O - P

see Oak, Red

Other common names: Includes three species marketed together - E. delegatensis (alpine ash, white-top, woollybutt), E. obliqua (messmate stringybark, brown -top stringybark), and E. regnans (mountain ash, Victorian ash, stringy gum, swamp gum). 
Distribution: Grows in south eastern Australia. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Typically straight grained, sometimes interlocked or wavy, with a coarse texture. Narrow, indistinct sapwood and pale brown to light brown heartwood with a pinkish tinge. Moderately heavy to heavy, hard, moderately stiff, high crushing strength, medium bending strength, and moderately high shock resistance. Medium movement in use and decay resistance. Steam-bending rating is moderate at best (E. obliqua). Heartwood is moderately durable with sapwood that is susceptible to borer attack. 750 kg/cu.m 
Working Characteristics: Works well with hand or machine tools with only a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. Glues satisfactorily and holds nails and screws well. Stains and polishes easily and can be brought to an excellent finish. Relatively easy to work, messmate both glues and bends well. It will readily accept stains, paints and polishes. 
Common Uses: Used for interior and exterior joinery, building construction, boxes, cooperage, flooring, furniture, sports equipment, agricultral implements, tool handles, plywood, and decorative veneer. One of the timbers in the Tasmanian Oak group, it is suitable for framing above ground if protected, internal flooring, paneling, plywood, protected external use, internal joinery, and furniture. 
General : Sold as Australian or Tasmanian oak but not a true oak. 620 – 720 kb m-3 Messmate Stringybark, Stringy bark, Tasmanian Oak Heartwood is pale brown with a pale yellow sapwood. Messmate displays gum veining with a coarse even texture and an interlocking grain. Structural, Flooring, Internal lining, External cladding, Finishing material, joinery, veneer

The only deciduous black oak of the western U.S. occurs in the Sierra Nevada and Coast ranges of California and North to Southwestern Oregon. A large graceful tree, sometimes 100 feet high and 4 feet in diameter, whose trunk is usually short and much branched. The wood is hard and strong but sometimes rather brash. Properly seasoned it is comparable to eastern red oaks. The lumber is used for pallets, cabinets, furniture, panelling and industrial timbers. It is also much sought after for firewood and chips.

see Oak, Red

see Oak, Red

Oak, Eastern White 

see Oak, White

WOOD OF KINGS AND KING OF WOODS The oak is the best known traditional, most widely used and best appreciated variety in Europe. It supports roofs and floors, and it improves our wine. "Heart of oak are our men" – the very symbol of resistance and long life. Distinct pale cambium. Perfect straw yellow to light brown wood. Medium to fine grain. Interior joinery: furniture, mouldings... Cask making. Exterior joinery: doors and windows. Transoms. Flooring Used in a wide variety of ways in Europe, this variety with its undisputed aesthetic and mechanical qualities could well be used more often as an export to replace other dark varieties like plantation teak.  680 - 800 kg /m3

see Oak, Red

see Oak, Red

see Oak, Red

Other common names: Northern red oak, Eastern red oak, gray oak, American red oak, Canadian red oak, and mountain red oak. 
Distribution: Grows in United States, Canada, and Europe Found widely distributed in the eastern hardwood forests, with a natural range extending from New Brunswick west to Minnesota and south to Kansas, Missouri and Georgia. 
Tree Data: Maximum size 5' x 150' but averaging 2-21/2' x 90'. 
Timber Properties : Straight grained with a coarse texture and prominent rays. Light reddish tan heartwood and narrow, almost white sapwood. Hard, strong, stiff, and strong with moderate stability in use and little natural decay resistance. Machines quite well but has tendency to splinter and chip - avoid cutting against the grain. Turns and steam-bends fairly well. The heartwood is non durable. It should not be used for exterior uses. 
Working Characteristics: Somewhat difficult to work by hand. Nails and screws satisfactorily although pre-drilling recommended. Glues satisfactorily. Finishes well with most stains and finishes but relatively large pores may require a filler Red oak dries slowly and has a tendency to split, check and honeycomb so care is needed for air and kiln drying. Working properties will vary based on the density of the wood and growing area; for example, southern, fast growing red oak is considered harder, heavier and more course in textrue than northern red oak. it has a moderate blunting effect with cutters; experts recommend sharp cutting surfaces and use of carbide-tipped blades and cutters. Pre-boring is recommended for nailing. The wood will finish very well. 
Common Uses: Used for cabinets, furniture, millwork, musical instruments, plywood, flooring, turnery, boxes, caskets, pallets, heavy construction, and many other applications. One of the largest of our oaks, and a rapid grower. Red oak is also a poplar flooring material because it is heavy , hard and stiff and has high shock resistance. Other popular uses for red oak include; interior joinery, plywood, decorative veneers, wall paneling, millwork, boxes, crates, caskets, and coffins, agricultural implements, and woodenware. 
General : The wood is heavy, hard, strong, but less valuable than our native white oaks. Used for ties, poles, furniture and interior finish. Bark has a high tannin content, though not used much in the tanning industry. When used in contact with ground it must be treated with preservatives. Oak is such a commonly used wood in the United States that it could almost be described as ubiquitous. Consistently been named among the top five most used woods at the High Point Furniture Market each spring and fall. Red oak is a popular choice for kitchen and bath cabinets, contract furniture, tables, bedroom and dining room furniture and occasional pieces of all kinds. Doors, moulding and trim push its use even higher.

see Oak, White

Embothrium wickhami

Closely related to Australian Silky Oak

Heartwood is pinkish with a silver grain reminiscent of Quercus species. easy timber to work and is naturally durable

Used in cabinet work and as roof shingles.

see Oak, White

Other common names: Mountain Ash Tasmanian Oak, Victorian Ash, Swampy Gum & Stringy Gum, Australian Oak 
Distribution:  
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Heartwood is pale straw to pink colour often similar to sapwood. coarse textured, straight grained with frequent gum veins. 650 - 710 kg m-3 Colour varies from straw colour to reddish-brown with intermediate shades of cream to pink. The timber has straight, open and even grain with a texture that is open, uniform and fairly coarse. Tasmanian oak is a warm dense, hard wearing hardwood with high impact resistance. In-ground durability of heartwood is moderate to poor. It performs well if painted or protected from persistent moisture. 530-800 kg/cu.m Sapwood Not always easily distinguishable from the heartwood.Heartwood Pale light-brown to red-brown and dark brown.Texture Medium to coarse, grain mostly straight, occasionally interlocking. Tasmanian Oak & Victorian Ash are the same speciesTasmanian Oak  is a straw to tan colored wood, all of which is rift sawn, and is similar in appearance to straight grain American Oak. Tasmanian Oak  depending on the areas it is sourced from, can have a medium high degree of color variation from a pale straw color, some with pinkish highlights, through to tan colors and some medium gray/brown colors. Tasmanian Oak  over time undergoes a slight degree of color change with a muting of the overall color variation and an ambering of the straw colors to a slightly darker tan 
Working Characteristics: Mountain Ash works fairly readily, bends well and glues satisfactorily.The heartwood is not durable, but could be used externally in sheltered locations. Does not take preservative treatment readily Tasmanian oak exhibits excellent acceptance of stains and paints. It nails, screws, machines, glues and turns well although some nailing may require predrilling. Tasmanian oak is a readily workable and a highly finishable species. It is moderately bendable. 
Common Uses: One of the timbers in the Tasmanian Oak group. Mountain ash is used in flooring furniture, joinery, plywood, flooring, panelling, general construction, handles and cooperage. Structural, Flooring, Internal lining, External cladding, Finishing material, joinery, veneer Structural, Flooring, Internal lining, External cladding, Finishing material, joinery, veneer Tasmanian oak is a warm and highly resilient, easily worked, and readily available hardwood. It is used for framing, laminated beams, boarding, stairs, panelling, flooring, mouldings, furniture, veneers and finishing. Tas oak has also been used untreated and internally in marine craft construction and bridges. Its structural uses in treated poles, posts, piles, sleepers etc. are considerable. 
General : 

Other common names: blush tulip oak, booyong, crowsfoot elm, blackjack (A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum), brown tulip oak, highroot, stavewood, booyong, brown crowsfoot elm, brown oak, hickory (A. trifoliolatum), red tulip oak, red crowsfoot, red crowsfoot elm (A. peralatum) Other tulip oaks include A. polyandrum, A. sp. aff. A. trifoliolatum, A. actinophyllum ssp. diversifolium, and A. sp. aff. A. peralatum. 
Distribution: A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum and A. trifoliolatum occur in scrubs and rainforests along the east coast of Australia 
Tree Data: The tulip oaks can grow up to 50 m in height. The bases of large trees are usually prominently buttressed. Leaves with white or silver on underside. 
Timber Properties : Heartwood pink-brown for A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum and brown for A. trifoliolatum. Sapwood not always readily distinguished. Heartwood pink to red-brown for A. peralatum, with whitish sapwood. Grain is usually straight and open, sometimes interlocked or wavy and irregular producing some beautifully figured wood. Attractive figure on tangential face and large ray fleck on radial face are prominent features of the tulip oaks.800-925 kgm-3 Untreated sapwood susceptible to lyctid borer attack.Difficult to impregnate with preservatives.Careful drying under cover required to minimise degrade. Partial air drying before kiln drying at low temperatures is recommended. Prone to collapse if dried too rapidly. 
Working Characteristics: Not easy to work, but peels well. Moderately severe blunting effect on cutters. The cutting angle should be reduced to 20º when planing or moulding to avoid tearing the grain on quartered material. 
Common Uses: Suitable for use only in continuously dry situations under cover, well ventilated, clear of the ground and fully protected from the weather and other dampness. 
General :

Other common names: eastern white oak, stave oak, ridge white oak, cucharillo, encino, and roble 
Distribution: Grows in United States and Canada. Its range extends from Maine to Minnesota and south to Texas and Florida. White Oaks are a group of closely related species that grow in the central eastern and north eastern States of USA, with the major concentration being in the Appalachian region. 
Tree Data: Attains a diameter of eight feet and height of 150 feet, but the average is much smaller. 
Timber Properties : Straight grained with a medium-coarse to coarse texture. Light tannish heartwood with narrow, nearly white sapwood. Heavy, hard and strong with outstanding wear-resistance. Moderate stability in use. Steam-bends very well. Very durable heartwood - ideal for casks and barrels. Durablity Heartwood Durable Sapwood Moderately Prone to shrinkage durable640 - 850 kg m-3 
Working Characteristics: Machines similarly to red oak but has greater tendency to chip and splinter. Turns well. Difficult to work by hand. Nails and screws satisfactorily although pre-drilling recommended. Glues satisfactorily. Stains and finishes well with no need to fill pores for smoothness. Contact with metal results in dark staining. It easily machines and sands to a high quality finish 
Common Uses: Uses include outdoor furniture, boats, cooperage, flooring, interior furniture - especially chairs and tables, turnery, baskets, trim, millwork, and veneers. Our most valuable oak suitable for the widest variety of uses. Wood used for shipbuilding, interior finish, flooring, furniture, cabinets, tight cooperage, railroad ties and fuel. Quartered oak is identical with plain- sawed oak except that the lumber is sawed parallel to the radius instead of on a tangent to the annual rings. The species is impervious to liquids, and is an excellent cooperage timber. 
General : Wood marketed as white oak may contain other white oak species but Quercus alba is primary species. The major species, Quercus alba, is similar to European Oak in both appearance, characteristics, and properties. The resource is adequate to maintain ready availability to both domestic and international markets.

West Africa Creamy white to pale yellow. Faintly striped when quartered Soft, light weight, firm, medium grain, and even in texture. Furniture, interior fittings, joinery, flooring, boat building, and veneer and plywood. 

A soft light timber liable to crumbling

see Guarea

see Guarea

see Rosewood, Brazilian

Scottelia coriacea

Light yellowish hardwood with a prominent silver grain if quarter cut has a shallow interlocked grain with a fine even texture giving a mildly lustrous surface

Used for furniture, parquetry and plywood manufacture.

Seasoning and kiln drying moderately difficult

Non durable

see Iroko

Daniellia ogea

Light red brown hardwood with sometimes dark streaks, moderately coarse textured with interlocked grain

Mainly used for interior joinery

Non durable lightweight timber

Native to central eastern U.S. Nowhere abundant. A tree usually not over 30, but occasionally 70 feet high; with a trunk rarely 2 feet in diameter, though occasionally 3 feet. Wood light, soft, fine-textured, not strong, and often blemished by dark lines of decay, nearly white. Used for artificial limbs, drawing boards, wooden ware and paper pulp. This specimen is from Zaleski, Ohio.

see Utile

see Gaboon

Okoume has a pale red, sometimes pale brown appearance and is the queen of African species for plywood manufacturing for use both as central ply and face veneers. However, this variety, often compared with Asian Merranti, is increasingly being used for interior joinery. Used this way, it is often not intended to show but is painted over. Origin: Central Africa - Gabon Natural colour: light salmon pink to dark pink, darkening with exposure to light. Fine to medium grain. Light counter-grain frequently occurring. Fine silver grain. End uses:Interior joinery: furniture elements, moulding. Panels: plywood and blockboard. Easy to work and available in large quantities, Okoume offers you a cheap supply alternative to Merranti. 650 kg /m3 Okoume is easy to work and dries quickly.

See Ayan

see Albizia

Mediterranean

low tree of spreading growth, long lived and slow growing

light brown timber sometimes with a greenish tinge,straight or shallowly interlocked grain with a firm very close texture

Timber works well and is exceptionally good for carving and turnery

Fine seasoning checks are commonly found

Timber works well - is used mainly for veneers, tool handles and cabinet work

Oleo hochstetteri

Handsome timber with irregular dark markings on a yellowish brown background.

Timber is difficult to work but is popular for panelling and decorative flooring.

Also known as Bilinga, Kusia, or Badi, Opepe is most commonly used as a strustual timber for pilings, wharf and jetty decking, and other marine work. It has a distinctive yellow / orange colour, and it's heartwood is resistant to insect attack, particularly termites and marine borers.

see Osage-Orange

See Alder, Red

see Cedar, Port-Orford

see Maple, Bigleaf The largest maple of the West. Occurs from Alaska south through coastal British Columbia, western Washington, Oregon and California, and on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada to southern California. Reaches its greatest size on rich bottom lands in Oregon, sometimes 100 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. Elsewhere the trunk is shorter and not straight. Wood is lighter, softer and weaker than eastern hard maple but valued for furniture, interior trim, and handles.

see Laurel, California

see Douglas Fir           see Ponderosa Pine

see Queensland Walnut

see Osage-Orange

Other common names: osage, bow wood, bois-d'arc, bodark, bodare, hedge apple, and horse apple. 
Distribution: Grows in United States and Canada. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Straight grained with an uneven texture and a high luster. Golden-yellow to bright orange heartwood and narrow, light yellow sapwood. Darkens with age. Heavy, hard, tough, and resilient. Exceptional decay resistance (best in North America) and dimensional stability. 
Working Characteristics: Works with difficulty due to hardness. Glues satisfactorily. Nails and screws hold well but hardness may require pre-drilling. Finishes easily enough but oils will accelerate natural darkening. 
Common Uses: Used for wheel rims, bows, fenceposts, stakes, railroad ties, turnery, novelties, and musical instruments 
General :.