red cedar heart?

[srt]

I'm cutting local red cedar for fence posts.  Obviously, the ones with more heart and less sap wood are better.  I can't tell until the tree's on the  ground if it's a good candidate or not.  Is there any practial way to tell while the tree's still standing if it's "got a lotta heart"?

[Cedarman]

The sapwood is used to support all the green needles on the tree.  The bushier the tree, the more sapwood there is.  Best trees for less sapwood are those trees growing among hardwood trees that have been shaded and killed the lower limbs on the cedars.  Cedars growing in the open will have big sap rings.  If you leave a little sapwood on the corners, that will be the only wood that deteriorates at ground level.  Sapwood 1 foot above the ground and higher will not deteriorate very fast.  Should last 20 or more years.  Good heartwood can last up to 100 years, but at least 40 to 50 years.

What are cedar 4x4x8 posts selling for in your area?

[stonebroke]

Has anyone ever put cedar trees on a big lathe and made them so they look like the southern pine posts? I think that they would be great that way. They would be stronger then if you  sawed  them.

Stonebroke

[Cedarman]

We run a lot of posts through a German peeler.  It makes them look like someone took a draw knife to them.  We can even take the taper out by peeling half the post a second time.  Makes a nice looking post, but is labor intensive.  Makes a mound of peelings.  Can do 2" up to about 7 or 8".  Can do 12 to 20 feet if they are 3 or 4".

[Mike_Barcaskey]

srt,
are you talking about Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana?
Don't know where you are located.

[Daren]

I just learned something from your first post, thanks Cedarman.

[srt]

Thanks for the replies.  Cedarman, I now have something to go by.  I hate to cut one down and find out it's a loser!  I haven't priced them lately, but I'm going to guess about 7.00 per post.  There aren't as many folks selling natural posts like there used to be.  I don't even know anyone who sells them.  I'm located in South Jersey.  Yes, what I'm calling red cedar is  the Juniper - as far as I know!