The aristocrat of hardwoods

anOMMONLy referred to as the \-raristocrat of hardwoods, walnut has been widely regarded for the beauty of its highly figured grain pat_ tern.

Also referred to as black American walnut, black walnut, or less frequently, Virginia walnut or American black walnut, walnut Quglans nigra) is commonly straight grained, but produces a figured pattern with small, tight burls, wavy or curly grain near knots, abnormal or irregular growth, crooks, forks, and stumpwood.

Burls from very old trees have a bird's eye figure on a glossy dark groundwork ranging from almost iet black to lighter shades of brown, siving the wood exceptionally high value.

The hardwood is rarely found in pure stands, but rather in small stands mixed with a wide variety of other hardwoods east of the Rockv Mountains.

About three-quarters of the walnut timber is produced in the Central States. Concentrations of the hardwood are found in Kentuckv. Tennessee. West Virginia. Ohib, Michigan. Indiana. Illinois, in height per year, and in 20 years may attain heights of 40 ro 50 ft. with diameters of 6 to l0 inches.

Iowa and Missouri. The trees may grow 100 ro 120 ft. tall and 30 ro 40 inches in diameter breast height (d.b.h.), however an exception may reach I 30 to 150 ft. tall and 72 to 100 inches d.b.h.

As one of the rapid-growing hardwoods, young trees may grow 3 to 4 ft.

The sapwood is a yellowish-white and reaches widths of up to 3 inches in open-grown trees. When stained, it becomes a yellowish tan.

The lighter-colored heartwood ranges from light gray-brown to chocolate brown to a dark purplish brown. Forest-grown trees typically have dark-colored heartwood with a narrow band of sapwood, not exceeding 1 inch.

The sapwood is frequently darkened by steaming or staining to match the heartwood. The annual rinss of growth are marked by many p--ores barely visible on the end grain at the beginning of each year's growth and by denser growth at the end of the season.

It is a moderately heavy wood, averaging about 40 lbs. per cubic ft. The wood is hard with a specific gravity of .64. Softer than oak, hard maple, white ash, beech, or hickorv. it is about as hard as tupelo, soft m;ple or magnolia. It is strong, stiff and highly resistant to shock.

Walnut dries slowly with a tendency to honeycomb and requires attention to prevent degradation and checking. It is a tough wood with moderate bending and crushing strengths. It responds well to steam bending, can be satisfactorily kiln-dried or air-dried and holds shape after seasoning.

Although often subject to attack by powder post beetles, it is a durable wood. The heartwood resists preservative treatment and biodegradation, and ranks among the most durable woods including black locust, cedar, and chestnut.

It works particularly well with hand tools and has excellent machining properties. The wood takes and holds paints and stains exceptionally well and finishes beautifully with a handsome grain pattern. It can be

Story at a Glance

Walnut is highly prized for its beauty and durability paints and stains well easily worked. readily polished and satisfactorily glued.

In addition to being used for furniture, walnut is used for architectural woodwork, gunstocks, novelties, lumber, panels, doors, trim and floorins. Other uses include stereo and tv cablnets, sewing machines and interior finish.

It comes in solid wood cut from lumber or plywood made by gluing sheets of plain or figured veneer to both sides ofa core.

Often, intermediate sheets (crossbands) are used between the faces and core to form five-ply crossbanded plywood. When used with other wood, the grain is always at right angles to the grain in the adjacent ply or plies.

In lumber, the FAS grade will allow a 6-ft.-long board and shorter clear-face cuttings. The lower grades (No. I and No. 2) are more figured.