Lawson's cypress

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CYPRESS, LAWSON'S

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

NOTE: this wood is NOT called Lawson's cypress by woodworkers,
it is called Port Orford cedar (even though it is not a cedar) and
none of the wood shown on this page was listed as cypress,
it was all listed as "Port Orford cedar".
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana of the family Cupressaceae. This is a particular species, out of many species that are called cypress (see the fact sheet with the cypress page), and it is also known as California cypress, false cypress, ginger pine, lawson chamaecyparis, Lawson cypress, matchwood, Oregon cedar, Oregon cypress, pencil cedar, Port Orford cedar, Port Orford white cedar, spruce gum , white cedar, and white cypress. Botanists call it Lawson's cypress but woodworkers call it Port Orford cedar. I have it listed on this site as cypress, because after all, that's what it IS.

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

sample plank of port orford cedar / Lawson cypress / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and end grain

end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Port Orford cedar / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Port Orford cedar / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana --- HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Port Orford cedar / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Port Orford cedar / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana --- HUGE enlargements are present.

end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

both sides of a sample plank of old growth Port Orford cedar / Chamaecyparis lawsoniana --- HUGE enlargements are present.

end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

both sides of a sample plank of Port Orford cedar --- HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above

The Wood Book pics

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, also listed as Port Orford cedar and match-wood) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

web pics:

Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), plank and turning stock

port orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) planks

planks listed as Port Orford cedar but with no botanical designation

Port Orford cedar pics provided by Doug Nadel with my thanks. The first one is rough, second one is planed, third is finished with clear shellac and fourth one is finished with Danish oil. When Doug send me the pics, all but the rough one were bright yellow so I did a white balance reset and now I think they are more likely to look like the actual wood. I don't know why the rough one is gray. BIG enlargments are present

both sides and a closeup of a port orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) plank

figured slabs

lumber

guitar blanks

beams

decking

paneling

log

siding

spindles

arrow shafts

listed as 50,000 arrow shafts. I think this company is planning on making a LOT of arrows

waxed turning block of port orford cedar

bench made from a single huge beam-like chunk

7-inch high finial of segmented port orford cedar

guitars with a port orford cedar face

steel-legged table from what looks to be about 1/3rd of a crotch section. You can see it better in the enlargement of the right-hand pic, but there's some nice flaming.