# Cedar of Lebanon Backs



## petertheeater (8 Jun 2021)

I have approx 8 linear meters of wardrobe backs to make out of cedar of Lebanon (yeh I know). I know there is some debate about the efficacy of the moth repellant properties. but Im just going to try and give them what they want. I would propose to have up (or have made T&G boards). I can get sawn boards of 25 - 27mm am I insane to think I might be able to rip this into 120mm-ish strips and then bandsaw / re-saw down the middle to 10m-ish boards to T&G?


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## mr edd (8 Jun 2021)

Hi

You will really struggle re-sawing 25 mm sawn to get anything useable in your target finished thickness especially flat sawn timber.


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## mr edd (8 Jun 2021)

You would have more luck with dimensional stability I think by planing the 25mm boards down to a 16 or 13mm board and accepting the large amount of waste if you need to go the solid wood route.

Cheers edd


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## Hornbeam (8 Jun 2021)

Allow to lose about 5mm for deep sawing , so if your material is 25mm after planing both sides then you could get 2 10mm boards. #However your material is much more likely to finish at 22mm which will leave you with 2 boards at 81/2. Have you considered using a ply back and veneering with cedar of lebanon
Ian


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## Jacob (8 Jun 2021)

10mm probably OK if you don't mind having saw marks on the back, which is quite normal on a lot of old stuff - who needs a perfect back?


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## petertheeater (8 Jun 2021)

Hornbeam said:


> Allow to lose about 5mm for deep sawing , so if your material is 25mm after planing both sides then you could get 2 10mm boards. #However your material is much more likely to finish at 22mm which will leave you with 2 boards at 81/2. Have you considered using a ply back and veneering with cedar of lebanon
> Ian


I don’t think veneer would have any of the moth repelling properties. We aren’t really going for the aesthetics. COL isn’t that attractive any way.


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## petertheeater (8 Jun 2021)

mr edd said:


> Hi
> 
> You will really struggle re-sawing 25 mm sawn to get anything useable in your target finished thickness especially flat sawn timber.


Yes I think I was being a bit optimistic. Might just machine down to about 16mm. The final destination, back of wardrobes, should remain fairly constant.


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## Inspector (9 Jun 2021)

The Borg stores here sometimes have Aromatic Cedar Closet Liner. Maybe yours do too.








CedarSafe Aromatic Cedar Natural Closet Liner Planks FL60/15N


Update your closet, bedroom, basement, pantry and more with natural-looking, aromatic cedar planking. CedarSafe Natural Closet Liners provide a forest fresh aroma and moth protection in a form that is



www.homedepot.com






https://www.lowes.ca/product/wall-planks/cedarsafe-3-34-ft-aromatic-cedar-v-groove-wainscot-13973



This supplier has a UK seller. Button on the bottom of the page. 




__





Aromatic Cedar - Goodfellow Inc.


Naturally Protect Clothing, Quilts and Blankets Stored out of Season.




www.goodfellowinc.com





Not thick enough to be self supporting but you could fasten it to plywood or MDF.

Pete


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## petertheeater (9 Jun 2021)

Inspector said:


> The Borg stores here sometimes have Aromatic Cedar Closet Liner. Maybe yours do too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. That stuff looks awful. Its a fine line with these designers, if you suggest something they don't like a mental tick is placed against your name and you may be relegated to obscurity. The uk link seems to lead nowhere now. Boards I'm looking at are a much more uniform light brown yellow colour.


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## peter-harrison (9 Jun 2021)

I've just deepcut some 24mm beech, it finished at 9mm without too much trouble. The secret is to surface it, just enough to flatten rather than to get it totally clean, and to deepcut it slowly with a bench saw. The kerf is wider than a bandsaw but it only takes one little wander on the bandsaw to wipe out all the advantage. Try one and see how you go!


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## Inspector (9 Jun 2021)

Make a pretty box with holes and fill it with cedar shavings and they can leave it in the bottom of the cabinet.  It'll accomplish the same thing. Silly designers should specify the wood and the source to get it factoring in the extra cost they are adding into the project.

Pete


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## TheTiddles (9 Jun 2021)

Cedar veneer on MDF works lovely, gives the look and smell whilst being far stronger


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## petertheeater (10 Jun 2021)

Inspector said:


> Make a pretty box with holes and fill it with cedar shavings and they can leave it in the bottom of the cabinet.  It'll accomplish the same thing. Silly designers should specify the wood and the source to get it factoring in the extra cost they are adding into the project.
> 
> Pete


I love them. They keep me busy.


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## petertheeater (10 Jun 2021)

TheTiddles said:


> Cedar veneer on MDF works lovely, gives the look and smell whilst being far stronger


I just couldn’t in all conscience tell them it was going to do anything for moth repelling. 0.7mm of veneer. I would think the 18mm of MDF would probably repel the moths more.


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## TheTiddles (10 Jun 2021)

petertheeater said:


> I just couldn’t in all conscience tell them it was going to do anything for moth repelling. 0.7mm of veneer. I would think the 18mm of MDF would probably repel the moths more.


Out of curiosity, why is that?
Moth killers are a few quid from Amazon and they definitely work, I’m presuming we aren’t all just using scraps of wood these days as they don’t work (and mothballs smell terrible)


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## recipio (10 Jun 2021)

I think your proposal is fine, especially if you can start with 27 mm timber. Remember that Cedar of Lebanon is a soft wood and should cut nicely on a well set up bandsaw. I would make initial cuts on the tablesaw with a narrow kerf blade and finish with the bandsaw. After thicknessing you may end up with 8 - 10 mm boards which are absolutely fine for a wardrobe back. I have made backs like this using a veneered ply as a loose tongue which is easier than trying to mill T+G edges . Milling away 25 mm wood to 12 mm would depress me .


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## petertheeater (10 Jun 2021)

TheTiddles said:


> Out of curiosity, why is that?
> Moth killers are a few quid from Amazon and they definitely work, I’m presuming we aren’t all just using scraps of wood these days as they don’t work (and mothballs smell terrible)


Not sure I get you.


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## TheTiddles (10 Jun 2021)

petertheeater said:


> Not sure I get you.


What makes you think planks of cedar will have an effect that a veneer won’t?

A quick search doesn’t reveal much evidence for cedar working at all to repel or kill moths, albeit the only article I could find came from the 50’s and was compared with DDT which oddly enough worked rather well


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## bob543 (10 Jun 2021)

Cedar of lebanon is very easy to resaw on a bandsaw. Ive done alot of it ,. most bits ive done were around a metre length from 15mm thick boards to 6-7mm and this was 8 to 9 " high stuff. I used a meat and fish cutting blade .


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## petertheeater (11 Jun 2021)

TheTiddles said:


> What makes you think planks of cedar will have an effect that a veneer won’t?
> Just the amount of actual wood in solid as opposed to 0.7mm veneer.
> 
> A quick search doesn’t reveal much evidence for cedar working at all to repel or kill moths, albeit the only article I could find came from the 50’s and was compared with DDT which oddly enough worked rather well


Please read my original post with regard to the efficacy.
But thanks.


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## TheTiddles (11 Jun 2021)

petertheeater said:


> Please read my original post with regard to the efficacy.
> But thanks.


I’d recommend using 50mm thick boards then, twice as good as 25mm


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