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Cypress Woodworks
14222 Cornelia,
Cypress Texas, 77429
(832) 758-0393
American beech
Photo and data from Forest World
Common Names
American beech
Beech
Common Uses
Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Food containers, Furniture , Joinery, Musical instruments, Baskets, Chairs, Chests, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture components, Hatracks, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Organ pipes, Parquet flooring, Radio, stereo, TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Sounding boards, Stools, Tables, Wardrobes.
Species Distribution
REGIONS:
North America
COUNTRIES:
Canada
United States
Physical and Environmental Profile
Environmental Profile
The species is reported to be demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure globally, although it may be rare in some areas of its range, especially at the periphery (Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally).
Distribution
The growth range of the species in North America is reported to include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec in Canada. In the United States, it occurs in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The tree is usually found in pure stands and prefers to grow in moist, rich soils of uplands and well-drained lowlands. It is reported to thrive best in the bottomlands of the Ohio-Mississippi River valleys and along the western slopes of the southern Appalachians.
Product Sources
It is not known at present whether timber from this species is obtainable from sustainably managed or other environmentally responsible sources.
American beech is reported to be available in large supplies at a moderate price in both lumber and veneer forms.
Tree Data
The tree is described as large, with a diameter of 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm), and a height 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m).
Sapwood Color
The sapwood is very thin, and is described as nearly white in color.
Heartwood Color
The heartwood is described as whitish with a reddish tinge, or light brown to reddish brown.
Grain
The wood has straight, mostly closed grain, but the grain is sometimes interlocked. Darker flakes or flecks of highly visible rays are reported to give quartersawn surfaces an attractive appearance.
Texture
The texture is described as fine and even, and is coarser than European beech. Growth rings are typically thin and tiny.
Luster
Wood surfaces are reported to exhibit a somewhat silvery sheen.
Natural Durability
American beech is reported to have very little natural resistance to attack by decay causing organisms and other wood destroying insects.
Resistance to Impregnation
The timber is reported to absorb preservatives well enough improve its resistance against decay. Significant quantities of Beech are reported to be treated with chemical preservatives and used for railway ties.
Cutting Resistance
Beech is reported to be difficult to cut, and has a tendency to scorch during cross-cutting.
Planing
Planing characteristics are rated as very good. (Percent of planed pieces without any machining defects = 83).
Turning
The material is reported to respond very well to turning operations. (Number of turned pieces with fair to excellent results out of one hundred = 90).
Boring
The wood is generally easy to bore but it has a tendency to char. (Percent of bored pieces with good to excellent results = 99).
Moulding
The timber is reported to have rather poor moulding qualities. (Percent of pieces yielding good to excellent results in moulding = 24).
Mortising
Mortising characteristics are rated as very good. (Number of mortised pieces producing fair to excellent results = 92).
Gluing
Gluing properties have been reported as satisfactory.
Nailing
Nailing properties are reported to be rather poor, but the wood has good nail-holding properties. (Percent of pieces free from complete splits upon nailing = 42)
Screwing
The material is reported to respond poorly to screwing. (Percent of screwed pieces that were completely free from splitting = 58).
Sanding
Sanding characteristics are rated as poor. (Percent of pieces with good to excellent sanded surfaces = 49).
Staining
The material is reported to take stains very well, and can be stained to match other hardwoods.
Varnishing
Varnishing qualities are rated as good.
Painting
The wood has satisfactory painting qualities.
Steam Bending
Steam bending characteristics are reported to be generally good. (Percent of unbroken steam-bent samples = 75).
Response to Hand Tools
The wood is reported to be generally difficult to work with hand tools.
Comments
American beech is reported to get a high rating in strength properties and shock resistance. It is widely used for food containers, baskets and butcher blocks since it does not impart any taste or odor to food.
Reference Sources
Numerical Data Source
USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.
Descriptive Data Source
Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.
USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
California Department of Forestry. Comparative Physical & Mechanical Properties of Western & Eastern Hardwoods. Prepared by Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. n/d.
Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month. Beech - American Beech and its Relative. Wood and Wood Products, March, 1991. Page 38.
Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf.
NWFA. 1994. Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring. Technical Publication No. A200, National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO.
Kline, M. 1982. fagus grandifolia - American beech. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 158-159.
White Ash
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