UTILIZATION OF BLACK WALNUT. _ 5 
Black walnut is straight-grained, easily worked with tools, is not 
liable to warp and cheek or to shrink and swell to any ' considerable 
extent after it has been seasoned, and glues well. These qualities 
acid greatly to its value as a cabinet wood, Table 2 shows the prop- 
erties of various cabinet woods in comparison with walnut as a basis. 
These are composite values (excepting those of weight and shrink- 
age), each being based on several different kinds of tests. The data 
show that walnut compares favorably with white and red oak in 
strength as a beam or post, in shock-resisting ability, and in stiff- 
ness. The hardness of walnut, however, is less than that of oak. In 
shock-resisting ability and stiffness birch is superior to walnut, 
although the two woods are about equivalent in strength. Birch is 
not so good in holding its shape after it is seasoned, and is also more 
liable than walnut to be cross-grained. Sweet birch is harder than 
walnut, and yellow birch is softer. Red gum ranks much lower than 
walnut in respect to these different properties. Oak and birch have 
greater dry weights than walnut, while red gum is lighter. All of 
the native cabinet woods listed have greater shrinkage values than 
walnut, with the exception of the radial shrinkage of oak and red 
gum. The volumetric shrinkage values of these woods are consider- 
ably greater than those of walnut. Walnut, therefore, compares very 
favorably with our other native cabinet woods in regard to these 
basic properties. 
Table 2. — Properties of various cabinet woods, compared with black walnut. 
Black walnut=100. 
White oak (Quercus alba) i 
Red oak (Quercus rubra) 
Sweet birch (Brtvla lento) 
Yellow birch (Belula luica) I 
Tied gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) . A 
True mahogany (Central America) I 
(Swietenia mahagoni) 
Strength 
as a 
Shock- 
resist- 
Stiff- 
Hard- 
Specific 
gravity, 
density, 
or 
weight. 
beam 
ing 
ability. 
ness. 
ness. 
or post. 
92 
98 
92 
125 
114 
S4 
99 
88 
111 
108 
98 
115 
111 
113 
114 
99 
124 
109 
93 
107" 
76 
78 
84 
67 
86 
95 
68 
87 
90 
87 
Shrinkage (from green 
to oven-dry condi- 
tion based on volume 
when green). 
In vol- Rar1ia] | Tan- 
ume. KadiaL | gential. 
141 
127 
134 
150 
134 
70 
100 
74 
119 
140 I 
127 
117 
107 
127 
139 
68 
Note.— The relative-strength figures given in the first four columns of this table are based on comnosi 
values, each of which is a combination of several different kinds of tests. 
The true mahogany of Central America, listed in the table, shows 
a slightly lower value than walnut in strength as a beam or post. 
In stiffness and hardness it is much loAver. Its shock-resisting abil- 
ity is far below that of walnut. The amount of shrinkage in Cen- 
tral American mahogany is much less than in any of the native cabi- 
net woods listed. The relation between volumetric, radial, and tan- 
gential shrinkage is about the same as for walnut. 
