Uses: Carving, boatbuilding, siding, flooring, decking, outdoor furniture, musical instruments (flutes, soundboards on guitars), boxes and chests, and various utility/construction applications.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar
Scientific name: Cupressus nootkatensis
Description: Heartwood is a light yellow. Sapwood is a similar whitish/pale yellow and indistinct from the heartwood. Colour tends to darken with age upon exposure to light, (though when left exposed outdoors it weathers to a uniform grey).
Grain is usually straight, though sometimes wavy, with a uniform medium to fine texture.
Properties: Easy to work with both hand and machine tools, though pieces with wavy grain may produce tearout during planing. Holds paint well. Stains, glues, and finishes well.