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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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Balsa
Central & South America |
Specific Gravity
0.16 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Very
Weak |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
7.6% |
Radial Stability
3.0% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Poor |
Common Uses
Modelmaking,
aircraft, boats, wind turbine blades, packaging, insulation, soundproofing, reduction of
vibration, composites, floats, lifebelts, buoys, boxes,
toys. |
Comments
The softest and lightest hardwood available commercially
and the fastest growing. Balsa matures and is ready for harvest
in about ten years. |
Bocote
Central & South
America |
Specific Gravity
0.55 |
Hardness
Medium |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
Medium |
Tangential Stability
8.0% |
Radial Stability
4.0% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Adequate |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Furniture, cabinets, inlay, boat decking, tool handles,
veneer. |
Comments
Many tool
manufacturers substitute this for rosewood in top-of-the-line
hand tools. Woods is oily, resin builds up on cutters. Also
clogs abrasives. Includes several species of the Cordia
family, some endangered. |
Bubinga
West Africa |
Specific Gravity
0.71 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very
Strong |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
8.4% |
Radial Stability
5.8% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Moderate |
Gluing
Poor |
Finishing
Poor |
Common Uses
Furniture, turnings, eating utensils, knife handles,
musical instruments, drums, archery bows, veneer. |
Comments
Gum pockets in the wood make gluing difficult, may also cause
pitch to build up on cutters. Endangered. |
Cocobolo
Central America |
Specific Gravity
1.10 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
9.3% |
Radial Stability
6.7% |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Moderate |
Gluing
Poor |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Tool handles, knife handles,
gun grips, billiard cues, turnings, wooden jewelry, inlays,
veneer. |
Comments
Dulls cutting edges. Very oily, resin builds up on blades
and cutters. Oils may react with some oil-based lacquer
finishes. Resistant to decay. Potential irritant. Endangered. |
Ebony, Gaboon
Central Africa |
Specific Gravity
1.03 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
6.5% |
Radial Stability
5.5% |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Tool and knife
handles, piano and organ keys, musical instrument tuning pegs
and fingerboards, turnings, knobs, pool cues, inlay. |
Comments
Color varies from dark gray to jet black; darkest wood
known.
Dulls cutting edges and chips easily. Potential irritant and
sensitizer. Supplies severely depleted. Endangered. |
Goncolo Alves
South America |
Specific Gravity
0.84 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
7.0% |
Radial Stability
4.0% |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Furniture, cabinets, boats, turnings, archery bows, knife handles,
veneer. |
Comments
Sometimes called "Tigerwood." Interlocking and irregular
grain makes wood difficult to work; tools must be sharpened
often. Chips and tears out easily. Potential irritant. Endangered. |
Jelutong
Indonesia,
Malaysia |
Specific Gravity
0.36 |
Hardness
Very Soft |
|
Strength
Very
Weak |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
4.0% |
Radial Stability
2.0% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Carving, handicrafts,
matches, lightweight trim, plywood. |
Comments
Favorite
of carvers, similar to but more stable than basswood. Live tree
is tapped to drain latex resin which is used to make chewing gum.
Harvested tree may have pockets of resin. |
Lacewood
Europe, Australia |
Specific Gravity
0.62 |
Hardness
Medium |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
N/A |
Radial Stability
N/A |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Moderate |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Furniture, inlay, turnings, boxes,
flooring, veneer.. |
Comments
Related to Sycamore, quartersawn lumber shows unique ray
fleck. Plainsawn wood and tree called "Plane."
Grows to huge proportions, used by ancient Persian and Greeks to
provide shade in gardens and parks. Hippocrates taught medicine
under a plane tree. Potential irritant. |
Mahogany, African
West Africa |
Specific Gravity
0.42 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
4.5% |
Radial Stability
2.5% |
Hand Tools
Moderate |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Furniture, cabinets, boats, interior trim,
plywood, veneer. |
Comments
Quartersawn grain shows ribbon figure (due to interlocked
grain). Similar properties and appearance as Honduras mahogany.
Not yet endangered, but stressed due to loss of habitat. |
Mahogany, Honduran
Central America |
Specific Gravity
0.45 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Medium |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
4.1% |
Radial Stability
3.0% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Furniture,
outdoor furniture, cabinets, boats, caskets, pianos, carving,
aircraft propellers, veneer. |
Comments
Most cherished furniture wood in the world, preferred for
classic styles. Produces a wide variety of figured grain
including fiddleback, blister, ribbon, curly, and mottled. Resists decay.
Endangered. |
Mahogany, Philippine, Luaun
Indonesia, Malaysia |
Specific Gravity
0.54 |
Hardness
Soft |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
8.0% |
Radial Stability
3.8% |
Hand Tools
Very Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Excellent |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Furniture, cabinets, boats, trim, boxes, plywood, paneling. |
Comments
Waterproof, resists decay. Premium boatbuilding wood,
excellent utility wood in furniture. Not a true mahogany; US
Federal Trade Commission has ruled it cannot be marketed as such
but misnomer persists. |
Paduak
Western Africa,
Indonesia |
Specific Gravity
0.727 |
Hardness
Medium |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Very High |
Tangential Stability
N/A |
Radial Stability
N/A |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Very Easy |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses Furniture, cabinets, tool and knife handles, carvings,
turnings, wheels, flooring, billiard tables, trim, veneer. |
Comments
Valued for its durability and high resistance to abrasion.
Extracted oils used as dye. Photoreactive color darkens in
sunlight. Very stable, resists decay.
Potential irritant. Endangered. |
Purpleheart
Central & South
America |
Specific Gravity
0.67 |
Hardness
Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Medium |
Tangential Stability
6.1% |
Radial Stability
3.2% |
Hand Tools
Moderate |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses Furniture, turning, inlay, boats, tool handles, billiard
tables, flooring, construction. |
Comments
Photoreactive, color changes to deep brown in sunlight.
Wood is oily; resin builds on cutters. Resists
decay. Alcohol-based finishes such as shellac dissolve purple
color. Endangered. |
Rosewood, Bolivian
South America |
Specific Gravity
0.80 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
6.6% |
Radial Stability
2.6% |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Poor |
Finishing
Poor |
Common Uses Furniture, cabinets, pianos, inlay, musical instrument
pegs and fretboards,
knife handles. |
Comments
Also called "Morado" and "Pau Ferro." Not a
true rosewood, but used as a substitute for Brazilian rosewood which is depleted.
Resists decay. Potential sensitizer, skin irritation is common. |
Rosewood, Honduran
Central America |
Specific Gravity
0.96 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
N/A |
Radial Stability
N/A |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Poor |
Finishing
Poor |
Common Uses
Pianos, musical instruments, billiard tables, turnings,
moldings, picture frames, veneer. |
Comments
Grows
in an extremely small geographical area in a habitat stressed by
poor forestry practices,
which restricts
supplies. Resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. |
Rosewood, Indian
Southeast Asia |
Specific Gravity
0.75 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
High |
Tangential Stability
5.8% |
Radial Stability
2.7% |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Adequate |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Furniture, cabinets,
musical instruments, trim, flooring, turnings, boats, veneer. |
Comments
Remarkably stable, has a distinct fragrance. Good "tonewood"
and is used in musical instruments for soundbox parts. Resists decay,
potential sensitizer. Not endangered, but supplies depleted from
overuse. |
Teak
Southeast Asia,
Indonesia |
Specific Gravity
0.55 |
Hardness
Medium |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Medium |
Tangential Stability
5.8% |
Radial Stability
2.5% |
Hand Tools
Moderate |
Power Tools
Moderate |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Outdoor and formal furniture, cabinets, boats, vats,
laboratory fittings, flooring, veneer. |
Comments
Very stable, resists decay. Resistance to chemicals make it
good for laboratory benches and woodenware. Oily to touch. One
species, Dahat Teak, is endangered. |
Tulipwood
South America |
Specific Gravity
0.96 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Very Strong |
Bendability
Very Low |
Tangential Stability
N/A |
Radial Stability
N/A |
Hand Tools
Difficult |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Cabinets, caskets, turnings, inlay, decorative items. |
Comments
Member of rosewood family; wood is oily and fragrant. Not
to be confused with wood from the Tulip Poplar. Wood is stable, but brittle.
Tree is small so long boards are not available. Extremely hard,
blunts cutters. Potential sensitizer. |
Wenge
Central Africa |
Specific Gravity
0.88 |
Hardness
Very Hard |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Low |
Tangential Stability
6.0% |
Radial Stability
3.0% |
Hand Tools
Moderate |
Power Tools
Easy |
Gluing
Poor |
Finishing
Good |
Common Uses
Carving,
archery bows, inlay, turning, flooring, trim, hand tool bodies
and handles, veneer,
construction. |
Comments
Stable,
resists decay and abrasion. Resin makes it difficult to glue satisfactorily,
and dust loads up in abrasives.
Sometimes substituted for ebony. Not yet endangered, but
severely stressed due to habitat destruction. |
Zebrawood
West Africa |
Specific Gravity
0.74 |
Hardness
Hard |
|
Strength
Strong |
Bendability
Medium |
Tangential Stability
12.0% |
Radial Stability
7.0% |
Hand Tools
Easy |
Power Tools
Difficult |
Gluing
Good |
Finishing
Excellent |
Common Uses
Small furniture, turnings, inlay, veneer, decorative trim. |
Comments
Stable but not durable. Interlocking grain makes it difficult
to plane and joint. Quartersawn lumber best shows "zebra"
stripes almost all lumber cut for export is quartersawn. |
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