Cedar OD (Oven-dry)
Grade
Use the oven-dry, 0 % moisture reference state for laboratory baselines or dry indoor work such as models, instruments and sauna lining: highest strength but brittle and it swells on re-absorption.
Values for the OD condition
Other Cedar tempers and conditions
Cedar is listed in 3 conditions; see the grade overview at Cedar.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Take freshly sawn wet stock for heavy members that will dry on site or for blanks to be preservative-treated; strength and stiffness are clearly lower and thermal conductivity higher. | — | 45 | 1.3 | — | 0.14 W/m·K |
KD12Default Kiln-dried, 12 % moisture content | Use the standard kiln-dried engineering and construction state at about 12 % moisture content, the condition to which the published handbook mechanical values apply. | — | 55 | 1 | — | 0.09 W/m·K |
ODThis page Oven-dry | Use the oven-dry, 0 % moisture reference state for laboratory baselines or dry indoor work such as models, instruments and sauna lining: highest strength but brittle and it swells on re-absorption. | — | 62 | 0.8 | — | 0.08 W/m·K |
What is Cedar OD?
Cedar OD is Cedar in the OD grade — use the oven-dry, 0 % moisture reference state for laboratory baselines or dry indoor work such as models, instruments and sauna lining: highest strength but brittle and it swells on re-absorption. Cedar OD has a tensile strength of 62 MPa (8.99 ksi), stronger than 66% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.8% and the elastic modulus is 8.2 GPa (1.19 Msi). Cedar OD has a density of 0.33 g/cm³ (0.0119 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of natural material grades. KD12 is the default condition FabDigit quotes; OD is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Lightweight — 0.33 g/cm³ (0.0119 lb/in³), better than 87% of natural material grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 80/100, better than 84% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Low fracture toughness — 0.35 MPa·√m (0.319 ksi·√in), worse than 97% of natural material grades
- Poor heat conductor — 0.08 W/m·K (0.0462 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 87% of natural material grades
- Limited ductility — 0.8%, worse than 81% of natural material grades
Cedar OD properties
Typical room-temperature values for Cedar OD; 13 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Cedar reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Cedar OD has a density of 0.33 g/cm³ (0.0119 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Cedar OD has a tensile strength of 62 MPa (8.99 ksi), stronger than 66% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.8% and the elastic modulus is 8.2 GPa (1.19 Msi).
Thermal5
Cedar OD is rated for continuous service to 90°C (194 °F). It conducts heat at 0.08 W/m·K (0.0462 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 87% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4 µm/m·K (2.22 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Cedar OD is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 1.5 kV/mm (38.1 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10¹¹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 84% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Cedar OD takes about 9 MJ of energy and emits 0.45 kg of CO₂ — less than 71% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
Cedar OD's machinability is excellent (88/100, better than 76% of natural material grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Cedar OD
Is Cedar easy to machine?
Very easy to saw, mill and plane, but the wood is soft, so sharp tooling and high spindle speed are needed to avoid fuzzy surfaces and crushed edges. The earlywood/latewood hardness difference causes sanding ripple; back abrasives with a hard block.
Can Cedar be welded?
Not applicable. Bond with PVA, polyurethane or epoxy, or fasten with stainless screws or pneumatic nails, pre-drilling near edges and ends to prevent splitting.
Can Cedar be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending performance is poor and stock breaks readily; use laminated bends or design straight-grained members. Shrinkage is low, about 2.4 % radial and 5 % tangential.
What surface finishes work on Cedar?
Paints and stains well, but heartwood extractives bleed and require a stain-blocking sealer primer. Fasteners must be stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized — plain carbon steel and aluminium corrode against the acidic extractives and leave black staining.
Cedar chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| cellulosecrystalline and amorphous cellulose | 40 – 48 | 45 |
| hemicellulosemainly galactoglucomannan | 18 – 26 | 22 |
| ligninguaiacyl lignin | 28 – 34 | 31 |
| extractivesheartwood extractives: thujaplicins, thujic acid; antimicrobial | 2 – 10 | 5 |
| ash | 0.2 – 0.5 | 0.3 |
Cedar OD — frequently asked
What is Cedar OD used for?
Cedar OD is typically used for siding & shingles, outdoor furniture, closet lining, fencing and boat building. In short: lightest decay-resistant softwood; best untreated rot resistance; soft, low-strength surface.
What is the tensile strength of Cedar OD?
Cedar OD has a typical tensile strength of 62 MPa (8.99 ksi) — stronger than 66% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Cedar OD easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (88/100, better than 76% of natural material grades). Very easy to saw, mill and plane, but the wood is soft, so sharp tooling and high spindle speed are needed to avoid fuzzy surfaces and crushed edges. The earlywood/latewood hardness difference causes sanding ripple; back abrasives with a hard block.
Can Cedar OD be welded?
Not applicable. Bond with PVA, polyurethane or epoxy, or fasten with stainless screws or pneumatic nails, pre-drilling near edges and ends to prevent splitting.
What surface finishes work on Cedar OD?
Paints and stains well, but heartwood extractives bleed and require a stain-blocking sealer primer. Fasteners must be stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized — plain carbon steel and aluminium corrode against the acidic extractives and leave black staining.
Can Cedar OD be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending performance is poor and stock breaks readily; use laminated bends or design straight-grained members. Shrinkage is low, about 2.4 % radial and 5 % tangential.
What is the maximum service temperature of Cedar OD?
Cedar OD is rated for continuous use to about 90°C (194 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, GTR-190, Ch.5 Mechanical Properties — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2010)
- EN 13556 — Round and sawn timber, nomenclature of timbers (code THPL) — CEN (2003)
- ASTM D143 — Standard Test Methods for Small Clear Specimens of Timber — ASTM (2022)
- EN 350 — Durability of wood and wood-based products, natural durability classes — CEN (2016)
- Western Red Cedar Technical Data (thermal, dimensional, fastener guidance) — Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) (2021)
- Inventory of Carbon & Energy (ICE) v3 — sawn softwood — Circular Ecology (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.