor furniture...even when it's made from the most durable of species...isn't as enduring as a fine sea chest, wardrobe, or other piece of interior furniture.
...But hey, it's your wood and what you see as its optimum application is what counts the most.
Jon and Steveo,
I am a bit nonplussed to hear you say that you are concerned that Camphorwood is a rare and vanishing species, Jon! In central eastern Australia it has become a major weed tree, choking up waterways and ousting much more desirable native species. I have seen on a couple of sites on the web (quite a while back, so can't give you a URL, but I'm sure a search will turn them up easily) that it is a similar weed in parts of Florida.
Whatever, it is much prized by our local woodies, especially those given to turning - it's one of those forgiving woods that allows vessels to be turned around the pith without too much danger of cracking. Indeed it has a strong odour, but I have not heard of too many folks developing serious problems. The major complaint is that that pleasant smell becomes just too much after a while, and you sometimes wish you'd never started on a project that takes more than a day or so to complete! I've read somewhere that the oils in the wood help to prevent rusting, too, so I have made all the draws in my tool chest from it. Dunno if it really prevents corrosion, but when I open the chest after it has been closed for a week or two, the workshop is suddenly redolent with the odour of camphor - not at all unpleasant in such smaller doses.
As to any more sinister properties - I tend to agree with your skeptical approach, Jon. There are dangers in ascribing properties to a species just because something else in the genus is toxic. (And I do speak from some knowledge-base here, but I'm not saying too much in view of the propensity for lawsuits in your part of the world!!). And even if certain extracts can be shown to make bacteria do funny things on agar plates, there's no gaurantee that it'll turn your uncle Bert into auntie Gert, if he decides to replace his daily cornflakes with a bucketful of camphor shavings. So leave him with the cornflakes.
From my experience, the stability of the wood is quite variable - it can be very lively - not surprisisng, since it is given to some pretty wild grain, especially in young trees. Figure is also variable, but many trees growing in my area (around Brisbane, Quensland) have beautiful creamy wood with chocolate striping. Here's a bookcase I made from a large tree (around 3 1/2 ft diameter) I rescued from a landfill site. I did it in a pseudo-Chinese style in view of the tree's origin....
Cheers,
Ian W.
Ian, the stability problems you're suggesting probably relate to habitat. Open grown anything tends to produce an abnormal amount of reaction wood and misaligned fibers that contribute to distortion. Camphorwood's average volumetric shrinkage is reported to be only 7.4%, green to ovendry. That's actually better than genuine mahogany at 7.8%.
As for your ample supply of this wood, that knews has not yet reached the international lumber market...but it sure is a welcome prospect. I'm absolutely tickled to hear camphorwood has become the plant kingdom's answer to the rabbit down there. Perhaps we've finally found a useful purpose for the Australian Out Back. :O)
When I was in Brisbane (Cleveland) my nephew gave me a piece of what he called camphor laurel. It is probable the same thing, given that he reported it was a weed tree in the fence rows of New South Wales. My peice smells only mildly camphor when cut and loses the perfume in a day or so.
BTW, I expect to be in Brisbane in August. Is that beautiful cabinet work on display some place?
BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland
Camphor is pretty much a common tree here in Central Florida (Jon, you need to get out of the books and come for a visit) that grows, if given the room, into huge trees. A block from my house is one that must be 15 feet in circumference with limbs at least 8-10 feet around. I have several much smaller ones -- maybe 10-12 inches in diameter -- in my back yard amongst several oak species. They grow in the shade or in full sun and volunteer wherever the birds drop the fruit. They are very, very difficult to kill even when cut completely down to the soil, with suckers shooting up from the roots within just a week or two. I've turned bowls from some quite dry pieces and had to suspend work for a while just to escape the fumes, but never had any long lasting or acute reactions -- just the intense odor. Green wood is the worst. Around here very little is done with the wood because it is so aromatic and common. I'd argue a bit about it being similar to walnut in its density and working properties as I find it to be somewhat softer and a tad fibrous. When I get my new digital camera, I'll post a shot of one.
Jim, the traditional camphorwood used in 19th century sea chests was the species common to temperate China (Cinnamomum camphora.) It's toward the denser end of the camphorwood spectrum, probably owing to growth rate in the cooler climates of China, Formosa and Japan. There are about a hundred species in this genus and their specific gravities range from about 0.35 to 0.50. Our native black walnut has an average specific gravity of 0.51.
I suspect what you've got growing down there are escapees from camphor plantations...which means it's probably the same species (C. camphora), but your warm, humid climate must be affecting its density. There are other commercially important species, for example; C. cassia, from Southeast Asia (the bark of which is used to adulterate cinnamon powder), but I don't think we ever tried to get it established on a plantation basis here.)
You may think of camphor trees as weeds, but count yourself lucky. I can't get it in the retail outlets up here.
Jon,
C. camphorum is the species growing as a weed around here, the same as the tree cited on the website for Florida. I note what you say about density related to growing conditions and open-grown vs forest trees. Many of the trees I've tackled were indeed hedgerow types, but I have also had trees from within clumps that had wild-grained wood. One also has to consider the particular clone from which most (all?) of the local trees derived - it's more than likely only a few trees were imported, so I'd say we are dealing with a pretty limited gene pool. I think it was imported purely for decorative purposes, it was never deliberately planted for its lumber. (However, in a nice ironic twist, there has ben a thriving trade selling some back to China, recently.)
Jim - I note you seem to be rather unenthusiastic about the wood - do you get any decent figure and colour in the Florida trees? Colour and figure are variable, here, being best in trees from reasonably fertile soil. As Jon pointed out in an earlier post, it usually has markedly 'rowed' grain, making it a challenge to plane. Having worked a fair bit of black walnut, I can se why Jim takes exception to your comparison, Jon. While the density range may well co-incide. none of the local stuff is anywhere near as satisfying to work as good walnut, due partly to the more ornery grain, but also to a lack of that 'crispness' which makes walnut such a delight to run a sharp blade over. Camphor wood tends to be a bit 'stringy'.
I don't know if it's a general characteristic of the species, but our tree has a tendency to divide into major branches within 6 feet of the ground when open grown. Our climate here is regarded as 'subtropical' and must be similar to its native climes as it doesn't do so well from about mid New South Wales south, (i.e. where it gets COOLER) and struggles to make smallish specimens in Victoria. For some reason, the Victorian trees have lackluster wood, and are nowhere near as aromatic, either. There is a lot of variation in the amount of camphor, depending on the age of the wood, and where it grew. Some trees have very little, as noted by BJ, and some wood has strong odor, but loses it after a short while, which is disappointing if you've used it for drawer bottoms or similar, just for that characteristic. On the other hand, I've got a blanket-box I made from highly figured stump wood of a very mature tree, that has been in use for 6 or more years now, and still nearly knocks my head off when I open the lid. I've yet to see a moth fly out of it, too!
Finally, your comment about it's being a 'botanical rabbit' is all too true. As Jim says, there are a lot of birds which are attracted to the abundant fruits. They swallow them whole, digest the flesh, and deposit the seeds in a nice little drop of nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Every darned seed seems to be fertile. Unfortunately, there are no rabbits where C. camphorum is rife. If only we could get the two together, maybe we could solve two problems at once - there are a lot of Australians who wouldn't be too upset by the rabbits all dying from chemically-induced cancers! However, I'd take a small bet the little blighters would probably thrive on it!
That was a bit more long-winded than I'd planned, but if you're still with me, BJ, let me know when you are coming to Brisbane. (My email should be attached to my name on this post). I'm not quite sure of my movements through August, and am currently shifting house, but there is a good chance we can meet up if you want to talk wood - I may be able to send you home with some better Camphor laurel than your nephew gave you!
Cheers,
IW
Ian, my thanks to you for the feedback on camphorwood Down Under...And to Jim for the state of the species in Florida. I knew that the temperate Oriental species (C. camphora) was now very scarce within it's native range. Like paulownia, it's on the shopping list for buyers (especially the Japanese) when they come over here to buy prime logs. It has a very long tradition in Oriental cabinetmaking.
I was also aware of its being plantation grown here in the southeastern states and that it was becoming naturalized...But I had no idea it was doing so well, either here in Florida or there in Oz. The world markets are starving for naturally decay resistant species...We've just about wiped out old growth redwood, western redcedar, genuine mahogany, teak and many others...Also, you folks have put a serious dent in your jarrah supply over the past few decades.
I hope somebody somewhere is on to plantation growing camphor and manageing it for lumber production. It's been widely cultivated for oil production...which is distilled from young shoots (coppice) and/or wood chips...so, the emphasis hasn't been on husbanding it all the way to saw logs. This species tends to develop a broad crown if open grown, but it has the genes to easily exceed 100 feet in height and diameters in excess of 4 feet when forced to compete as part of a forest canopy. Also, it's a bit of a bully, in that you don't have to worry much about insect predators or competing vegetation.
I've only worked with it a couple of times (as I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to source here in the upper Midwest.) I ran across a small quantity of exceptionally nice stock about a decade or so ago, planning to make a clock case out of it...then thought better of the idea, for fear that (like Spanish cedar) its volatile oils would foul up the brass movement. I subsequently used it for some decorative carvings...and was very pleased. I think the reason I've always associated it with walnut (besides the comparable density) is its attractive natural surface luster when it is worked with hand tools...Sort of that waxy or soapy feel that makes walnut such a pleasure to carve. I didn't come away with the impression that it was particularly "stringy." But I suspect our divergent impressions result from how variable this wood can be as a result of growing conditions. Doubtless something like three blind men examining an elephant.
Edited 6/24/2003 3:22:36 PM ET by Jon Arno
Camphor is a common landscaping tree here in the San Francisco area, too. It is often used in the strip between the sidewalk and the street. Dunno specifically which version or versions it is, but it has that very distinctive camphor smell.
(However, in a nice ironic twist, there has ben a thriving trade selling some back to China, recently.)
LOL I'm fond of irony and that particular example is rather delicious to this non-communist. <G>
BTW, I love the figure on your Camphor cabinet. Particularly the lower door panels.
Regards,
Kevin
I just got caught up on the camphor question I posed. What a great resourse to have all you folks with experience. Just to chime in ...
(1) I have now planed 2 of my camphor planks (~13" x 2" x 50") and they plane quiet well. Actually seems somewhat "soft" in that I do not get any chip out from my planer.
(2) My camphor was from a neighbors house in CA and has been sitting inside my shop for ~7 yrs so it is well seasoned and is certainly not green. After a few swipes thru my planar my whole shop is filled with the (pleasant) odor. With a filter running it takes ~1 day to clear the smell. After about 1 week the smell of the planed piece of wood itself seems to subside.
(3) I think I have made some decisions on my camphor project: (a) a good sized "linen" cabinet and (b) left over pieces will get laid down on my wrought iron outdoor furniture (mostly as an experiment since my current oak slats (factory installed) are starting to splinter (ouch!).
Thx to all.
Thanks for your update. I hope the exterior application works for you. It's not something I've tried. I have made some turnings out of the stuff as have a lot of other folks here in Central Florida, but it's a non-spectacular result for the most part and the odor pretty much limits the time you can you can spend working it. I doubt if anybody around here will mess with it much unless some really compelling reason/application is discovered. Good luck!
Steve,
I'm a bit surprised that there seems to be a lot of negative feeling about this wood over your way. It really is quite useful in all sorts of ways, and as Jon Arno says repeatedly, you can design around its instability. (At least we find it a bit 'lively' over here, though Jon insists its inherent shrinkage properties indicate it is reasonably stable). What sort of colour and figure do the Florida and Ca trees have? As I said in a former post, there seems to be a big difference between trees grown under cooler conditions from those growing in the more subtropical part of Aust.
The smell from planing subsides after a few days, but you only need to start hand-planing again to fill the shop with it! I cleaned up an old chest for my sister a few years ago. It was a very dark brownish thing, that had residues of stain on it and I didn't know what the wood was until the first lick at it with sandpaper, and out popped the faint, but unmistakable smell of camphor. It was at least 70 years old at that point. There is variation from tree to tree, probably because older trees lay down more chemical in their heartwood, and maybe local conditions influence it a bit.
We don't associate it with very good resistance outdoors, particularly in contact with the ground. Maybe your climate is a bit kinder, but it certainly wouldn't be my first choice for the wooden bits on outdoor furniture. Maybe it just hasn't been tried enough, because most folk would prefere to use it for slightly finer stuff.
Here's my blanket box made fom bits of a stump that had been sitting dead for some years before I got to it. The top was rotted and the termites had gotten stuck into half of it, but I salvaged a few planks, and this was one of the products. The outside is oil/waxed, and the inside is unfinished. Still has a powerful smell when you lift the lid, after 6 plus years.
Ian, nice piece of work. I sure do envy you your easy access to this species (along with 2 billion Chinese)...the black veining and the translucent luster, especially around the curly figure is absolutely beautiful...How could anybody have this stuff growing like a weed in their area and not feel blessed?
Jon - Rabbits are quite tasty, too!
Yeah, it can be nice wood, that's why I posted it, when your compatriots from Fl and Ca seemed undewhelmed by it as a potential cabinet species.
Shouldn't you be in bed by now?
Cheers,
IW
Jon-
Any suggestions or references on moisture measuring ... or telling when boards are ready to use? I am a bit of a novice I guess with "sawyering." I have had some Cherry (& camphor) sitting around (stacked with spacers) for 5-8 years (not on purpose but got busy with other projects) and know it is ready to use. But I just tranferred lumber from 3 cherry logs my uncle cut down for me ~1.5 yrs ago (cut & stacked with spacers 1.5 yrs ago) and want to determine when it could be good for using. I can tell already that ~1/4 of the 1-1/8" boards have more moisture on 1 side as they all have the same consistant bow. I think these boards were the ones at the bottom of the stack where grass could grow, keeping moisture level higher on the bottom. I am very pumped about using cherry from my uncles PA dairy farm (a bit more meaning/value then lumber I get from a mill if you know what I mean).
THX,
SteveO
ps- mmmm .. stillposted under "camphor questions which is I guess a faux pas. Oh well.
SteveO, the old rule of thumb is that lumber takes a year to season per each inch of thickness. While this fairytale provides some guidance, it isn't all that accurate in that it takes progessively longer as the thickness increases...and also, it is totally dependent on atmospheric conditions (relative humidity levels)...not to mention the density and cellular anatomy of the species you're trying to dry.
These "how soon can I use it" questions always bring a smile for me...because I'm a firm believer in the axiom that there's no such thing as overkill in air drying. There's no way it will ever get too dry...so, what's the rush?
If you want to get scientific about it, you can perform periodic oven tests, or use a moisture meter to determine how the drying process is moving along. Meters aren't all that accurate, especially if the stock is thick, because moisture levels may vary within the board. Oven tests can be quite accurate...but since this requires the destructive testing of samples on a periodic basis, if you're the really curious type, there may not be anything left by the time the wood's moisture content stabilizes.
With experience, you eventually develop a sense for when wood is adequately seasoned. It's difficult to explain and virtually impossible to quantify...but after years of experience working with various species of wood you come to understand how heavy the wood should be in relation to its annual ring spacing and whether it's predominantly heartwood or sapwood. Also, you can get a good feel for how moist the wood is by squeezing some fresh sawdust in your hand and seeing how firmly it mats together...I'll sometimes rely on these judgements, if there's some reason I absolutely must use some stock that might not be totally seasoned yet...but like the Old Masters, I much prefer to wait it out until there's virtually no chance it hasn't attained its Equalibrium Moisture Content.
I typically leave 4/4 stock on the stickers for at least 2 or 3 years...and I've been known to let heavier stuff go for upwards of a decade. In fact, I seldom unsticker and solid stack any of my inventories (why make work?) It goes straight from the drying pile to the shop just before the project begins. I usually resticker it in the shop for a week or two to let it acclimate, especially if it's one of the more unstable species. Performing this final step can be as important as how long the wood was left in the drying pile...because, wood doesn't simply dry out and then stay dry. Its moisture content is in constant flux.
...So, planning ahead is key when it comes to air drying your own stock...It's definitely not a speed sport.
Edited 7/1/2003 2:30:30 PM ET by Jon Arno
Thx for the advise. I too am of the same mind frame as you in that I have tended to keep wood stacked for years before use and I have brought the wood into my shop/house a few wks before a project for final adjustments to occur. I got burned once so have been doing this since. [Even this is does not seem to be a guarantee for warpage, as with some cherry after I cut to length the non-uniform grain can bite you as well. I also now try to cut cherry to length where grain has gone back to "linear" but do not know if this really matters.
SteveO
Thx for the photo of your cabinet ! Looks great. My wood is almost identical in color and grain to yours. I get more excited the more I see other projects. I had better complete the cherry kitchen table I promised my wife soon or else it may go on hold due to a desire to work with my camphor.
So, you simply waxed the outside?
SteveO
Steve,
Re the finish on the exterior of the blanket box:
For the last 6 years or so, I've been using the recipe that's been kicked around in FWW in its several variations - i.e. 1/3rd of oil, turps and an alkyd varnish (in this case a local brand of polyurethane). I'm pretty sure that's what's on the blanket box exterior. It seems to suit this wood, which is pretty porous, giving it a bit of lustre without build. Then a good waxing or two or three, since, is all it's had.
It may not show on the pictures, but the bookcase posted earlier, was done with oil only, and it is a bit too matte for my liking, despite quite a few applications of wax, applied with 0000 steel wool and lots of elbow-grease. Some day, I'll strip the wax and give it another coat of oil/poly/turps to lift it a bit more. I think that's project # 5,003 on the curent priority list.
Interesting to hear that your green wood gets stacked for 5 or 6 years plus. When I first began drying acquired wood, I used to fuss about when I might be able to use it. I've found it's never been a problem, because I rarely get at it until several years past when I thought I might! Sounds like we both have day jobs that interfere with woodworking for pleasure. Another way of telling if wood is really dry and ready to use is by the 'ring', when you drop it on the bench or tap it with another piece of wood. Again, that's impossible to quantify, as it depends on the thickness of the piece and its density, etc., but when you are used to a species, you can get a pretty accurate idea of how dry it is. All that notwithstanding, as both you and Jon imply, thre is always wood that gives you a nasty surprise when you start working it!
Cheers,
Ian W.
>>"Another way of telling if wood is really dry and ready to use is by the 'ring', when you drop it on the bench or tap it with another piece of wood."<<
Ian, I sure do envy you your fine tuned ear. I've heard about this clue from more than one salty old timer and I have no doubt they knew what they were talking about...But I'm so tone deft, the stuff could be naturally programmed to humm several choruses of anything from "Anchors Away" to "How Dry I Am" every time you gave it a rap...and it wouldn't mean a thing to me. :O)
Jon, I'm no von Karajan or Mozart, either, but almost nobody is really tone-deaf, though most of us say or suspect we are! Take a couple of bits of wood of the same species, one that you know to be dry, and one that is still a bit soggy, and give them a few thunks with knuckles or another softish piece of wood. The wet bit returns a dull sort of heavily-damped (p'haps that's where this usage of the word comes from?!) note, while the drier gives a higher-pitched, slightly more prolonged sound, i.e. it sort of 'rings'. You can feel it as much as hear it. There is a lot of variation between woods, so you have to get used to any given species.
Hey, what's this "salty old guys" bit - I object to the 'old' part - I'm not even 60, yet (still got a couple years to go!). My students would probably agree heartily with the 'salty' bit, though.....
Avagoodnight,
IW
Hi Jon/Ian,
I defer to Ian's experience here - this sort of thing is his bread and butter.
A google search on the term camphor laurel NSW wood revealed plenty:
toxicity: http://www.camphorlaurel.com/humantox.html Wood properties report: http://www.privateforestry.org.au/camwp_1.htmBackground: http://www.privateforestry.org.au/camphor.htmTypes of heartwood: http://www.camphorlaurel.com/camphor-timber.html
plus thousands more hits
Cheers,
eddie
Interesting that you mention the "noise test." I couldn't help but plane a ~24" x 3" scrap which was cracking off one board to see what the grain was like and noticed that the board sounded quite "dry" when knocked ... you almost here a ping out of a dry piece of cherry (or perhaps hardwood in general I guess). It was so "ping-y" that I was worried that this piece was too dry; my "8yr old" cherry which has been in my house is not so "ping-y," I think. Then again this is one of those cases where size matters ... mmmm, wont go there but is true. If I knocked on a larger piece I think it would have sounded "duller" as the board would not really resonate/transmit the higher sounds ... the physicist coming out in me !
SteveO (laser physicist / novice furniture maker)
Steve, Just read this post and as no one has said much about outdoor use, I thought you might be interested -- FWIW.
My father bought three camphor chests in China, I think Shanghai, in 1940. He had 24 hours before his ship left and saw a large chest made of camphor. He told the artisan he would buy as many of the same style chests as he could make in 24 hours to fit inside the one he had. The smaller two he kept; the larger one he gave to his sister. The sister put it on her porch in Austin pretty much exposed to the elements, such as they are in Austin. My father was always much disgruntled about it because he said she ruined it on the porch and threw it out. As this was before I was born, I'm sorry I can't add more.
The other two are still in the family and in good shape, albeit with some splitting in the tops. The relief carving remains in good shape and the odor is still present on the inside.
As I say, it's all FWIW.
Doug
Thx for the input. I will test scraps on an outdoor use project and use the good stuff on a blanket chest ... thx to advise received here.
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