WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
Cedro (Spanish cedar): density, weight and properties
Cedrela fissilis, Cedrela odorata, Cedrela angustifolia
Cedro (Spanish cedar) (Cedrela fissilis) averages 460 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to CIRAD’s Tropix database. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 460 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 1.6French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 62 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 9,210 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 38 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 6.0%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 3.9%
- Fibre saturation point
- 29%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 460 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 460 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.09 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 1.9 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.99 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.8 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 7.46 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 29% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 1.8 mm (0.07 in) | 1.2 mm (0.045 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 3.5 mm (0.14 in) | 2.3 mm (0.091 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 2 on the EN 350 scale from 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable), as reported by Tropix. The rating applies to heartwood only.
Working and finishing
Light and easy to work, but resin can clog saw blades and exude when gluing, and surfaces can be woolly; nails hold poorly. Density varies with origin, and neotropical Cedrela populations are listed in CITES Appendix II (Tropix).
Typical uses
- Fine furniture and cabinetmaking
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Exterior joinery (windows and doors)
- Carving
- Musical instruments
- Boatbuilding
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Norway spruce 450 kg/m³
- Poplar 450 kg/m³
- Yellow-poplar (tulipwood) 470.4 kg/m³
Sources & references
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.