Ash, American

Fraxinus spp.

The timber is derived from three species, Fraxinus americana (white ash), F. Pennsylvannica (green ash) and F. nigra (black or brown ash).  They are all sold as ash, but the black ash is commonly distinguished form other species.

The Tree

Farxinus Americana may reach a height of 30-35M, usually less. Bole well-formed, diameter commonly 0.6-0.9M. Trees of the other species are smaller.  Eastern half of the United States and Canada.

The Timber

Properties

White Ash      Sapwood nearly white, rather narrow in old forest trees, wider and less clearly demarcated from heartwood in second growth trees. Heartwood greyish-brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge. Grain usually straight, texture coarse.  Weight variable, average about 660kg/m3, seasoned.

Black ash      Similar in general appearance to white ash but darker in colour. Average weight about 560kg/m3, seasoned.  Less strong and tough than white ash.

Processing

Reported to dry without distortion.  Working properties satisfactory; moderate blunting effect on tools.  Pre-boring probably necessary when nailing harder timber.  Gluing good.  Wood bending properties variable but generally good; not tolerant of pin knots

Durability and Preservation

Sapwood liable to attack by powder-post beetles and by the common furniture beetle.  The heartwood is non-durable, but reported to be easy to treat.

Uses

Tough Ash is suitable for many of the same purposes as European ash and is used extensively for handles of striking tools (axes, hammers, etc.) and for spades, etc., where toughness is important.  Used also for railway coach and vehicle construction and framing of caravans.  Soft ash is used for cabinetwork and interior joinery, for which purposes it is preferred because of its milder nature.

The American Ash bought in this country will vary a bit, but should be mainly white and comparatively inexpensive.  This is not a very exciting and always box cut showing the crown figure.  Ideal for somewhere boring like a bank or building society

Ash, European

Fraxinus Excelsior

Other names: English, French, Belgian ash etc. according to origin.

The Tree

Reaches a height of 25-30M.  Clear bole 10-15M according to growth conditions.  Diameter 0.6-1.5.  Europe, south of about 60 degrees North and Asia Minor.

The Timber

Properties

Colour            White to light brown, temporarily turning pink when freshly cut.  Trees occasionally contain irregular dark brown or black heart, not necessarily associated with decay.

Sapwood        Not usually visually distinguishable from heartwood.

Grain              Straight.  Contrast between porous early wood and dense late wood produces decorative figure in plain-sawn timber or rotary cut veneer.  Texture coarse, owing to bands of porous early wood.

Weight            Variable, according to growth conditions.  Range 510-830kg/m3, averaging 690 kg/m3, at12% moisture content.

Growth Rate  As a general rule, timber having growth rings 1.5-6mm wide is to be preferred, especially for the more exacting purposes.  Very slow-grown ash having narrower rings contains a high proportion of porous early wood, with consequent reduction in density and strength.

Strength        Comparable to European Beech, but outstandingly high in toughness.  Ash has greater toughness than any other homegrown hardwood

Movement      Medium

Moisture content in 90% relative humidity 22%

Moisture content in 60% relative humidity 13%

Corresponding tangential movement         2.5%

Corresponding radial movement               1.5%

Processing

Drying        Dries fairly rapidly with little splitting or checking

Shrinkage:         Green to12% moisture

                        Tangential         about 7.0%

                        Radial                about4.5%

Working Properties

Sawing, Machining and Gluing all satisfactory

Nailing, Pre-boring advisable except with less dense material

Wood bending

Has excellent steam-bending properties except when irregular grain or knots are present.  Bending qualities are influenced by the conditions of growth of the tree.

Classification      Very Good

Ratio radius/thickness for solid bends (steamed)    Supported 2.5    Unsupported 12

Limiting radius for 3.2mm laminae (unsteamed)    120mm

Staining and Polishing      Good

Durability and Preservation

Insect attack        Trees and logs liable to attack by forest longhorn or Buprestid beetles.  Sapwood liable to attack by powder-post beetles and by the common furniture beetle.  The ash bark beetle, which frequently tunnels in the bark of ash logs, causes no damage to the timber.

Durability of heartwood   Perishable

Preservative treatment     Moderately resistant.  Material containing black heart is resistant

Uses

Ash varies considerably in quality.  Good selected material is outstanding for its toughness and its good bending properties.  Used widely for sports goods (hockey sticks, baseball bats, cricket stumps, billiard cues, gymnasium appliances, etc.) and for handles of tools, such as picks, shovels, axes and hammers.  Suitable for furniture parts both in cabinetwork and chairs. It was employed extensively in road vehicles and agricultural implements for parts where toughness and weight are important, but should be used with care on account of its lack of natural durability.  Used in boat building for bent parts and tillers, oars, boat hooks, deck beams and frames for canoes and canvas boats.  Other uses include fancy turnery and bent handles for walking sticks and umbrellas.

This timber tends to be fairly inexpensive, but multi-coloured.  Currently there seems to be a glut of European material on the market instead of the normal home-grown.  It can be very fine stuff with excellent length.

Beech, European

Fagus Sylvetica

Other names:  English, Carpathian, Danish, French, Rumanian, Yugoslavian beech, etc., according to origin

The Tree

Reaches a height of 30M, occasionally 45M.  Diameter about 1.2M, sometimes greater.  Clear bole 10-15M according to growth conditions.  Europe, approximately between latitude 40-60 degrees North, and western Asia.

The Timber

Properties

Colour            Whitish to very pale brown, darkening on exposure to slightly reddish-brown. Some trees show a darker coloured core or ‘red heart’. Often with dark veining. The practice of steaming, common in Europe changes the colour to pink or light red.

Sapwood        Not normally distinguishable from heartwood.

Grain              Usually straight.  Broad rays distinctly visible, especially on longitudinal surfaces.  Texture fine and even.

Weight            Variable according to growth conditions and climate.  Homegrown and northern beech typically hard and dense, averages 720kg/m3 at 12%moisture content: central European beech, milder and less dense, averages 670kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Strength        One of the strongest of homegrown timbers.  Variation in density is reflected in strength properties.

Movement      Large

Moisture content in 90% relative humidity  20%

Moisture content in 60% relative humidity  12%

Corresponding tangential movement         3.1%

Corresponding radial movement               1.7%

Processing

Drying            Dries fairly well and fairly rapidly but is classed as moderately refractory timber. Tendency to check slit and distort, and shrinkage in drying is very considerable.

Working Properties   Density and working properties variable according to conditions and locality of growth.

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing              Tendency for the saw to bind when green timber is converted.

Machining          Tendency to burn during drilling. Otherwise all other operations satisfactory.

Nailing               Pre-boring necessary.

Gluing                Good.

Wood bending               Steam bending properties exceptionally good. Pieces containing knot or irregular grain may be bent successfully. Beech of continental origin is more variable than homegrown.

Staining and polishing      Satisfactory.

Insect Attack                Bark and sapwood of logs and converted timber liable to attack from longhorn beetles. Immune from attack by the powder post beetles but liable to attack by furniture beetles.

Uses

In the United Kingdom beech is used in larger quantities than any other hardwood. The largest consumer is the furniture industry. The timber is strong and heavy, usually straight grained, of plain appearance and has good turning and bending properties. Satisfactory for domestic flooring. Beech from the continent can be steamed. This gives it a pinkish tint.

The home-grown beech tends to be a bit stringy and multi-coloured (unless grown in the deep south and not too old).  Huge quantities come in from every country this side of the Caucasus, and most of it is good cheesy clean boards.  It is not too pricey either even for the best of material.

Cherry, European

Prunus avium

Other names      Gean, Mazzard, Wild Cherry (Great Britain)

The Tree

Reaches a height of 18-25m, diameter 0.6m. Europe south of about latitude 60 degrees north and Asia minor.

The Timber

Properties

Colour            Pale pinkish brown, darkening somewhat on exposure to light.

Sapwood        Lighter in colour to the heartwood and moderately well defined.

Grain              Generally straight. Texture fine and even.

Weight            About 600 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Strength     Slightly weaker than European Beech

Movement      Medium

Moisture content in 90% relative humidity  19%

Moisture content in 60% relative humidity  12.5%

Corresponding tangential movement         2%

Corresponding radial movement               1.2%

Processing

Drying        Dries fairly readily but with pronounced tendency to warp. Shrinkage - Green to 12% moisture content.

Tangential about 6.5%

Radial about 3.5%

Working properties

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing              Satisfactory

Machining          Satisfactory providing that the material is reasonably straight grained.

Gluing                Good

Wood bending

Classification      Very good

Ratio radius/ thickness of solid bends (steamed)

Supported – 2    Unsupported – 17

Limiting radius for 3.2m laminae (unsteamed) 150mm

Staining and polishing      Good

Durability and Preservation

Insect Attack Sapwood liable to attack by the common furniture beetle, but almost immune from attack by powder post beetle.

Uses

A decorative wood generally used in small sections as it is inclined to warp. Very suitable for cabinet and furniture making and panelling and decorative joinery. Turns well and is used for domestic were, toys and as parts of musical instruments.

Currently there is some spectacular Cherry available from Eastern Europe at excellent prices.  Volumes however are always low.  The home-grown tends to poor and small but very occasionally one finds a great log.

Chestnut, Sweet

Castanea sativa

Other Names Spanish Chestnut, European Chestnut

The Tree

Reaches a height of 30m or more and diameter about 1.5m. Clear straight bole, 6m or more in length. Also frequently coppice grown to pole size on 15-20 year rotation

The Timber

Colour            Variable, yellowish-brown with greenish, grey and purplish streaks

Sapwood        Uniform greyish-brown

Grain              Generally Straight. Texture moderately fine.

Weight            About 510kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Strength        About half-way between obeche and European Beech

Movement      Small

Moisture Content in 90% relative humidity 17.5%

Moisture content in 60% relative humidity 12.5%

Corresponding Tangential Movement 1.3%

Corresponding Radial Movement 0.7%

Processing

Drying                Dries slowly with marked tendency to collapse and honeycomb and to retain patches of moisture. Collapsed timber does not generally recondition satisfactorily.

Working Properties

Blunting             Slight

Sawing, Machining and Nailing      Satisfactory

Gluing                Good

Wood Bending       When in green state very likely to rupture on the inner face, particularly when knots, even of small sizes, are present.  Air-dried wood suitable for bending if free from knots and other defects, but slight on the edges may occur.

Classification      Good

Ratio Radius/thickness for solid bends (steamed) – Supported – 6 Unsupported – 15

Limiting radius for 3.2mm laminae (unsteamed) 190mm

Staining and polishing      Satisfactory

Durability and Preservation

Insect attack                        Sapwood Liable to attack from powder beetles and furniture beetles

Durability of heartwood    Durable

Preservative Treatment    Extremely resistant

Uses

Used for furniture, fencing and domestic ware. Grown as coppice and used, on account of its durability for fencing and stakes.

Chestnut is not ordinarily available from the larger suppliers and when it is the price is not much less than oak.  Our coppiced chestnut flooring is quite quickly grown and is a bit more stringy than a larger tree might be.

Elm, English and Elm Dutch

Ulmus procera and Ulmus hollandica

Other names Red elm Nave Elm (Great Britain)

The Tree

Reaches a height of 38-45m. Clear bole 12-18m. Diameter usually1-1.5m but may be 2.5 or more. Very large trees are often unsound at the centre. Dutch Elm occurs through out Great Britain and English Elm in England and Wales.

The Timber

Properties

Colour            Heartwood dull brown when dried.

Sapwood        Clearly distinguishable from the heartwood especially when freshly felled.

Grain              Annual ring distinct due to large early wood pores, giving the wood a course texture. Tends to be cross-grained and of irregular growth, producing an attractive figure.

Weight            Both species about 550kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Strength        Somewhat higher than Obeche. The two species of elm are similar in most strength properties, but Dutch elm is about 40% tougher than English Elm.

Movement      Medium.

Moisture content in 90% relative Humidity 22%

Moisture content in 60% relative humidity 13%

Corresponding tangential movement 2.4%

Corresponding radial movement 1.5%

Processing

Drying            Both Species dry fairly rapidly but with marked tendency to distort. Little tendency to check and split, but some liability for collapse to occur. The timber should be closely stacked with closely spaced sticks and the top of the load should be weighted. The amount of shrinkage, collapse and distortion can be reduced by reconditioning.

Shrinkage – Green to 12% moisture content

Tangential about 6.5%

Radial about4.5%

Working Properties

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing, Machining and Nailing      Satisfactory

Gluing                Good

Wood Bending

Dutch elm, when free from defects it has very good bending properties. Requires very low end pressure and bending is little affected by irregular grain. Knots on the inner face tend to induce slitting. English elm is less suitable because of its pronounced tendency to distort.

Classification – (Dutch) Very Good (English) Very good but distorts

Ratio radius/thickness for solid bends (steamed)

Supported (Dutch) less than 0.5 (English) 1.5

Unsupported (Dutch) 9.5 (English) 13.5

Limited radius for 3.2mm laminae (unsteamed) (Dutch) 100mm (English) 147mm

Staining and polishing      Satisfactory

Durability and preservation

Insect attack                        Logs liable to attack from forest long horn Beetles. Sapwood liable to attack from powder post beetles and furniture beetles.

Durability of Heartwood   Non Durable

Preservative Treatment    Moderately resistant. Sapwood permeable.

Uses

A timber of moderate weight and good working and bending properties, and attractive appearance, but its utility and technical performance, especially drying and working characteristics, depend largely on wood quality. Used in the furniture industry for cabinets and chairs. As flooring the timber has a moderate resistance to wear and is best used as blocks. For some uses Dutch Elm is preferred to English elm because of its straight grain.

There are that many different hybrids of Elm in this country that one doesn’t know what the log will yield on sawing.  It is often a lottery and the colours vary wildly.  Some European Elm has come into the country recently, but fails to live up to the wildness and extravagance that we have come to know in the home-grown.  Sadly the prices are now creeping up as availability dries up.

Elm, Wych

Ulmus glabra

Other names – Mountain Elm, Scotch Elm (Great Britain)

The Tree

Reaches height of 30m-38m and diameter occasionally up to1.5m. Northern Europe including the British Isles.

The Timber

Properties

Colour            Light brown, Often with Greenish tinge or distinct green streaks.

Sapwood        Clearly differentiated from the Heartwood, especially when freshly felled.

Grain              Generally straighter grained and finer textured than English or Dutch Elm.

Weight            Average 670kg/m3 at 12% moisture Content.

Strength     Slightly weaker than European Beech.

Processing

Drying            Dries fairly well and fairly rapidly with some tendency to distort, though less than English Elm. Not liable to Split or collapse. Careful piling with close spacing of sticks is advisable. Shrinkage about the same as English Elm.

Working Properties   Has good machining properties which, because of its generally straighter grain, compare favourable to those of other Elms.

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing and Machining     Satisfactory

Nailing               Good

Gluing                Good

Wood Bending

In the air dry condition wood is very suitable for bending, but when much moisture is present the wood is liable to buckle and fracture badly. Material must be straight grained to avoid distortion, and even more small knots render bending impossible.

Classification – Very Good

Ratio Radius/Thickness for solid Bends (steamed)

Supported 1.7 Unsupported 12.5

Limiting Radius for 3.2mm laminae 117mm

Staining and Polishing    Satisfactory

Durability and Preservation

Insect Attack                Sapwood liable to attack by powder post beetles and by the furniture beetle.

Durability of Heartwood   Non durable

Preservative Treatment   Resistant. Sapwood Permeable

Uses

Used for the same purposes as English and Dutch elm, but is straighter grained there for works better. Used in boat building. For furniture manufacture, English or Dutch elm is more commonly preferred as it is milder than Wych Elm.

The Wych Elm is excellent for beams as it tends to be a rather longer and thinner tree than its cousins.

Lime, European

Tillia spp

The Tree

Reaches an average height of 25-30m, occasionally up to 40m.  Bole may be 15m long, but when grown in the open it branches much nearer the ground.  Diameter up to 1.2m. Europe and the British Isles.

The Timber

Properties

Colour        Uniform white or pale yellow, turning pale brown on exposure.

Sapwood     Not visually distinguishable for the heartwood.

Grain          Straight. Texture fine and uniform.

Weight        Average about 540kg/m3, seasoned.

Strength     about half way between obeche and European beech.

Movement    Medium.

Moisture content in 90% relative humidity 22%

Moisture content in60% relative humidity   11.5%

Corresponding tangential movement         2.5%

Corresponding radial movement               1.3%

Processing

Drying        Dries well and fairly rapidly with some tendency to distort.

Shrinkage          Green to 12% moisture content

Tangential about 7.5%

Radial about 5%

Working properties

Blunting             Slight

Sawing, Machining and Nailing      Satisfactory

Gluing    Good

Wood Bending       Suitable for solid bends of moderate radius of curvature.  Bending are not much improved by supporting the convex face with a strap and end pressure device.

Classification – Moderate

Ratio radius/thickness for solid bends (steamed)

Supported 14 Unsupported 16

Limiting radius for 3.2mm laminae (unsteamed) 178mm

Staining and polishing    Satisfactory

Durability and Preservation

Insect attack                Sapwood liable to attack from the common furniture beetle.

Durability of Heartwood   Perishable

Preservation Treatment  Permeable

Uses

A soft, white wood of fine texture and easy to machine. Has been used by brush makers and generally by turners for such articles as toys and bobbins. Would be more extensively used if graded material were available in larger quantities.

It is the ideal timber for carving.

Maple, Rock

Acer saccharum

Other Names Hard Maple (Great Britain, Canada, United States) Sugar Maple (Canada) White Maple (sapwood) (United States)

The Tree

Sometimes reaches a height of 40m, more usually 25-27m. Clear bole up to 21m, but often less. Diameter0.6-1m. Canada and northern and eastern states of USA.

The Timber

Properties

Colour        Creamy White, generally with a reddish tinge. Larger trees have a dark brown heart.

Sapwood     Light Coloured not sharply defined from the heartwood.

Grain          Usually straight but sometimes curly or wavy. Fine brown lines making the growth rings give a distinctive figure on plain sawn surfaces. Texture fine and even.

Weight        Average about 720 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Strength     Comparable to European Beech.

Movement    Medium.

Moisture Content 90% relative humidity 21%

Moisture Content in 60% relative humidity 12.5%

Corresponding tangential movement 2.6%

Corresponding radial movement 1.8%

Processing

Drying            Stated to dry slowly but without undue difficulty.

Shrinkage          Green to 12% moisture content

Tangential about 5%

Radial about 2.5%

Working properties

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing              Satisfactory

Nailing               Difficult

Gluing                Good

Wood bending       No exact data available on minimum bending radius, but appears to be a very good bending wood. Requires stronger and more efficient bending apparatus than would be necessary for well-known bending timbers such as beech or ash.

Classification      Good

Staining and polishing    Good

Durability and Preservation

Insect attack                Sapwood liable to attack by the common furniture beetle. Growth defects known as pith flecks caused by insects are sometimes present in heartwood and sapwood.

Durability of Heartwood   Non-durable

Preservation Treatment  Resistant. Sapwood permeable.

Uses

A timber with good strength properties and resistance to wear and which finishes and turns well. Suitable for furniture and panelling. An excellent floor timber with high resistance to abrasion, wearing smoothly without surface disintegration, Suitable for heavy industrial traffic, roller skating rinks, dance halls bowling alleys etc. Some trees have a fine figure and curly grain and furnish a very decorative veneer.

Maple never seems to be available in really long lengths, but the hard stuff is extremely hard.  Great for floors, and with the smoky grade that we provide, it can have great vivacity.  It does however have a tendency to look pallid in the clear grades, or just go yellow with oil or varnish.

Oak, American Red

Quercus spp

The Tree

Commercial red oak is made up of a number of species, principally Quercus rubra (northern red oak) and Q. falcata (southern red oak).

The Timber

Properties

Resembles other oaks in appearance but heartwood usually has a reddish tinge. Generally considered coarser in texture and has a less silver grain figure than American white oak, due to smaller rays. Exhibits considerable variation in structure and quality depending on species and conditions of growth. Strength rather variable, but similar on average to American white oak and slightly lower than European beech. Movement medium.

Processing

Drying properties similar to other oaks. Working properties vary according to the density of the wood. Gluing variable. Has very good bending properties.

Durability and Preservation

Heartwood non-durable. Moderately resistant to preservative treatment.

Uses

Considered inferior to white oak for high-class furniture and decorative work. Used for flooring, vehicle construction, interior joinery, furniture and veneer, but unsuitable for external use because of its lack of durability. Not suitable for tight cooperage because of its porosity.

I have a love/hate relationship with this timber.  On the one hand you can virtually suck your coffee through the open pores of the end grain: but on the other hand it tends to be cheaper than its white cousin.  So for many uses it does well.  It would be fine for cheap hotels or mid-range furniture, but for a job you spend time over you might as well go for the real thing.

Oak, American White

Quercus spp, principally Q Alba, Q prinus, Q lyrata and Q michauxii

Other Names Quercus alba, true white oak, Q prinus, chestnut oak, Q lyrata, overcup oak, Q michauxii, swamp chestnut oak (USA)

The Tree

Under favourable conditions reaches a height of 30m, but under less favourable conditions may be of poor form and only 15m high. Well-grown trees have a straight, clears bole length 12-15m, diameter 0.9-1.2m. Eastern half of United States and south-eastern Canada, the distribution varying according to species.

The Timber

Similar in many respects to European oak.

Properties

Colour        Rather variable from pale yellow to mid-brown.

Sapwood     Almost white in colour, Distinct from heartwood.

Grain          Generally Straight. Quarter sawn material has a characteristic ornamental silver grain due to broad rays structure and quality vary widely according to the conditions of growth.

Weight        Slightly heavier than European oak. Average weight about 750kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Chemical staining          If the timber comes into contact with iron or iron compounds in the presence of moisture, blue black stains are liable to appear due to reaction between the iron and tannin present in the wood.

Corrosive properties      A somewhat acidic timber that tends to promote corrosion of metals especially iron and steel in contact with it under damp conditions.

Strength     Slightly lower than European beech.

Movement    Medium

Moisture content in90% relative humidity 21%

Moisture content in 60% Relative humidity 12.5%

Corresponding tangential movement 2.8%

Corresponding radial movement 1.3%

Processing

Drying            Dries relatively slowly with a tendency to check split and honeycomb.

Shrinkage          Green to 12% moisture content

Tangential about 5.5%

Radial about 3%

Working properties

Blunting             Moderate

Sawing              Satisfactory

Machining          Satisfactory

Nailing               Pre-boring advisable

Gluing                Variable

Wood bending

An excellent bending timber. Material free from defects, drying checks etc can be bent after steaming to very small radii of curvature.

Classification – Very Good

Ratio radius/ thickness for solid bends (steamed)

Supported 0.5 Unsupported 13

Limiting radius for 3.2mm liminae 137mm

Staining and polishing    Good

Durability and preservation

Insect attack                        Log liable to severe attack by ambrosia beetles, and trees and logs liable to attack by forest longhorn beetles.

Durability of Heartwood   Durable

Preservation treatment   Extremely resistant. Sapwood moderately resistant.

Uses

Milder to work than European oaks and suitable for furniture, cabinet making and joinery. A good timber for construction work owing to its strength and durability. A good flooring timber suitable for parquet and strip flooring. Suitable for tight cooperage and used particularly for manufacture of whiskey casks.

Can be a bit variable as the importers often buy from more than one source.  It tries to think that it is as good as a piece of European, but doesn’t really make it.  Due to the way it is cut quartered boards are unavailable.  Has a tendency to be stringy but for all that it is an excellent joinery timber offering easily handled sizes and very simple to convert for mouldings etc.  Excellent for floors.

Oak, European

Quercus robur and Quercus petraea

Other names – English, French Yugoslavian oak, etc according to origin. Q. robur pedunculate oak (Great Britain) Q. petraea, durmast oak, sessile oak (Great Britain)

The Tree

Reaches a height of 18 to 30m, varying according to soil and locality. Diameter of bole about 1.2-1.8m, occasionally more. Forms a straight clear bole sometimes up to 1.5m in length, when grown under forest conditions, but carries lower branches when grown in the open. Occurs in pure stands and in mixed wood where it is often the dominant species. Both species grow through out Europe south of about 63 degrees N and in Asia Minor and North Africa. Large quantities are grown in France, Germany, and Austria, Czechoslovakia and the Balkan states. Occurs throughout the British Isles, but is commonest in the south and midlands.

The Timber

Properties

There is no inherent difference between timber of the two species.

Colour        Yellowish brown. A yellow stain (golden oak) caused by a harmless surface mould is sometimes noticeable during drying (mainly when drying from green) but is not permanent.

Sapwood     Light in colour, usually 25 to50mm wide, distinct from heartwood.

Grain          Generally straight, but varying with growth conditions. The characteristic ornamental silver grain due to the broad rays is seen in quarter-sawn material.

Weight        Variable according to origin and character of growth. Timber of slow growth from central Europe, such as Slavonian oak, averages about 670 kg/m3 and home grown timber which is usually of more vigorous growth about 720kg/m3 at 12% moisture content.

Corrosive properties      A somewhat acidic timber which tends to promote corrosion of metals, especially iron and steel, in contact with it under damp conditions.

Chemical Staining          Blue-black stains, formed by reaction of iron with the tannin in oak, are liable to appear on the timber when it is in contact with iron or iron compounds in presence of moisture.

Strength     Slightly lower than European beech.

Movement    Medium.

Moisture content in90% relative humidity   20%

Moisture content in60% relative humidity   12%

Corresponding tangential movement         0 5%

Corresponding radial movement               1.5%

Processing

Drying        Dries very slowly with a marked tendency to split and check, particularly in the early stages of drying.

Shrinkage          Green to 12% moisture content

Tangential about 7.5%

Radial about 4%

Working properties

Working properties vary with density.

Blunting             Moderate.

Sawing and Machining     Satisfactory.

Nailing               Difficult. Pre-boring advisable.

Gluing                Good

Wood Bending       A very good bending wood. It is advisable to reduce the moisture content to about 25% for steam bending purposes, since green material is liable to rupture on the inner face. Rather large forces are induced during the bending operation. Rapid drying should be avoided during the setting process.

Classification – Very Good

Ratio radius/thickness for solid bends (steamed)

Supported 2 Unsupported 13

Limiting radius for 3.2mm laminae 147mm

Staining and polishing    Good

Durability and Preservation

Insect attack            Logs and green planks liable to attack by ambrosia beetles. Logs may be attacked by forest longhorn beetles. Sapwood is susceptible to attack by powder post beetles and by the common furniture beetle.

Durability of Heartwood   Durable

Preservative treatment   Extremely resistant. The sapwood is permeable.

Uses

Oak is one of the most widely used hardwoods in the United Kingdom. Good quality oak is used for furniture and for panelling, high-class interior joinery and carving. It is also sliced to produce decorative veneers for furniture and panelling. Used in the building industry for exterior work where its combination of decorative appearance and durability is valuable. Makes an attractive floor, although not suitable for heavy industrial wear. Widely used for fencing, gates, leading edges of pallets and for mining timber, these produce an outlet for lower grades of oak.

You can be really horrible to a piece of European oak and it will still come out looking sophisticated.  For domestic use you can do anything but eat off it (the tannin content will taint food).  It can be used for stairs, skirting, floors, furniture, beams, virtually everything!  There is a large amount coming over from the continent at excellent prices and it is likely that the prices may well stay put, not just because of the pound, but also because of the pressure from eastern European supplies coming onto the market.

Pear

Pyrus communis

Trees usually 9-12m high, occasionally 18m. Diameter 0.3-0.6m. The timber usually comes from old orchard trees. Europe and western Asia.

The timber is typically a pinkish brown colour. Grain straight, texture fine and even. Weight about 700kg/m3, seasoned.

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