European Beech wood

European Beech (Fagussylvatica)

Common Name(s): European Beech

Scientific Name: Fagus sylvatica

Distribution: Europe

Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 44 lbs/ft3 (710 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .53, .71

Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,460 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 15,970 lbf/in2 (110.1 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 2,075,000 lbf/in2 (14.31 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,270 lbf/in2 (57.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 5.7%, Tangential: 11.6%, Volumetric: 17.3%, T/R Ratio: 2.0

Color/Appearance: Beech is typically a pale cream color, sometimes with a pink or brown hue.Veneer tends to be slightly darker colored, as slicing the veneer usually requires the wood to beprepared with steam, which gives the wood a more golden tone.Flatsawn surfaces tend to bevery plain, while quartersawn surfaces exhibit a silvery fleck pattern.

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, with a fine to medium uniform texture. Moderate naturalluster.

Rot Resistance: Beech is considered non-durable or perishable; it is also susceptible to insectattack.

Workability: Overall good workability; it machines well, and glues, finishes, and turns well.Beech also responds superbly to steam-bending. It does, however, have a large amount ofmovement in service, so movement and wood stability must be taken into account.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, European Beech has beenreported as been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye,skin, and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood DustSafety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Lumber, veneer, flooring, boatbuilding, furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments(piano pinblocks), plywood, and turned objects.

Comments: Beech is an important and widely-used hardwood in Europe. Its hardness, wear-resistance, strength, and excellent bending capabilities—coupled with its low price—make thishardwood a mainstay for many European woodworkers. Depending on soil conditions, EuropeanBeech can grow to very large sizes, and wide, long lumber is commonly available for use.

European Beech (sanded) European Beech (sealed)

European Beech (endgrain)

Teak (Tectona grandis)

Teak wood

Common Name(s): Teak, Burmese Teak

Scientific Name: Tectona grandis

Distribution: Native to southern Asia, Teak is also widely grown on plantations throughout tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 41 lbs/ft3 (655 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .66

Janka Hardness: 1,070 lbf (4,740 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 14,080 lbf/in2 (97.1 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,781,000 lbf/in2 (12.28 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,940 lbf/in2 (54.8 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.6%, Tangential: 5.3%, Volumetric: 7.2%, T/R Ratio: 2.0

Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be a golden or medium brown, with color darkeningwith age.

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, though it can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. Coarse,uneven texture and moderate to low natural luster. Raw, unfinished wood surfaces have aslightly oily or greasy feel due to natural oils.

Endgrain: Ring-porous or semi-ring-porous; large, solitary earlywood pores, medium-smalllatewood pores solitary and in radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses and other mineral depositscommon; growth rings distinct due to uniseriate row of earlywood pores; rays visible withoutlens; parenchyma banded (marginal), with bands sometimes wide enough to enclose entireearlywood pores, paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric.

Rot Resistance: Teak has been considered by many to be the gold standard for decayresistance, and its heartwood is rated as very durable. Teak is also resistant to termites, thoughit is only moderately resistant to marine borers and powder post beetles.

Workability: Easy to work in nearly all regards, with the only caveat being that Teak contains ahigh level of silica (up to 1.4%) which has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges.Despite its natural oils, Teak usually glues and finishes well, though in some instances it may benecessary to wipe the surface of the wood with a solvent prior to gluing/finishing to reduce thenatural oils on the surface of the wood.

Odor: Teak can have a leather-like scent when freshly milled.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Ship and boatbuilding, veneer, furniture, exterior construction, carving,turnings, and other small wood objects.

Comments: Sometimes called Burmese Teak, this name is used to differentiate natural-growntrees (typically from Myanmar, aka Burma) from Teak grown on plantations. Used extensively inIndia and within its natural range for centuries, Teak has grown into a worldwide favorite. Withits superb stability, good strength properties, easy workability—and most of all, its outstandingresistance to decay and rot—it’s no wonder that Teak ranks among the most desired lumbers inthe world.Much like the many names and knockoffs of Mahogany, the moniker “Teak” has been affixed andassigned to a number of different woods seeking acclaim. The usual procedure is to take a woodbearing any degree of resemblance to Teak and insert a geographical location in front of thename. For instance, Cumaru is sometimes referred to as Brazilian Teak, while RhodesianTeak bears little botanical relation to real Teak—Tectona grandis. The name Burmese Teak,however, does refer to genuine Teak.

Mahogany wood

Cuban Mahogany (Swieteniamahogani)

Common Name(s): Cuban Mahogany, West Indies Mahogany

Scientific Name: Swietenia mahogani

Distribution: Southern Florida and the Caribbean

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1.0-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 37 lbs/ft3 (600 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .53, .60

Janka Hardness: 930 lbf (4,120 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 10,790 lbf/in2 (74.4 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,351,000 lbf/in2 (9.31 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 6,280 lbf/in2 (43.3 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.0%, Tangential: 4.6%, Volumetric: 8.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

Color/Appearance: Heartwood color can vary a fair amount with Cuban Mahogany, from a pale pinkishbrown, to a darker reddish brown. Typically, the denser the wood, the darker the color. Color tends todarken with age. Mahogany also exhibits an optical phenomenon known as chatoyancy. (See video below.)

Grain/Texture: Grain can be straight, interlocked, irregular or wavy. Texture is medium and uniform,with moderate natural luster.

Rot Resistance: Varies from moderately durable to very durable depending on density and growingconditions of the tree. (Older growth trees tend to produce darker, heavier, and more durable lumber thanplantation-grown stock.) Resistant to termites, but vulnerable to other insects.

Workability: Typically very easy to work with tools: machines well. (With exception to sections withfigured grain, which can tearout or chip during machining.) Slight dulling of cutters can occur. Sands veryeasily. Turns, glues, stains, and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Cuban Mahogany has been reportedas a skin irritant. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity andWood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is in CITES Appendix II, and is on the IUCN Red List. It is listedas endangered due to a population reduction of over 50% in the past three generations, caused by adecline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, turned objects, veneers, musical instruments, boatbuilding, andcarving.

Comments: Historically, perhaps the most celebrated and revered cabinet and furniture wood in theworld. Cuban Mahogany has been used extensively in cabinetry and furniture-making for centuries inEurope and the United States, being harvested to the point of complete depletion. Nearly 100 years ago,H.O. Neville wrote of the wood’s exploitation in his 1919 work, Hardwoods of Cuba:For domestic purposes, the Mahogany is used in such freedom that it seems sacrilege to the newcomerfrom the North, who has known this wood only in its finished and very expensive forms. Many hundreds ofcords of this timber, ranging from 12 inches in diameter down, are annually burned under the boilers ofour sugar mills and locomotives: hundreds of trees of the proper sizes are annually cut down and rough-hewed into railroad ties; and for posts, corralled fences, and the myriad other uses of the plantation,Mahogany is utilized. There will come a day not very far distant when the waste of this valuable timberwill be regretted.In 1946, Cuba banned all exporting of the wood due to over-harvesting and high demand; it has also beenin scarce supply from other sources in the Caribbean as well. Today, the lumber has become so obscurethat the term “Genuine Mahogany” now applies almost exclusively to its close substitute, HonduranMahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), rather than the Cuban wood that for centuries has simply beenreferred to as “Mahogany.”Cuban Mahogany’s easy workability, combined with its beauty and phenomenal stability have made thislumber an enduring favorite.

Scans/Pictures:

Cuban Mahogany (sanded) Cuban Mahogany (sealed)

Cuban Mahogany (endgrain) Cuban Mahogany (endgrain 10x)

Sapele wood

Sapele (Entandrophragmacylindricum)

Common Name(s): Sapele, Sapelli

Scientific Name: Entandrophragma cylindricum

Distribution: Africa

Tree Size: 100-150 ft (30-45 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 42 lbs/ft3 (670 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .50, .67

Janka Hardness: 1,410 lbf (6,280 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 15,930 lbf/in2 (109.9 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,746,000 lbf/in2 (12.04 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,750 lbf/in2 (60.4 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.8%, Tangential: 7.2%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a medium to dark reddish brown or purplish brown. Color tends todarken with age. Besides the common ribbon pattern seen on quartersawn boards, Sapele is also knownfor a wide variety of other figured grain patterns, such as: pommele, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing,and fiddleback.

Grain/Texture: Grain is interlocked, and sometimes wavy. Fine uniform texture and good natural luster.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement, few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3;reddish brown deposits occasionally present; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, unilateral, and marginal;rays narrow to medium, spacing normal; ripple marks present.

Rot Resistance: Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable in regard to decayresistance. Sapele is susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining operations, (i.e., planing, routing,etc.), resulting in tearout due to its interlocked grain. It will also react when put into direct contact withiron, becoming discolored and stained. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it turns, glues,and finishes well.

Odor: Sapele has a distinct, cedar-like scent while being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Sapele has been reported as a skin andrespiratory irritant. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safety for moreinformation.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It islisted as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by adecline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turnedobjects, and other small wooden specialty items.

Comments: Sapele is a commonly exported and economically important African wood species. It’s soldboth in lumber and veneer form. It is occasionally used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany, and issometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany.” Technically, the two genera that are commonly associatedwith mahogany are Swietenia and Khaya, while Sapele is in the Entandrophragma genus, but all three areincluded in the broader Meliaceae family, so comparisons to true mahogany may not be too far fetched.

Scans/Pictures:

Sapele (sanded) Sapele (sealed)

Sapele (endgrain) Sapele (endgrain 10x)

Ash wood

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Common Name(s): White Ash, American White Ash

Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana

Distribution: Eastern North America

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 2-5 ft (.6-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 42 lbs/ft3 (675 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .67

Janka Hardness: 1,320 lbf (5,870 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 15,000 lbf/in2 (103.5 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,740,000 lbf/in2 (12.00 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,410 lbf/in2 (51.1 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.9%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 13.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.6

Color/Appearance: The heartwood is a light brown color, though darker shades can also be seen, which issometimes sold as Olive Ash. Sapwood can be very wide, and tends to be a beige or light brown; notalways clearly or sharply demarcated from heartwood.

Grain/Texture: Has a medium to coarse texture similar to oak. The grain is almost always straight andregular, though sometimes moderately curly or figured boards can be found.

Endgrain: Ring-porous; large earlywood pores 2-4 rows wide, small latewood pores solitary and radialmultiples; tyloses common; parenchyma banded (marginal), paratracheal parenchyma around latewoodpores vasicentric, winged and confluent; narrow rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance: Heartwood is rated as perishable, or only slightly durable in regard to decay. Ash is alsonot resistant to insect attack.

Workability: Produces good results with hand or machine tools. Responds well to steam bending. Glues,stains, and finishes well.

Odor: Can have a distinct, moderately unpleasant smell when being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity: Ash in the Fraxinus genus has been reported to cause skin irritation, and a decrease inlung function. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as toolhandles.

Comments: White Ash has fairly good strength properties for its weight, and is also shock resistant.

Scans/Pictures:

White Ash (sanded) White Ash (sealed)

White Ash (endgrain) White Ash (endgrain 10x)

Hard Maple wood

Hard Maple (Acer saccharum)

Common Name(s): Hard Maple, Sugar Maple, Rock Maple

Scientific Name: Acer saccharum

Distribution: Northeastern North America

Tree Size: 80-115 ft (25-35 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 44 lbs/ft3 (705 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .56, .71

Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 15,800 lbf/in2 (109.0 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,830,000 lbf/in2 (12.62 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,830 lbf/in2 (54.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.8%, Tangential: 9.9%, Volumetric: 14.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.1

Color/Appearance: Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of Hard Maple lumber is most commonlyused rather than its heartwood. Sapwood color ranges from nearly white, to an off-white cream color,sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown. BirdseyeMaple is a figure found most commonly in Hard Maple, though it’s also found less frequently in otherspecies. Hard Maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns.

Grain/Texture: Grain is generally straight, but may be wavy. Has a fine, even texture.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small pores that are uniformly spaced; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3;tyloses or mineral deposits are absent; parenchyma marginal; both narrow and wide rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance: Rated as non-durable to perishable, and susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Fairly easy to work with both hand and machine tools, though slightly more difficultthan Soft Maple due to Hard Maple’s higher density. Maple has a tendency to burn when being machinedwith high-speed cutters such as in a router. Turns, glues, and finishes well, though blotches can occurwhen staining, and a pre-conditioner, gel stain, or toner may be necessary to get an even color.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Hard Maple, along with other maples in the Acer genus have been reported to causeskin irritation, runny nose, and asthma-like respiratory effects. See the articles Wood Allergies andToxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Flooring (from basketball courts and dance-floors to bowling alleys and residential),veneer, paper (pulpwood), musical instruments, cutting boards, butcher blocks, workbenches, baseballbats, and other turned objects and specialty wood items.

Comments: In tree form, Hard Maple is usually referred to as Sugar Maple, and is the tree most oftentapped for maple syrup. Sugar Maple’s leaves (pictured below) are the shape that most people associatewith maple leaves; they typically have either 5 or 7 lobes, with vivid autumn coloring ranging from yellowto purplish red.Hard Maple ought to be considered the king of the Acer genus. Its wood is stronger, stiffer, harder, anddenser than all of the other species of Maple commercially available in lumber form. (It’s also the statetree in four different states in the US.) For more information, please see the article on the DifferencesBetween Hard Maple and Soft Maple.

Hard Maple (sanded) Hard Maple (sealed)

Soft Maple wood

The term “Soft Maple” does not refer to any specific species of maple, but rather, it’s a broad term which includes several different species of maple. The term “Soft Maple” is merely used to differentiate these species from Hard Maple.

Hard Maple, on the other hand, typically refers to one specific type of maple species: Acer saccharum. Hard Maple is also known as Rock Maple or Sugar Maple, (this is the same tree which is tapped to get maple syrup).

Depending on where you live, different species might be sold as Soft Maple. For instance, if you live in Oregon, the Soft Maple that you buy (if it has been harvested locally) will likely be Bigleaf Maple, while those living in the eastern United States may actually be buying Red Maple or Silver Maple.

Each of these maples have their own characteristics regarding strength, hardness, weight, etc., but overall, they are not as hard nor as strong as Hard Maple.

Red Oak wood

Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Common Name(s): Red OakScientific Name: Quercus rubra

Distribution: Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada

Tree Size: 80-115 ft (25-35 m) tall, 3-6 ft (1-2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 44 lbs/ft3 (700 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .56, .70

Janka Hardness: 1,220 lbf (5,430 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 14,380 lbf/in2 (99.2 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,761,000 lbf/in2 (12.14 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 6,780 lbf/in2 (46.8 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.0%, Tangential: 8.6%, Volumetric: 13.7%, T/R Ratio: 2.2

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with a reddish cast. Nearly white to light brown sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns. Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method ofdetermining the type of oak.

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture. The pores are so large and open that it is said that a person can blow into one end of the wood, and air will come out the other end: provided thatthe grain runs straight enough. (See the video below.)

Endgrain: Ring-porous; 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary earlywood pores, numerous small latewoodpores in radial arrangement; tyloses absent; growth rings distinct; rays large and visible without lens;apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (short lines between rays).

Rot Resistance: Rated as non-durable to perishable, with poor insect resistance. Red Oaks do not have the level of decay and rot resistance that White Oaks possess.

Workability: Produces good results with hand and machine tools. Has moderately high shrinkage values, resulting in mediocre dimensional stability, especially in flatsawn boards. Can react with iron (particularly when wet) and cause staining and discoloration. Responds well to steam-bending. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer.

Comments: Arguably the most popular hardwood in the United States, Red Oak is a ubiquitous sight in many homes. Even many vinyl/imitation wood surfaces are printed to look like Red Oak. Hard, strong, andmoderately priced, Red Oak presents an exceptional value to woodworkers—which explains why it is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.

Scans/Pictures: You can see from the picture below that the color of Red Oak looks almost identical, though slightly darker, with sanding sealer applied. However, the grain and pores become much more pronounced if a pigment stain is used.

Red Oak (sanded) Red Oak (sealed)

Red Oak (endgrain) Red Oak (endgrain 10x)

White Oak wood

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Common Name(s): White OakScientific Name: Quercus alba

Distribution: Eastern United States

Tree Size: 65-85 ft (20-25 m) tall, 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 47 lbs/ft3 (755 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .60, .75

Janka Hardness: 1,350 lbf (5,990 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 14,830 lbf/in2 (102.3 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,762,000 lbf/in2 (12.15 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,370 lbf/in2 (50.8 MPa)

Shrinkage:Radial: 5.6%, Tangential: 10.5%, Volumetric: 16.3%, T/R Ratio:1.9

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast. Nearly white tolight brown sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns. Conversely, Red Oak tends to be slightly redder, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak.

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture.

Endgrain: Ring-porous; 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary earlywood pores, numerous small to verysmall latewood pores in radial arrangement; tyloses abundant; growth rings distinct; rays large and visiblewithout lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (short lines between rays).

Rot Resistance: Rated as very durable; frequently used in boatbuilding and tight cooperage applications.

Workability: Produces good results with hand and machine tools. Has moderately high shrinkage values, resulting in mediocre dimensional stability, especially in flatsawn boards. Can react with iron (particularly when wet) and cause staining and discoloration. Responds well to steam-bending. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks. Most find it appealing.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, oak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, boatbuilding, barrels, and veneer.

Comments: White Oak is the state tree of Connecticut, Illinois, and Maryland. Connecticut’s state quarter was minted with a picture and inscription of a famous White Oak tree, The Charter Oak.White Oak is strong, beautiful, rot-resistant, easy-to-work, and economical, representing an exceptional value to woodworkers. It’s no wonder that the wood is so widely used in cabinet and furniture making.

Scans/Pictures: You can see from the picture below that the color of White Oak looks almost identical, though slightly darker, with sanding sealer applied. However, the grain and pores become much more pronounced if a pigment stain is used.

White Oak (sanded) White Oak (sealed)

White Oak (endgrain) White Oak (endgrain 10x)

Walnut wood

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Common Name(s): Black Walnut

Scientific Name: Juglans nigra

Distribution: Eastern United States

Tree Size: 120 ft (37 m) tall, 3 ft (1 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft3 (610 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .51, .61

Janka Hardness: 1,010 lbf (4,490 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 14,600 lbf/in2 (100.7 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,680,000 lbf/in2 (11.59 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,580 lbf/in2 (52.3 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 5.5%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.4

Color/Appearance: Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown withdarker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white. Figured grain patterns such as curl, crotch, and burl are also seen.

Grain/Texture: Grain is usually straight, but can be irregular. Has a medium texture and moderatenatural luster.

Endgrain: Semi-ring-porous; large earlywood pores grading to medium latewood pores, few; solitary andradial multiples of 2-3; tyloses occasionally to abundantly present; growth rings distinct; rays barelyvisible without lens; parenchyma banded (marginal), apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates(sometimes very faint and barely visible even with lens).

Rot Resistance: Black Walnut is rated as very durable in terms of decay resistance, though it issusceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Typically easy to work provided the grain is straight and regular. Planer tearout cansometimes be a problem when surfacing pieces with irregular or figured grain. Glues, stains, and finisheswell, (though walnut is rarely stained). Responds well to steam bending.

Odor: Black Walnut has a faint, mild odor when being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Black Walnut has been reported asa sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles WoodAllergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, interior paneling, veneer, turned items, and other smallwooden objects and novelties.

Comments: It would be hard to overstate Black Walnut’s popularity among woodworkers in the UnitedStates. Its cooperative working characteristics, coupled with its rich brown coloration puts the wood in aclass by itself among temperate-zone hardwoods. To cap it off, the wood also has good dimensionalstability, shock resistance, and strength properties.

Scans/Pictures: A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the wood samples (crotch and burl) andturned photo of this wood species.

Black Walnut (sanded) Black Walnut (sealed)

Black Walnut (endgrain) Black Walnut (endgrain 10x)

Black Walnut (burl) Black Walnut (crotch)

Cherry wood

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Common Name(s): Black Cherry, Cherry, American CherryScientific Name: Prunus serotina

Distribution: Eastern North America

Tree Size: 50-100 ft (15-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 35 lbs/ft3 (560 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .47, .56

Janka Hardness: 950 lbf (4,230 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 12,300 lbf/in2 (84.8 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,490,000 lbf/in2 (10.30 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,110 lbf/in2 (49.0 MPa)

Shrinkage:Radial: 3.7%, Tangential: 7.1%, Volumetric: 11.5%, T/R Ratio: 1.9

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a deeper goldenbrown with time and upon exposure to light. Sapwood is a pale yellowish color.

Grain/Texture: Has a fine texture with close grain. The grain is usually straight and easy to work—withthe exception of figured pieces with curly grain patterns.

Endgrain: Semi-ring-porous to diffuse-porous; small pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radialmultiples of 2-3; mineral/gum deposits occasionally present; growth rings usually distinct due to aconcentration of earlywood pores; rays visible without lens; parenchyma absent.

Rot Resistance: Heartwood is rated as being very durable and resistant to decay.

Workability: Cherry is known as being one of the best all-around woods for workability. It is stable,straight-grained, and machines well. The only difficulties typically arise if the wood is being stained, as itcan sometimes give blotchy results due to its fine, closed pores.

Odor: Has a mild, distinctive scent when being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity: Breathing Cherry’s sawdust has been associated with respiratory effects such aswheezing. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Common Uses: Cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, interior millwork, veneer, turned objects, and smallspecialty wood items.

Comments: Black Cherry develops a rich reddish-brown patina as it ages that’s frequently imitated withwood stains on other hardwoods such as Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). This aging process can beaccelerated by exposing the wood (in a judicious manner) to direct sunlight.”

Scans/Pictures:

Black Cherry (sanded) Black Cherry (sealed)

Black Cherry (with sapwood) Black Cherry (endgrain)