OT: Cypress

The first, and best, is commonly known in Louisiana as "Sinker" cypress. It's from trees that grew in the swamps -- essentially in water. They have lots of sap in them, and the trees and the wood from them have the rather unique property that as long as it's under water, it'll NEVER rot. These trees would grow for hundreds of years, and reach enormous proportions. Their wood is gorgeous - lots of grain, and lots of "character."

In the old homes in Louisiana, the trim and doors and cabinets were made from this wood. It was easy to work, stable, and attractive. Unfortunately, through the years a lot of it got painted over the original stain finish, and then folks have had it "stripped," which means immersed in a vat of lye to eat the paint off. It comes out a dull gray color, with most of its character literally leached out of it. But folks who don't know any better marvel over how beautiful it is. Since the lye never really goes away, whatever finish is put on it eventually fails. It's a mess.

Long ago the original, or old-growth, cypress was all removed from the swamps. Many people made huge fortunes on that enterprise, and many of the small towns in southeast Louisiana were originally built to house people engaged in that enterprise. But there isn't any more to be had.

What then happened is that folks started farming cypress trees, and that lumber is available "new" today. It is the same species, but I guess you get back to the "nature vs. nurture" argument. It isn't the same. It has very little sap in it, since it was grown on dry land and harvested young, and therefore very little grain. It's still easy to work with, but not as strong and doesn't stain up as pretty. But then most folks paint stuff today, because varnishes are not as good unless you use a high quality Marine Spar Varnish, which is expensive.

So my guess is you got hold of some old sinker cypress, and you should count yourself as very lucky indeed. It's getting to be a collector's item. Keep your scraps.