Uses for Juniper
Complex knot patterns make Juniper wood beautiful, but challenging to work. September 14, 2006
Question
I had to take down a couple of good sized junipers, as they were infected with cedar apple rust and effecting my orchard. Are there any good uses for the wood? Can it be used for blanket boxes like cedar?
Forum Responses
From contributor D:
Debarked and following its natural shape, it is used for mantles and rustic furniture.
From contributor K:
Expect fifty percent waste. When milling green or dry logs, the defect is rampant. Juniper oxidizes (turns gray) sooner than you would expect. Celebrate the silvery look or be ready with a good finish when you utilize the wood. The hardness is one half of oak and the many knots mean the wood wants to move a lot. There is no advantage to quartersawing because the grain and knots are all over the map. It is beautiful wood, but lots of challenges.
From contributor T:
I had a customer bring in some custom cut juniper flooring. Nice looking.
The comments below were added after this Forum discussion was archived as a Knowledge Base article (add your comment).
Comment from contributor E:
I’m not sure I agree with contributor K. I routinely cut Eastern Red Cedar (Juniper) and 50% waste is far too much for the Juniper we have, in north Texas at least. Also, it is one of the most stable woods you will work with, knots and all. It just doesn't move very much and dries extremely quickly.
