I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.
Health Hazards:
Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Cedar of Lebanon has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation, as well as runny nose and asthma-like symptoms. In addition, the long-term negative effects of exposure to sawdust of any species are well documented.
It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.
Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.
Complete information about health hazards associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.
Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Cedar of Lebanon.
My Personal Experiences:
To date I own a total of three Cedar of Lebanon blanks and I have only turned one of them. The finished Cedar of Lebanon platter measures 9 ¾” x 1 ¾”.
The Cedar of Lebanon blank had warped slightly during drying so I had my Dad run it through the joiner and the planer to provide flat and parallel surfaces for mounting. I suspect that the wood wasn’t completely dry because it moved a bit more in the time between machining and turning it.
As I noted, the wood is fairly soft so it cut very quickly, and much to my surprise for such a soft wood, fairly cleanly on the cut surface although splintery towards the edges of the blank.
The smell was, well, delicious. I can’t really describe it as it smells like nothing else I have ever come in contact with, but I would go with sweet and yet spicy. Even the finished platter still retains a hint of the fragrance.
Cedar of Lebanon Platter Interior
I did find the end grain turning necessary to make the divot for the chuck mounting was a bit more difficult than I expected from a soft wood.
Overall the Cedar of Lebanon blank turned quite easily and quickly. The entire process took less than two hours.
I did notice some differences in the hardness of different parts of the wood on the flat surface of the rear. The darker streaks are slightly harder and therefore don’t sand as quickly creating very slight ridges in the finished piece. These ridges can’t be seen but they can be felt with the fingertips.
All cuts were made with my Easy Wood Tools cutters. The reversed blank was held in a Nova Chuck. All sanding was done with Green Wave sanding pads from Packard Woodworks.