Spanish-cedar wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 600lbf
- Density
- 28.7lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.5
- Spec. gravity
- 0.41
Spanish-cedar (Cedrela spp.) is an imported species. It has a Janka side hardness of 600 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.41, and an air-dry density near 29 lb/ft³ (460 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 6.3% tangentially and 4.2% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.5), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.15 in (≈ 5/32 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Spanish-cedar: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Spanish-cedar's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.025″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.017″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.038″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.025″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.05″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.034″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.076″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.05″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.101″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.067″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.126″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.084″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.151″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.101″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 16″ | 0.202″ (≈ 3/16 in) | 0.134″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Spanish-cedar. At a T/R ratio of 1.5, Spanish-cedar is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 6.4 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 9.6 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.8 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 15.9 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 19.1 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 12.8 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 19.1 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 25.5 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Spanish-cedar.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.116″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.071″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.055″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.033″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.063″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.123″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Driven by Spanish-cedar's tangential shrinkage of 6.3%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Spanish-cedar compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 600 lbf, Spanish-cedar is harder than 28% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 28.7 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 23% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 9.6 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.5 is more even than 84% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 16% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Spanish-cedar plotted against every species we carry: the full Janka hardness chart and the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when Spanish-cedar is unavailable or priced out.
- Ponderosa Pine is a common substitute for Spanish-cedar : 23% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Eastern Redcedar is a common substitute for Spanish-cedar : nearly identical hardness, 14% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
- Red Alder is a common substitute for Spanish-cedar : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and less stable in service.
- Coast Douglas-fir is a common substitute for Spanish-cedar : 18% harder, 17% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Pine | 460 lbf | 28 | 1.59 |
| Eastern Redcedar | 650 lbf | 32.8 | 1.52 |
| Red Alder | 590 lbf | 28.7 | 1.66 |
| Coast Douglas-fir | 710 lbf | 33.5 | 1.58 |
About Spanish-cedar
Spanish-cedar or cedro consists of a group of about seven species in the genus Cedrela that are widely distributed in tropical America from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Some species are listed as endangered by the IUCN, and the genus is listed in CITES Appendix III. Spanish-cedar is one of only a few tropical species that are ring-porous. The heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown, and the sapwood is pinkish to white. The texture is rather fine and uniform to coarse and uneven. The grain is not interlocked. The heartwood is characterized by a distinctive odor. The wood dries easily. Although Spanish-cedar is not high in strength, most other properties are similar to those of American mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), except for hardness and compression perpendicular to the grain, where mahogany is definitely superior. Spanish-cedar is considered decay resistant; it works and glues well. Spanish-cedar is used locally for all purposes that require an easily worked, light but straight grained, and durable wood. In the United States, the wood is favored for millwork, cabinets, fine furniture, boat building, cigar wrappers and boxes, humidors, and decorative and utility plywood.
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Spanish-cedar heartwood resistant to fungal decay . Ratings are for heartwood only and the table's own note cautions that resistance varies substantially within a species; treat this as a general indicator, not a guarantee, especially for ground contact. Wood Handbook, Chapter 14: Biodeterioration of Wood (Arango, Lebow, Glaeser), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 14-1. Public domain.
CITES status: Spanish-cedar is listed on CITES Appendix II, which restricts international trade. Spanish-cedar (Cedrela spp.) is currently listed on CITES Appendix II genus-wide. NOTE: the Wood Handbook (published 2021) describes an earlier Appendix III listing for this genus -- CITES uplisted Cedrela to Appendix II at CoP19 (Nov 2022), after the handbook went to press. The status below is the CURRENT one, verified live, not the handbook's now-superseded text.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.41 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 600 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 28.7 lb/ft³ (460 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 25.6 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 2.39 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.2% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 6.3% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 10.3% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.5 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-4); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page.
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.