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American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
Other names: none
Distribution
Throughout Eastern USA, commercial concentration is in the Central
and Middle Atlantic States.
General description
The sapwood of American beech is white with a red tinge, while
the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. American beech tends
to be slightly darker and less consistent than European beech. The
wood is generally straight grained with a close uniform texture.
Working properties
American beech works readily with most hand and machine tools.
It has good nailing and gluing properties and can be stained and
polished to a good finish. The wood dries fairly rapidly but with
a strong tendency to warp, split and surface check. It is subject
to a large shrinkage and moderate movement in performance.
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Physical properties
American beech wood is classed as heavy, hard, strong, high in
resistance to shock and highly suitable for steam bending.
Specific Gravity: 0.64 (12% M.C.)
Average Weight: 721 kg/m3 (12% M.C.)
Average Volumetric Shrinkage: 13.0% (Green to 6% M.C.)
Modulus of Elasticity: 11,859 MPa
Hardness: 5782 N
Durability
Rated as non-resistant to heartwood decay, and liable to attack
by common furniture beetle and longhorn beetle, but permeable for
preservation.
Availability
USA: Mostly limited to lower grades.
Export: Very limited, due to low demand and wide availability of
European beech.
Main uses
Furniture, doors, flooring, internal joinery, panelling, brush
handles and turning. It is particularly suitable for food containers
as there is no odour or taste. |
