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To surf
back and forth between a wood species in the Chart
of Mechanical Properties and the same species in the
Chart of Physical Properties, click on the name of
the species. |
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To
enlarge a photo of a piece of wood, click on the photo.
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Cedar,
Aromatic Red
North America |
Specific Gravity
0.47 |
Hardness
Mediumt |
|
Strength
Very Weak |
Bendability
Very
Low |
Tangential Stability
5.2% |
Radial Stability
3.3% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses Boxes, chests, liners for chests and storage cabinets,
pecils, archery bows, fence posts, Christmas trees. |
Comments
Resists decay.
Has strong but pleasant odor. Despite folklore, there is no
evidence that odor or wood repels insects. Not a true cedar,
member of the Juniper family. |
Cedar, Western Red
Western
North America |
Specific Gravity
0.32 |
Hardness
Very
Soft |
|
Strength
Very Weak |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
5.0% |
Radial Stability
2.4% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Box and chest liners, doors, windows, trim, siding, shingles, beehives, outdoor
furniture and construction. |
Comments
Brittle, splits easily. Resists decay. Wood has slight
fragrance thought to repel insects. Acid in wood attacks iron and steel
fasteners. Not a true cedar, member of the Cypress
family. Sawdust is potential sensitizer. |
Cypress
Southeastern
North America |
Specific Gravity
0.46 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
6.7% |
Radial Stability
3.5% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Poor |
Common Uses
Outdoor and informal furniture, boats, liners for closets and
chests, shingles, outdoor construction. |
Comments
Decay resistant, suitable for outdoor construction and ground
contact.
Sometimes
mistakenly grouped with hardwoods because some species,
particularly the Bald Cypress, loose their leaves in winter. |
Fir, Douglas
Western North America |
Specific Gravity
0.48 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
7.3% |
Radial Stability
4.5% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Difficult |
Common Uses
Construction, windows, doors, trim, flooring, boats, docks,
mine timbers, plywood, Christmas trees. |
Comments
Dominant tree in Pacific Northwest America. More
dimensional lumber and plywood is made in North America from this species than any
other. Sawdust is a potential irritant. |
Hemlock
North America |
Specific Gravity
0.45 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Medium |
Tangential Stability
7.9% |
Radial Stability
4.3% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Construction
lumber, papermaking, broom handles, plywood, |
Comments
Takes paint well; good choice for siding. Extremely
long-lived tree, grows very large; hemlocks in the Appalachian
mountains produce more lumber per tree than any other in eastern
North America. Member of the pine
(Pinaceae)
family,
no relation to the poisonous herb. |
Pine, Eastern White
Northeastern North America |
Specific Gravity
0.35 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Weak |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
7.4% |
Radial Stability
4.1% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Informal furniture, carving, trim, light construction, boats,. |
Comments
The tallest
tree in eastern North America. In colonial times (1600s and
1700s), wood was prized for masts of sailing ships. Extremely
tall trees were marked with a "broad arrow" and reserved for use
by the British Royal Navy. Still commercially important, but
overuse has depleted supply. |
Pine, Ponderosa
Western North America |
Specific Gravity
0.40 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Weak |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
6.2% |
Radial Stability
3.9% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Adequate |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Construction
lumber, trim, paneling, doors, windows, boxes, informal
furniture. |
Comments
Also known as "Knotty Pine." Knots are are plentiful in
irregular grain, but are usually tight and sound. Highly
resinous, resin builds up on cutters, wood
must be sealed
before finishing. |
Pine, Sugar
Western North America |
Specific Gravity
0.36 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Very Weak |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
5.6% |
Radial Stability
2.9% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Informal furniture, carving, trim, boxes, toys,
musical instruments, boats, light
construction. |
Comments
Virgin lumber is clear with a fine texture and produces
some of the most valuable lumber in North America. Second-growth
lumber is much coarser and has many knots. |
Pine, Southern Yellow
Southern North America |
Specific Gravity
0.59 |
Hardness
Medium |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
6.1% |
Radial Stability
2.1% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Adequate |
Common Uses
Heavy and light construction, exterior trim, flooring, boats,
woodenware, utility furniture. |
Comments
Widely-used construction wood owing to hardness and strength.
Wood is resinous, clogs blades and cutters. Resin is used to
produce pitch and turpentine. Once an important resource for
shipbuilding. |
Redwood
Western North America |
Specific Gravity
0.35 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Weak |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
4.9% |
Radial Stability
2.2% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Outdoor and informal furniture, construction, decking,
coffins, vats, siding, shingles, veneer. |
Comments
Also
called "Sequoia." Trees are up to 350 feet (106 meters) high and
2,200 years old. Stumps produce "burl" figure. Lack of
resin makes wood less likely to burn than other softwoods.
Resists decay. |
Spruce, Sitka
Western North America |
Specific Gravity
0.407 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
7.5% |
Radial Stability
4.3% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Construction, boats,
oars, airplanes and gliders, musical instruments, piano
soundboards, trim,
boxes. |
Comments
Very high
strength to weight ratio, especially when growth rings are
closely spaced. Highly resonant; individual boards sound a
single clear note when struck. Sawdust is a potential irritant. |
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