The Chestnut Family
Scientific Name: | Castanea dentata |
Location: | eastern USA |
Dried Weight: | 30lbs/ft3 |
Janka Hardness: | 540lbf |
Crushing Strength: | 5,300lbf /in2 |
American Chestnut has a heartwood that is light to medium brown in color, which darkens to reddish brown with age. The sapwood is a pale white to light brown color. The grain is straight to spiral or interlocked and it has a coarse uneven texture. The end grain is diffuse-porous. American Chestnut is rated as very durable in regards to decay. The wood is easy to work with but caution must be taken when nailing and screwing as the wood splits easy. The wood glues and stains well, but it only performs mediocre at turning.
Scientific Name: | Aesculus hippocastanum |
Location: | Eastern Europe |
Dried Weight: | 31lbs/ft3 |
Janka Hardness: | 820lbf |
Crushing Strength: | 5,400lbf /in2 |
Horse Chestnut has a heartwood that is creamy white or a yellowish brown in color, while the sapwood is a white color. The grain tends to be wavy or interlocked and it has a fine even texture. The end grain is diffuse-porous. Horse Chestnut is rated as non-durable to perishable in regards to decay. The wood is easy to work with and glues, and finishes well.
Scientific Name: | Castanea sativa |
Location: | Europe & Asia Minor |
Dried Weight: | 34lbs/ft3 |
Janka Hardness: | 680lbf |
Crushing Strength: | 6,300lbf /in2 |
Sweet Chestnut has a heartwood that is light to medium brown in color, which will darken to a reddish brown with age. The sapwood is a pale white to a light brown color. The grain is straight to spiral or interlocked and it has a coarse uneven texture. The end grain is ring-porous. Sweet Chestnut is easy to work with, but care must be taken when nailing and screwing because the wood splits easy. The wood glues, stains, and finishes well, but it only turns mediocre.