: I'm just finishing up a hybrid with an Eastern Red Cedar (closet cedar) deck.
: It came out really nice, and I was able to do some interesting bookmatched
: designs with it. Everytime I sanded the wood, the color went from brownish
: to a really great looking reddish purple. I was hoping that by sanding it
: just before I applied the epoxy, the red color would remain. But it turned
: back to the brownish color again, though not as bad. Does anyone know of a
: way to retain the red color of the wood? I have enough wood left for
: another kayak and I would like to keep the red color if I can. Thanks, Pam

Pam,

One of the reasons Eastern Red Cedar is not regularly used for kayaks is it contains a lot of oil. That's what gives it that wonderful aroma and deep red color. But it also adds weight, and the oil can make it more difficult to glue. I suspect that exposure to the air dries the outer surface of the wood, changing the color to brown. Sanding removes this dry layer, giving you the red color, but only until the new outer layer dries. While this might not give the red color you desire, it will improve the adhesion of the epoxy to the wood.

Ken