Elemental Works Handcrafted Cedar Soaking Tubs
Wood Guide

Species & Grain

Every tub we build is Port Orford cedar or western red cedar, in one of two clear grades. Each has its place. This page shows what the four combinations look like so you can choose with your eyes, not just the price list.

Port Orford Cedar Western Red Cedar Vertical vs. Mixed Grain

Port Orford Cedar

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana · southern Oregon coast

A pale, even straw color with a fine, tight grain and a clean lemon-ginger scent. It's the closest North American wood to Japanese hinoki.

Color consistency Port Orford cedar varies very little from tree to tree. What you see in these photos is close to what you'll get: a light, creamy straw tone that stays uniform across the whole tub.
Finished Port Orford cedar tub in clear vertical grain, showing straight parallel grain lines in a pale straw color
Finished ofuro, workshop photo

Clear Vertical Grain

Minimal & refined · Premium grade

Straight, closely spaced grain lines running the length of every board, with no knots. The most uniform surface we offer, though expect some minor variation from board to board. Port Orford is a rare wood that we have milled for us locally in southern Oregon, and each log has its own character.

Raw Port Orford cedar board in clear mixed grain, showing arched cathedral figure in a pale straw color
Milled boards before finishing

Clear Mixed Grain

More character · Clear grade

Straight grain and arched "cathedral" figure side by side, still knot-free. Because Port Orford color is so even, mixed grain adds pattern and character without much contrast from board to board.

Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata · Pacific Northwest

Warm, aromatic, naturally rot-resistant, and lighter in weight than Port Orford. Colors run from pale amber through salmon pink to deep reddish brown.

Color variation Western red cedar changes dramatically from tree to tree, and often from board to board within one tub. Any photo you see, here or anywhere else, shows the color of one particular tree. Your tub will have its own, and it may be lighter, pinker, or browner than the pictures. That variation is part of the nature of the species.
Western red cedar boards in clear vertical grain, showing straight grain and noticeable color variation from pale pink to reddish brown between boards
Milled boards

Clear Vertical Grain

Minimal & refined · Premium grade

Tight, straight grain lines with no knots, the same cut as our Port Orford premium grade. The pattern is uniform, but the color still varies board to board, which is part of the character of this species.

Finished western red cedar tub in clear mixed grain, showing warm amber-brown color with cathedral figure and straight grain
Finished hot tub. This tree ran amber; others run pink or deep red.

Clear Mixed Grain

More character · Clear grade

A knot-free mix of straight grain and flowing cathedral figure, with more visual movement and more color contrast than vertical grain. For people who want the wood itself to show more character.

Vertical vs. Mixed Grain

Vertical grain

Boards sawn so the growth rings run nearly perpendicular to the face. You see straight, parallel lines. The look is minimal and refined, and it is the most premium cut because only a small part of each log yields it.

Mixed grain

A blend of vertical-grain boards and flat-sawn boards, where the rings run across the face and show as arches and swirls. Same clear, knot-free lumber, with more movement and pattern, at a lower price. For people who want the wood to have more character.

Ready to choose?

Pick your species and grade in the configurator on either product page, or send us a note and we'll help you decide.

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