Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning		Scientific Name Acacia mollissima Trade Name Black wattle Family Name Leguminosae Synonyms Acacia decurrens, Acacia mollissima Common Names Acacia, Basboom, Black wattle, Green wattle, Swartwattel, Tan wattle, Wattle Regions of Distribution Africa, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Australia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka Common Uses Boxes and crates, Charcoal, Chemical derivatives, Cooperages, Domestic flooring, Factory flooring, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Fuelwood, Furniture, Hardboards, Mine timbers, Parquet flooring, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Sub-flooring, Tannin, Tool handles Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Black wattle is native to Southeast Australia (Victoria to New South Wales and southern Queensland) and Tasmania, but has been extensively planted in East and South Africa and elsewhere. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Pink Orange Pale brown Red Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Pale red to pink Mostly indistinct in color from sapwood Light brown Sapwood Color Brown Red Pale brown Different than heartwood Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Figure Interlocked Other (figure) Crossed Interlocked Other figure Crossed Texture Fine Medium Even or uniform Fine Fine to medium Uniform Luster Medium Medium Lustrous Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to termites Perishable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Non durable Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) Very little natural resistance Susceptible to termite attack Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Distortion Splitting Checking Ring Shakes Moderate end spitting Severe cupping Moderate surface checking Shakes Severe twisting/warping Moderate cupping Expect splits Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Ease of Drying Slowly Fairly Easy Rapidly Thick Stock Requires Care Requires special attention Moderately Difficult to Difficult Requires slow and careful seasoning to prevent degrade. Moderate Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Naturally dries quickly Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 20-30 m Product Sources Black wattle is also cultivated principally for its bark which yields tannin Boring Fairly easy to very easy Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Plantation grown timber can be hard and tough Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Not stable/prone to move Large Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Possible if prebored Pre-boring necessary Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to plane Moderately easy to plane May produce some torn grain Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Permeable heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is moderately resistant Sapwood is permeable Permeable Sapwood absorbs preservatives readily. Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Difficult to machine Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Pre-boring recommended Pre-boring necessary Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Max. crushing strength = high Hardness (side grain) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact strength)= high Toughness (total work)= very high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = medium Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10811 17821 psi Crushing Strength 921 1651 psi Density 46 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1659 lbs Impact Strength 54 54 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5771 9115 psi Shearing Strength 2430 psi Static Bending 4567 7120. psi Stiffness 1672 2153 1000 psi Toughness 407 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.58 Weight 46 45 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 760 1252 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 64 116 kg/cm2 Density 737 kg/m3 Hardness 752 kg Impact Strength 137 137 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 405 640 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 170 kg/cm2 Static Bending 321 500. kg/cm2 Stiffness 117 151 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 468 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.58 References Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48 Banks, C.H.,1954,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with Particular Reference to those,grown in the Union of South Africa,Journal of the South African Forestry Association,No. 24 pp.44-65,[South,African Forestry Journal] Bois, P.J.,1966,The Strength Properties of Tanzania Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Tech. Note, No.35 Bolza, E. and N. H. Kloot. 1963. The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 25, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1963,The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper,No.25 Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. E.H. Walker,1954,Important Trees of the Ryukyu Islands,United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands Special Bulletin,No. 3 Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO Guha, S.R.D.,1969,Summary of Investigations on the suitability of Indigenous Broadleaved,woods for production of Sulphate pulps for writing and printing,Indian Forester,95(8,pp579-90 Hartwig, G.L.F.,1967,Flooring Timber in S.Africa - Acacia mearnsii,The South African Builder 45(2) pp34-35 HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods. 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio. Lavers, G.M.,1983,The Strength Properties of Timber (3rd ed. revised Moore G.L.,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Report (formerly Bulletin No.50) Lincoln, W. A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Little, E.L.,1948,A Collection of Tree Specimens from Western Ecuador,Caribbean Forester,9(3,pp215-98 Nation Research Council,1980,Firewood Crops Shrub and Tree Species for Energy Production,National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C. Scott, M.H.,1935,Weights of South African Growth Timbers,South African Department of Agriculture and Forestry Bulletin,No.145,Forest Products Institute, Forestry Series No.1 Scott, M.H.,1953,Utilisation Notes on South African Timbers,South African Forestry Department Bulletin No.36 South African Lumber Millers Assoc.,1969,Notes on some Commercially Available Hardwoods,S.A.L.M.A. Timber Info. Centre Timber Technical Guide,No.1 Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7 Timber Development Association,1948,Some New Timbers and Their Uses No. 34,Timber Development Association Limited, London [TRADA] WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.