Specie Info
Khaya Ivorensis
African Mahogany has been used around the world for many centuries for everything from furniture, boat parts, high-end architectural millwork to vehicle bodies.
DISTRIBUTION
African Mahogany is harvested from the Western or Ivory Coast of Africa and distributed worldwide.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The wood varies from light to deep reddish-brown in color and has moderately coarse texture with interlocking grain. The wood is fairly brittle; you should watch for cross break when machining.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood works fairly well with only moderate blunting of tools. The grain will fuzz if not cut with a reduced cutting angle of 15-20 degrees due to the interlocking grain.
AVAILABILITY
African Mahogany is readily available in both plain and quartered sawn, referred to as “Ribbon Striped”, in thicknesses from 4/4” through 16/4”.
Aningeria
Like many of the imports, Aniegre has been used around the world long before its common use here in America. It is commonly used in furniture, cabinetry and high-end millwork.
DISTRIBUTION
Aniegre is harvested from Africa, mainly from the Western or Ivory Coast area.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood is cream to tan in color with a pinkish tinge. It is found generally with straight grain, but sometimes wavy, producing a mottled figure. This figure is different, however, from the quartered sections which show a growth ring figure. The wood is lustrous in appearance. The texture is medium to fine.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Due to the silica content of Aniegre, you will experience moderate to severe blunting of tools and need adequate support to prevent chipping out. The screwing, nailing, gluing and staining properties are good.
AVAILABILITY
Available in plain and quartered sawn in limited thicknesses and quantities.
Fraxinus spp
Norse mythology refers to ash as "the mighty tree that supports the heavens" and "below earth its roots went down to hell." Ash belongs to the olive family, although its only fruit is a dart-like winged seed. Ash is a popular species for food containers because the wood has no taste. Admiral Richard Byrd wore snowshoes made from ash during his polar expeditions and early windmills were made from this species.
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout the Eastern U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is light-colored to nearly white and the heartwood varies from greyish or light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The wood is generally straight-grained with a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability of light-colored sapwood, and other properties, will vary according to the growing regions.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Ash machines well, is good in nailing, screwing and gluing, and can be stained to a very good finish. It dries fairly easily with minimal degrade, and there is little movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Ash has very good overall strength properties relative to its weight. It has excellent shock resistance and is good for steam bending.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available.
MAIN USES
Furniture, flooring, doors, architectural millwork and moulding, Kitchen cabinets, paneling, tool handles, baseball bats, sporting equipment and turnings. It is particularly suitable for food and liquid containers since there is no odor or taste.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
4.6 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Tilia americana
Other Name: Linden
The name comes from its inner bark, or bast, used by Native Americans to make rope.
DISTRIBUTION
Principally the Northern and Lake states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood of basswood is usually quite large and creamy white in color, merging into the heartwood which is pale to reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The wood has a fine uniform texture and indistinct grain that is straight.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Basswood machines well and is easy to work with hand tools making it a premier carving wood. It nails, screws, and glues fairly well and can be sanded, and stained, to a good smooth finish. It dries fairly rapidly with little distortion or degrade. It has fairly high shrinkage but good dimensional stability when dry.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is light and soft with generally low strength properties and a poor steam-bending classification.
AVAILABILITY
Reasonable availability.
MAIN USES
Carvings, turnings, furniture, pattern-making, mouldings, millwork and musical instruments. An important specialized use is Venetian blinds and shutters.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Fagus grandifolia
Known as "Mother of the Forest" for its nutrient-rich humus. Beech has a long, illustrious past. The Aryan Tribes of Asia, the earliest known people to use a written language, carved their messages into the soft, smooth pliable bark of the beech tree trunk. The writings, cut out of the bark and used intact, were called "boc," which eventually became "book."
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout the Eastern U.S., commercial concentration is in the Central and Middle Atlantic states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is white with a red tinge, while the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. The wood is generally straight-grained with a close uniform texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Beech works readily with most hand and machine tools. It has good nailing and gluing properties and can be stained to a good finish. The wood dries fairly rapidly but with a strong tendency to warp, split and surface check. It is subject to a high shrinkage and moderate movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Beech is classed as heavy, hard, strong, high in resistance to shock and highly suitable for steam bending. Good resistance to abrasive wear.
AVAILABILITY
Limited.
MAIN USES
Furniture, doors, flooring, millwork, paneling, brush handles, woodenware, bending stock, toys and turnings. It is particularly suitable for food and liquid containers since there is no odor or taste.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
0.4 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Juglans Cinerea
Butternut is commonly used for furniture, cabinets, instrument cases, and general decoration millwork. It resembles Walnut in texture, but is lighter in color and much poorer in all strength categories. It is a beautiful wood in decorative applications.
DISTRIBUTION
Through out the Eastern United States, but the principal commercial region is the Mid-Appalachian and Central states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood is medium brown to tan, but otherwise resembles the grain of the American Black Walnut. The grain is coarser but soft. Unlike Walnut, Butternut is generally not steamed. The wood is non-durable and does not take preservation treatment well.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Butternut works well with both hand and machine tools, and is good for nailing, screwing and gluing.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is lightweight, around 28 pounds per cubic foot, and can be easily dented by a thumbnail.
AVAILABILITY
Generally available in limited thicknesses and quantities.
Prunus serotina
Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family and was used as early as 400 B.C. by the Greeks and Romans for furniture making. American Colonists used the cherry tree for its fruit, medicinal properties and home furnishings. They mixed cherry juice with rum to create Cherry Bounce, a bitter but highly favored cordial. The bark was used in the production of drugs to treat bronchitis, and cherry stalks were used to make tonics.
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout Midwestern and Eastern U.S. Main commercial areas: Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded and stained, it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately high shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kiln-drying.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is of medium density with good bending properties, it has low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available.
MAIN USES
Fine furniture and cabinet making, mouldings and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings and carvings.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
3.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Populus deltoidus
Cottonwood is the state tree of Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern U.S., main commercial areas: Middle and Southern states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is white and may contain brown streaks while the heartwood may be pale to light brown. It is a diffuse porous wood with a coarse texture. The wood is generally straight-grained and contains relatively few defects. Cottonwood is a true poplar, and therefore has similar characteristics and properties to aspen.
WORKING PROPERTIES
General machinability is fair, although tension wood is frequently present and can cause a fuzzy surface when cut, which in turn will require additional care when finishing. The wood glues well and has good resistance to splitting when nailing and screwing. It dries easily but may still have a tendency to warp, with slight movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Cottonwood is relatively light in weight. The wood is soft, and weak in bending and compression, and low in shock resistance. It has no odor or taste when dry.
AVAILABILITY
Widely available.
MAIN USES
Furniture, furniture parts, millwork and mouldings, toys and kitchen utensils. Specialized uses are Venetian blinds, shutters, and caskets.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Cypress has been used for many years as an exterior wood that may come in contact with the ground. It is also used for exterior timbers, fence posts, boat building and siding. In the last 50 years, “Pecky” Cypress has become very popular for furniture and paneling.
DISTRIBUTION
Cypress is harvested out of the southern states in North America.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The wood is soft, light and has a pink tint. It is very weak and crushes easily, however its stability leads to its use for timbers and siding.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Cypress works easily with both hand and machine tools. It nails and screws easily, but does not have great holding strength.
AVAILABILITY
Moderately available in both the select and pecky grades in 4/4” through 8/4”.
Diospyrus Crassiflora
African or Gabon Ebony is only available in small pieces and generally used in decorative applications.
DISTRIBUTION
Ebony is harvested from Africa and produced only from a limited range.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The desired look of Ebony is the heartwood. The heartwood is black in color with some black striping. The grain is slightly interlocked with a fine texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Ebony is very dense and very hard to work with. It will quickly blunt cutting edges and a 20-degree angle is recommended for planning. The wood is very durable and highly resistant to infestation.
AVAILABILITY
Ebony is available in limited quantities and thicknesses.
Ulmus Americana
Also called American White Elm, Soft Elm, or Water Elm, this wood is much softer and lighter than Red Elm. This wood is used for many things including: shipbuilding, agricultural implements, rocking chairs, ladder rungs and sleigh runners.
DISTRIBUTION
Grey Elm is harvested in the eastern half of the United States and Canada.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The wood is of medium density with medium bending and crushing strengths. The heartwood is reddish-brown in color and is fairly straight but sometimes interlocked with coarse and woolly texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood is fairly easy to work with hand and machine tools as long as the edges are kept sharp. It nails, screws and glues well, but will wool-up if the tools are not sharp.
AVAILABILITY
Moderately available in 4/4” through 8/4”.
Liquidamber styraciflua
Other Names: Redgum, Sapgum, Sweetgum
DISTRIBUTION
The gums are an important part of the Eastern hardwood forests, and are found throughout the Southeastern U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood tends to be wide and is white to light pink, while the heartwood is reddish brown, often with darker streaks. The wood has irregular grain, usually interlocked, which produces an attractive figure. It has a fine uniform texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood is easy to work, with both hand and machine tools. It nails, screws and glues well, takes stain easily and can be sanded to an excellent finish. It dries rapidly with a strong tendency to warp and twist. It has a high shrinkage, and is suseptible to movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
American gum is moderately hard, stiff and heavy and has a low steam-bending classification.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available, often separated for color and sold as sapgum (sapwood) and redgum (heartwood).
MAIN USES
Cabinet making, furniture parts, doors, millwork, strips and mouldings, turnings and rail ties. Good substitute for walnut when stained.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Celtis occidentalis
Other Name: Sugarberry
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Hackberry is closely related to sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) and is a member of the elm family. There is little difference between sapwood and heartwood which is yellowish grey to light brown with yellow streaks. The wood is very susceptible to blue staining before and after kiln drying and has irregular grain, occasionally straight and sometimes interlocked, with a fine uniform texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood planes and turns well and is intermediate in its ability to hold nails and screws, and stains satisfactorily. Hackberry dries readily with minimal degrade. It has a fairly high shrinkage and is most suitable in cut stock (small/short pieces).
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Hackberry is moderately hard, heavy and has medium bending strength, high shock resistance but is low in stiffness. It has a good steam-bending classification.
AVAILABILITY
Reasonable.
MAIN USES
Furniture and kitchen cabinets, millwork, doors and mouldings.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum
Other Names: Sugar Maple, Black Maple
The hard maple is the state tree of Wisconsin, Vermont, New York and West Virginia. In the North, during the cold nights and warm days of late winter, the sugar maple is tapped for its sucrose-containing sap, the source of maple syrup. It may take up to 30 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Early American settlers used maple ashes to make soap and Native Americans crafted their spears from hard maple. Until the turn of the century, the heels of women's shoes were made from maple. Maple has been a favorite of American furniture makers since early Colonial days. Hard maple is the standard wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food and holds up well.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern U.S., principally Mid-Atlantic and Lake states. A cold weather tree favoring a more northerly climate.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can vary significantly according to growing region. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a close fine, uniform texture and is generally straight-grained, but it can also occur as "curly," "fiddleback," and "birds-eye" figure.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Hard maple dries slowly with high shrinkage, so it can be susceptible to movement in performance. Pre-boring is recommended when nailing and screwing. With care it machines well, turns well, glues satisfactorily, and can be stained to an outstanding finish. Polishes well and is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is hard and heavy with good strength properties, in particular its high resistance to abrasion and wear. It also has good steam-bending properties.
AVAILABILITY
Widely available. The higher quality grades of lumber are available selected for white color (sapwood) although this can limit availability. Figured maple (birds-eye, curly, fiddleback) is generally only available in commercial volumes as veneer.
MAIN USES
Flooring, furniture, paneling, ballroom and gymnasium floors, kitchen cabinets, worktops, table tops, butchers blocks, toys, and kitchenware, millwork: stairs, handrails, mouldings, and doors.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
4 percent of U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Carya spp
Its name is an English contraction of the Native American "powcohicora." Whereas various parts of the world had supported hickory during the countless geologic ages, practically nowhere but in Eastern North America did it survive the catastrophic changes of the Glacial Epoch, some 50 million years ago. Thus, it is the first strictly American hardwood species. Westward trekking pioneers made hickory a prerequisite for their wagon wheels. Later, the Wright Brothers whittled hickory for their "flying contraption." Hickory sawdust and chips are used to flavor meat by smoking.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern U.S., principal commercial areas: Central and Southern states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The hickories are an important group within the Eastern hardwood forests. Botanically they are split into two groups; the true hickories, and the pecan hickories (fruit bearing). The wood is virtually the same for both and is usually sold together. Hickory is the hardest, heaviest and strongest American wood in the common use. The sapwood of hickory is white, tinged with inconspicuous fine brown lines while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown. Both are coarse-textured and the grain is fine, usually straight but can be wavy or irregular.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The heaviest of American hardwoods, the hickories can be difficult to machine and glue, and are very hard to work with hand tools, so care is needed. They hold nails and screws well, but there is a tendency to split so pre-boring is advised. The wood can be sanded to a good finish. The grain pattern welcomes a full range of medium-to-dark finishes and bleaching treatments. It can be difficult to dry and has high shrinkage.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The density and strength of the hickories will vary according to the rate of growth, with the true hickories generally showing higher values than the pecan hickories. The wood is well-known for its very good strength and shock resistance and it also has excellent steam-bending properties. Extremely tough and resilient, even texture, quite hard and only moderately heavy.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available, more limited if sold selected for color as either red or white hickory.
MAIN USES
Tool handles, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, paneling, wooden ladders, dowels and sporting goods.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
2.2 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Swietenia Macrophylla
The most commonly used of all the Mahogany species, Honduras Mahogany is used in everything from cabinets and furniture to high-end instruments. Due to environmental pressures, the wood has increased in cost, but is still fairly available.
DISTRIBUTION
Although it is generally called Honduras Mahogany, it comes from most all countries in Central and South America.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood ranges from light reddish-brown to a deep, rich red. Although the grain is straight to interlocked, the plain sawn lumber will show a distinct growth ring figure. The texture is medium to coarse and the weight will vary depending on the area the wood comes from. You should watch for cross break when machining.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Honduras Mahogany cuts easily with both hand and machine tools. It glues well and is easily nailed and screwed.
AVAILABILITY
Environmental pressures have lessened the supply of this wood, but it is still generally available in plain or quartered sawn in 4/4” through 16/4”.
Shorea Spp, Parashorea Spp, Pentacme Spp
“Philippine Mahogany” or “Luan” refers commercially to Philippine woods belonging to the genera Shorea, Parashorea and Pentacme. Meranti is generally applied to Southeast Asian woods of the genus Shorea, which contains almost 200 species.
The various species of the three genera are separated into five groups based on their heartwood color and weight. These are: Balau, Dark Red Meranti (Tangaile), Light Red Meranti (White Luan), White Meranti, and Yellow Meranti. The Light Red and Dark Red groups are the primary commercial groups used in the United States.
The wood has been used over the centuries as an inexpensive substitute for other Mahoganies, but its properties are much worse. It is used for everything from furniture to light structural work. It is extensively used in plywood manufacturing.
DISTRIBUTION
Harvested from many of the Asian countries, it is most commonly thought of as being from Indonesia or the Philippines.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood color ranges from pale pink to a dark reddish-brown depending on whether the light red or dark red species are specified. The wood has interlocking grain with a wavy but coarse texture. The wood has a low natural durability and does not take preservation treatments well.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Works well with both hand and machine tools, but nails and screws in a satisfactory manner.
AVAILABILITY
Fair availability with both plain and quartered sawn available in 4/4” through 8/4”.
Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellow poplar trees grow taller than any other U.S. hardwood species and they are members of the magnolia family. The bark, leaves, flowers, fruit and roots contain pharmaceuticals. The tree rarely is attacked by parasites. Poplar is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
DISTRIBUTION
Widespread throughout Eastern U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked, with the heartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. The green color in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine texture and is straight-grained. Has a comparatively uniform texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
A versatile wood that is easy to machine, plane, turn, glue and bore. It dries easily with minimal movement in performance and has little tendency to split when nailed. It takes and holds paint, enamel and stain exceptionally well.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
A medium density wood with low bending, shock resistance, stiffness and compression values, with a medium steam-bending classification. Excellent strength and stability.
AVAILABILITY
Very widely available.
MAIN USES
Light construction, furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, musical instruments, exterior trim and siding, paneling, mouldings and millwork, edge-glued panels, turnings and carvings.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
11.2 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Ulmus Rubra
Elm is the state tree of Massachusetts and North Dakota.
DISTRIBUTION
The Eastern to Midwest U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Red elm has a greyish white to light brown narrow sapwood, with heartwood that is reddish brown to dark brown in color. The grain can be straight, but is often interlocked. The wood has a coarse texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood of red elm is fairly easy to work, it nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded and stained to a good finish. It dries well with minimum degrade and little movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Elm is moderately heavy, hard and stiff with excellent bending and shock resistance. It is difficult to split because of its interlocked grain.
AVAILABILITY
Available.
MAIN USES
Furniture, cabinet making, flooring, millwork, paneling and caskets.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Quercus spp
The Latin name for oak, Quercus, means "a fine tree." The oaks have been key in America's industrial transformation: Railroad ties, wheels, plows, looms, barrels and, of course, furniture and floors. The oak is the state tree of New Jersey.
DISTRIBUTION
Widespread throughout Eastern U.S. The oaks are by far the most abundant species group growing in the Eastern hardwood forests. Red oaks grow more abundantly than the white oaks. The red oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is a pinkish reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to white oak, but with a slightly less pronounced figure due to the smaller rays. The wood is mostly straight-grained, with a coarse texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Red oak machines well, nailing and screwing are good although pre-boring is recommended, and it can be stained to a good finish. Can be stained with a wide range of finish tones. It dries slowly.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is hard and heavy, with medium bending strength and stiffness and high crushing strength. It is very good for steam bending. Great wear-resistance.
AVAILABILITY
Abundant. Most widely used species.
MAIN USES
Furniture, flooring, architectural millwork and mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, paneling, and caskets.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
36.6 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Entandrophragma cylindricum
Sapele appears like a fine-grained African Mahogany but with more uniform color. You will find Sapele used in cabinetry, furniture, boats, musical instruments and other high-end architectural millwork applications.
DISTRIBUTION
Sapele is harvested out of the Western and Eastern areas of Africa.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The heartwood is a medium to dark reddish-brown color and the grain is interlocking with fairly fine texture. Sapele is often used in a quartered sawn or ribbon striped look and can even show a very attractive fiddle back figure.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Works easily with both hand and machine tools. It nails, screws and glues well. You need to watch for ring shake and cross break when working with this material.
AVAILABILITY
Available in plain and quartered sawn, but fairly limited in thickness and quantity.
Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum
Other Names: Red Maple, Silver Maple, Box Elder
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout Eastern U.S., and to a lesser extent on the West Coast (bigleaf maple).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
In most respects soft maple is very similar to hard maple. Generally the sapwood is greyish white, sometimes with darker colored pith flecks. The heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The wood is usually straight-grained. The lumber is generally sold unselected for color.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Soft maple machines well and can be stained to an excellent finish. It glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. Polishes well and is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones. It dries slowly with minimal degrade and there is little movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Soft maple is about 25 percent less hard than hard maple, has medium bending and crushing strength, and is low in stiffness and shock resistance. It has good steam-bending properties.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available.
MAIN USES
Furniture, paneling and millwork, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors, musical instruments, and turnings. Soft maple is often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. Its physical and working properties also make it a possible substitute for beech.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
4 percent of U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Cedrela fissilis
Spanish Cedar should not be confused with any of the American Cedars. It is closer in its botanical relation to Honduras Mahogany. It is used for window frames, decks, fine furniture, humidors, and exterior millwork.
DISTRIBUTION
Spanish Cedar is harvested in most all Central and South American countries.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The color ranges from pinkish-brown to dark reddish-brown. It has shallowly interlocked or straight grain with a moderately coarse texture. The wood will sometimes excrete a volatile oil that will appear on the surface as a sticky residue. This wood is excellent for all types of exterior use due to its high resistance to insect infestation and decay.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Machines easily with either hand or machine tools. Tools must be kept sharp or some wooliness will occur.
AVAILABILITY
Moderately available in 4/4” through 8/4” with good widths and lengths.
Platanus occidentalis
Other Name: Buttonwood
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout Eastern U.S.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood of sycamore is white to light yellow, while the heartwood is light to dark brown. The wood has a fine close texture with interlocked grain. Contrasts well with other species.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood machines well, but high speed cutters are needed to prevent chipping. It is resistant to splitting due to the interlocked grain. The wood glues well and stains, with care, to an excellent finish. It dries fairly rapidly, with a tendency to warp. It has moderate shrinkage and little movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness and shock resistance. It turns well on the lathe and has good bending qualities.
AVAILABILITY
Reasonable availability.
MAIN USES
Furniture, furniture parts (drawer sides), millwork, paneling and mouldings, flooring, kitchen ware, butchers blocks, toys and fruit crates.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras, sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available U.S. hardwoods.
Tectona grandis
Teak has been used for many years in marine applications, furniture, cabinetry and even flooring. Teak is very durable and resistant to decay. You will find it used in any application that requires a wood resistant to weather degradation.
DISTRIBUTION
Generally thought of from the area around and including Burma, but now grown in Africa as well as the Caribbean on plantations.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The true Burma Teak is a uniform golden-brown color. Most other Teak is a rich brown with darker markings. It is oily or waxy to the touch with a fairly coarse texture.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Teak will severely blunt machine tools, but offers only moderate resistance to hand tools. Pre-boring is necessary for nailing and screwing. The fine machine dust has been known to occasionally cause skin irritation.
AVAILABILITY
Good seasonal availability in plain sawn from 4/4” through 12/4”.
Juglans nigra
The roots of the walnut tree release a toxic material which may kill other plants growing above them. From the time of ancient Greeks until well into modern European history, walnuts symbolized fertility and were strewn at weddings. Just the opposite, in Romania, brides who wished to delay childbearing placed into the bodice of their wedding dresses one walnut for each year they hoped to wait.
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout Eastern U.S., but principal commercial region is the Central states. One of the few American species planted as well as naturally regenerated.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. The wood develops a rich patina that grows more lustrous with age. Walnut is usually supplied steamed, to darken sapwood. The wood is generally straight-grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. This species produces a greater variety of figure types than any other.
WORKING PROPERTIES
Walnut works easily with hand and machine tools, and nails, screws and glues well. It holds paint and stain very well for an exceptional finish and is readily polished. It dries slowly, and care is needed to avoid kiln degrade. Walnut has good dimensional stability.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Walnut is a tough hardwood of medium density, with moderate bending and crushing strengths and low stiffness. It has a good steam-bending classification.
AVAILABILITY
Reasonable availability with regional limitations.
MAIN USES
Furniture, cabinets, architectural millwork, doors, flooring, paneling, and gun stocks. A favored wood for using in contrast with lighter-colored species.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
1.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Quercus spp
White oak is impervious to liquids, and has been used extensively for ship timbers, barrels and casks. White oak is the state tree of Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland.
DISTRIBUTION
Widespread throughout the Eastern U.S. The white oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The sapwood is light-colored and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak. White oak therefore has more figure.
WORKING PROPERTIES
White oak machines well, nails and screws well although pre-boring is advised. Since it reacts with iron, galvanized nails are recommended. Its adhesive properties are variable, but it stains to a good finish. Can be stained with a wide range of finish tones. The wood dries slowly.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
A hard and heavy wood with medium bending and crushing strength, low in stiffness, but very good in steam bending. Great wear-resistance.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available but not as abundant as red oak.
MAIN USES
Furniture, flooring, architectural millwork, mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, paneling, barrel staves (tight cooperage), and caskets.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
15.1 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Betula alleghaniensis
From sap to bark, birch trees are used to make everything from beer to toothpicks. Birchs bark can be peeled easily without harming the tree as long as the entire bark is removed. Native Americans stretched birch bark on their canoe frames and used the wood for their arrows. The birch is New Hampshire's state tree. It is also popular as an ornamental tree and has gained the nickname "Mother Tree" because birches were planted at the White House to honor the mothers of U.S. presidents. Yellow birch is the source of most birch lumber. The oil extracted from the bark contains a chemical used to treat rheumatism and inflammations.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern U.S., principally Northern and Lake states.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Yellow birch has a white sapwood and light reddish brown heartwood. The wood is generally straight-grained with a fine uniform texture. Generally characterized by a plain and often curly or wavy pattern.
WORKING PROPERTIES
The wood works fairly easily, glues well with care, takes stain extremely well, and nails and screws satisfactorily where pre-boring is advised. It dries rather slowly with little degrade, but it has moderately high shrinkage, so is susceptible to movement in performance.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood of yellow birch is heavy, hard and strong. It has very good bending properties, with good crushing strength and shock resistance.
AVAILABILITY
Reasonable availability, but more limited if selected for color.
MAIN USES
Furniture, millwork and paneling, doors, flooring, kitchen cabinets, turnings and toys.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
0.7 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
