
Appearance
COLOR: Heartwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black.
Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between heartwood and sapwood color is great;
some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the
sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.
GRAIN: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly
grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon, but pores are smaller
in size.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Great variety of color and figure
within species, as well as variation in color among boards, especially in lower grades and
from material that isn't steamed prior to kiln-drying. Properties
HARDNESS (JANKA): 1010; 22% softer than
Northern red oak.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Excellent (change coefficient .00274; 26% more
stable than red oak).
DURABILITY: Moderately dense, very strong, good shock resistance. Not as
dent-resistant as oak. |
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Workability
SAWING/MACHINING: Easily worked with hand tools, and has excellent
machining qualities.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
NAILING: Fair resistance to splitting; good holding ability.
FINISHING: Finishes nicely, with a handsome grain pattern.
COMMENTS: Distinctive
sweet aroma when worked. Frequently used as a highlight material for borders or other
inlay techniques.
Cost
(relative to plainsawn select red oak)
MULTIPLIER: 3.00
Availability
Moderately available, normally in unfinished parquet,
strip and in various plank widths as a special order. Available in fancy parquet patterns
as a special order or custom mill. |