E - F

see Ebony, East Indian

see Rosewood, Indian

see Satinwood, Ceylon

see Cottonwood, Eastern

see Cedar Eastern Red

see Cottonwood, Eastern

see Cedar Eastern Red

see Oak, Red

see Cedar, Northern White

see Oak, White

see Guarea

see Blackwood, African

Ebony is the heartwood of a tropical persimmon tree. Commercial supplies come from Africa, Ceylon and the Dutch East Indies. Some are all black and some are streaked. The wood is very hard and heavy and is prized for inlay work, piano keys, novelties, knife handles, brush backs, violin finger boards and keys, etc.

Other common names: Includes varieties from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Kribi, Gaboon, Madagascar, and Zaire. Distribution: Grows primarily in central to southern Africa. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Very fine texture with an indistinct grain and metallic luster. Uniformly black heartwood and yellowish white sapwood. Very heavy, hard, strong, and stiff with high shock and decay resistance. Steam-bends reasonably well. Requires pre-drilling to nail or screw. Works with some difficulty - tends to chip and quickly dulls cutting edges. Turns well. Finishes to a naturally dark polished surface. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses: Used for piano keys, musical instruments, turnery, inlay, novelties, billiard cues, brush backs, and cutlery handles. 
General :

Black, fine grain

Lesser grades are darker ebony strip graining with amber veins randomly running through. Higher grades are more consistent with the darker ebony tones with no sap runs (lighter coloring) 

Other common names: Indian ebony, camagon, golden ebony, and other names such as Macassar ebony according to origin. 
Distribution: Grows in Sri Lanka and southern India. 
Tree Data: A small tree attaining about 18" in diameter. A number of different species seem to bear this name of Camagon, the name being applied to those ebonies whose sapwood is grayish or mottled and whose heartwood is black with brownish streaks. The pure black portion of all is referred to as true ebony. 
Timber Properties : The wood is very hard and heavy and brittle. Used for cabinets, violin necks, furniture and shipbuilding Straight to irregular grain with a fine, even texture and metallic luster. Heartwood color varies from medium brown to jet black to gray depending on species. Light gray sapwood. Very heavy, hard, strong, and stiff with high shock and decay resistance. Steam-bends reasonably well but wood is brittle. 
Working Characteristics: Works with difficulty due to hardness. - heartwood has severe blunting effect on cutting edges. Requires pre-drilling to nail or screw. Glues satisfactorily and takes an excellent finish 
Common Uses: Used for luxury furniture, carving, and various turned items including knife and tool handles, billiard cues, and brush backs. Also used for combs, piano keys and other musical instrument parts, inlay, and decorative veneer. 
General :

see Ebony, East Indian

see Ebony, East Indian

see Ebony, East Indian

see Blackwood, African

see Blackwood, African

see Persimmon

see Utile

see Agba

see Ovangkol

see Ayan

Other common names: Bongossi, Bakundu (Cameroon), Kaku (Ghana), Esore (Ivory Coast). Aba (Nigeria), Endwi (SierrraLeone) 
Distribution: Distribution: West Africa and extending into the Congo Basin; occurs in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, in freshwater swamp forests, and close to riverbanks. Tree Data: The Tree may attain a height of 160 ft with a long clear bole to 100 ft; trunk diameters 5 to 6 ft; without buttresses but lower portion of the bole sometimes swollen. 
Timber Properties : The Wood General Characteristics: Heartwood dark red, chocolate brown, or purple brown with conspicuous white deposits in the vessels; sapwood up to 2 in. wide, pale ping, well defined. Texture coarse; grain usually interlocked; luster low; without characteristic odor or taste. Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) about 0.90; air-dry density 70 pcf.  Drying and Shrinkage: Very difficult to season without excessive degrade, particularly surface and end checking; dries slowly. Movement in service is rated as medium. Durability: Heartwood is rated as very durable but only moderately resistant to termite attack. Resistant to acids. Good weathering properties. Resistant to teredo attack. Preservation: Heartwood is rated as extremely resistant to preservative treatments and the sapwood resistant.   
Working Characteristics: Very difficult to work with hand and machine tools; severe blunting effect if machined when dry; can be dressed to a smooth finish; gluing properties usually good. 
Common Uses: Uses: Heavy durable construction work, harbor work, heavy-duty flooring, parquet flooring, railroad crossties 
General : 

Other common names: white elm, water elm, soft elm and gray elm. 
Distribution: Grows in eastern half of United States and southern Canada. 
Tree Data: The American members of the elm family are a beleagured group due to the assault of a virulent disease known as Dutch elm disease. The disease is so-named because early studies were conducted in the Netherlands. Believed to have originated in Asia, Dutch elm disease is responsible for killing elms in Europe, Canada and the United States. The disease is caused by a fungus carried from tree to tree by the bark beetles. Spores of the fungi enter branches where the beetle have eaten away the bark, and quickly spread through the springwood vessel. Trees can die in one season, but more often it takes a few years. 
Timber Properties : Straight or interlocked grain with a coarse texture. Light brown to brown heartwood, usually with a reddish tinge, and light-colored sapwood. Moderately heavy and hard, tough, elastic, difficult to split, and wear resistant. Steam-bends very well. Low decay resistance and moderate dimensional stability. American elm's heartwood is a medium to light red-brown color, with the sapwood exhibiting alighter color. American elm has a coarse texture and a straight to interlocked grain. 
Working Characteristics: Works with some difficulty - tends to dull cutting edges and often produces fuzzy surfaces. Glues, screws and nails satisfactorily. Does not polish easily but otherwise finishes well Timber works easily with hand and machine tools. Sawn surfaces can be woolly, but capable of finishing smoothly, Takes nails and screws well. American elm seasons well with medium shrinkage but is not particularly stable in service. 
Common Uses: Used for boxes, baskets, cooperage stays, sporting goods, agricultural implements, furniture (bent parts especially), plywood veneers, flooring, and miscellaneous woodenware. For the supplies of elm that are healthy, the tree has always provided good lumber. In addition to coffins, uses include veneer, furniture, turnings and slack cooperage. 
General : Elm is one of many trees which inspire legends and lore. Romans are said to have dedicated the tree to the winged-foot god Mercury, while the ancient Greeks believed elms should be planted in tribute to heroes who died in battle. Elm has traditionally been used to make coffins, with many also believing the tree was responsible for creating a need for them. An old English saying""Elem hateth man . . . and waiteth" illustrates this. According to the legend, large limbs of elms had a tendency to snap, and because the trees are found in populated areas, could cause harm to the person walking underneath. The truth of the matter is that these days elm -- not man -- is the endangered species. There are some five species native to the United States and Canada. 

see Elm, Rock

see Elm, European

Other common names: English elm, smooth-leaved (French or Flemish) elm, Dutch elm and wych or Scotch elm. 
Distribution: Occurs in temperate regions of Europe and western Asia. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Typically cross grained with dull brown heartwood (often with reddish tinge) and pale sapwood. Moderately heavy and hard with low stiffness, shock resistance and bending strength. Steam-bends very well. Low decay resistance and medium movement in use. 600 kg m-3 
Working Characteristics: Can be difficult to work in that wild grain can tear or cause binding. Glues, screws, nails and finishes satisfactorily. 
Common Uses: Used for flooring, farm implements, chair seats, bent parts, ship building, sports equipment, turned items, cabinets, caskets, decorative veneers, paneling and chopping blocks. 
General : 

see Elm, European

see Elm, European

see Elm, Slippery

see Elm, American

see Elm, Rock

see Elm, Rock

see Elm, Slippery

see Elm, Slippery

Other common names: hard elm, cork elm and hickory elm.  
Distribution: Grows in eastern half of United States and southern Canada. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Straight or interlocked grain with a coarse texture. Light brown to brown heartwood, usually with a reddish tinge, and light brown to brown sapwood. Heavy, hard, tough, difficult to split, wear and shock resistant. Low decay resistance and moderate dimensional stability. Steam-bends very well. 
Working Characteristics: Works with some difficulty - hardness tends to dull cutting edges. Finishes reasonably well. Glues, screws and nails satisfactorily. 
Common Uses: Uses are similar to those of American and slippery elm but it is better suited to applications requiring hardness and greater strength. This includes farm vehicles, machinery parts, skids, cooperage, wheels and millwork. It has outstanding resistance to wear and is used for dock and wharf construction. 
General : Rock elm will check and twist in seasoning.

see Elm, European

Other common names: red elm, gray elm, soft elm and moose elm. 
Distribution: Grows in eastern half of United States and southern Canada. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Straight or interlocked grain with a coarse texture. Dark reddish brown heartwood, frequently with red shades, and grayish white to light brown sapwood. Moderately heavy, hard, tough, difficult to split, shock and wear resistant. Steam-bends very well. 
Working Characteristics: Works with some difficulty - dulls cutting edges, often produces fuzzy surfaces, and wild grain presents problems when planing. Finishes reasonably well. 
Common Uses: Uses include wheel hubs, railroad ties, ship-building, fenceposts, sills, boxes, crates, pallets, cooperage, decorative plywood and veneer, farm vehicles, food containers, baskets, and interior trim. 
General : Often sold with American elm as one species.

see Elm, European

see Elm, American   see Elm, Slippery