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Walnut
American walnut
Common Names
==================================
American black walnut
American walnut
Black walnut
Eastern black walnut
Nogal
Nogal blanco
Nogal silvestre
Nuez meca
Tocte
Tropical walnut
Walnut
Common Uses
==================================
Bedroom suites
Cabinetmaking
Desks
Gunstocks
Living-room suites
Tables
Turnery
Chairs
Chests
Dining-room furniture
Dowell pins
Dowells
Drawer sides
Figured veneer
Fine furniture
Floor lamps
Hatracks
Kitchen cabinets
Radio, stereo, TV cabinets
Rustic furniture
Stencil & chisel blocks
Stools
Veneer
Wainscotting
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, though it may be quite rare in
parts 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
Black walnut is reported to be distributed in
Ontario and Quebec in Canada.
Its growth range in the United States is reported to include
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana,
Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan,
Minnesota,
Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska,
New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota,
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The tree prefers moist, well-drained soils, particularly along
streams,
and is usually found scattered in mixed forests.
Product Sources
Some material from this species is reported to be
available from
environmentally responsible or sustainably managed
sources.
Although Black walnut lumber is reported to be
available,
supplies are not as abundant as they once were,
and its use is reported to be down because of high prices.
American black walnut, which is reported to produce the greatest
variety
of figure types than any other tree, demands a high price
because
it is so well respected that buyers are not deterred by the
price.
Tree Data
The mature tree is described as rather large.
It is reported to attain a height of 70 to 90 feet (21 to 27
m),
with a trunk diameter of 24 to 48 inches (60 to 120 cm).
Boles are reported to be often clear of branches
to 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m).
Sapwood Color
The sapwood is described as whitish to yellowish
brown.
It is a common practice to steam or stain the sapwood to
match its color with that of the heartwood.
Heartwood Color
The color of the heartwood varies from light
grayish brown to
deep chocolate brown to an almost black purplish brown.
The appearance of the wood is usually described as warm and
inviting.
Grain
The grain is slightly open and usually straight,
but may be wavy or irregular.
Pore arrangement is reported to be similar to that in the
Hickories (Carya) and Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana ), but the
pores are smaller.
The wood is famous for its wavy, curly and mottled figures
which are obtained from burls, crotches and stumpwood.
Texture
Texture is usually coarse, but uniform.
Luster
Wood surfaces are generally dull, but the wood is
reported
to develop a lustrous patina after many years in use.
Natural Durability
Resistance to insect and fungal attack is
reported to be very good.
Veneering Qualities
American black walnut is reported to be popular
for decorative veneer.
The wood produces a great variety of of very unusual figures
which
are reported to be highly desirable in veneers.
The figures include crotches, swirls, stumpwood, stripe or
ribbon,
mottle, snail and occasional burls.
Cutting Resistance
The timber is reported to be very easy to
cut.
Blunting Effect
The wood exerts a moderate blunting effect on
cutters.
Planing
Material containing irregular grain may be
difficult to plane, but the wood is generally easy to work.
(Average number of planed pieces out of one hundred reported to
yield perfect results = 62).
Turning
The wood is characteristically very easy to
turn.
(Percent of pieces reported to produce fair to excellent results
in turning = 91).
Boring
Boring qualities are reported to be very
good.
(Percent of bored pieces reported to produce good to excellent
results = 100).
Moulding
Moulding properties are reported to be rather
poor.
(Expected number of moulded pieces out of one hundred producing
good to excellent results = 34).
Mortising
The wood has exceptional mortising
properties.
(Percent of mortised pieces reported to yield fair to excellent
results = 98).
Gluing
The gluing properties of the wood have been
reported as fair to satisfactory.
Nailing
The wood is reported to have good nail-holding
qualities.
(Percent of pieces reported to be free from complete splits in
nailing operations = 50).
Screwing
Screw-holding qualities are reported to be
good.
(Average number of pieces out of one hundred reported to screw
without complete splits = 59).
Sanding
The material responds very well to sanding
operations,
and the wood is reported to leave the sander with a
clean and smooth surface.
Polishing
The wood has excellent finishing
characteristics.
Staining
Staining properties are reported to be very
good,
but filling is required because of the open grain.
Varnishing
The wood of black walnut can be varnished easily,
after filling.
Painting
The wood takes paint well.
Steam Bending
Steam bending characteristics are reported to be
good.
(Percent of unbroken pieces after steam bending = 78).
Response to Hand Tools
Black walnut is reported to work well with hand
tools.
Comments
Walnut is rated as the primary American wood for
cabinetry,
and is superior to all other woods for gunstock because it keeps
its shape,
it is relatively light in weight, and can absorb shocks rather
well.
The wood is strong and can withstand extra weight with little
deflection or bending.
Its strength properties are reported to be more than enough for
the uses which it is employed,
and is stronger than White oak.
Color and figure are reported to vary considerably within
species,
and color variation between boards is also significant,
particularly in lower grade materials
and boards that are poorly steamed before kiln-drying.
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Reference Sources
Numerical Data Source
USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook : Wood as an
Engineering Material.
United States Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72.
Forest Products Laboratory, 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.
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.
HMSO, 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd
Edition.
Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building
Research Establishment,
Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough,
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
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. 1989.
Wood of the Month - Walnut: Our Prestigious Domestic.
Wood of the Month Annual, Volume 1,
Supplement to Wood and Wood Products. Pages 35-36.
Kaiser, J. 1992. Wood of the Month: Claro - The
West Coast Walnut.
Wood and Wood Products, August, 1992. Page 50.
Little, E.L. 1980.
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees -
Eastern Region.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.
Kline, M. 1976. Juglans nigra - Black
walnut.
In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H.,
Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Pages
195-196.
NWFA. 1994. Wood Species Used in Wood
Flooring.
Technical Publication No. A200.
National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO.
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.
USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual,
Preliminary Copy.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,
Wisconsin.
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