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Blunting Effect Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning		Scientific Name Diospyros virginiana Trade Name Persimmon Family Name Ebenaceae Common Names American ebony, Bara-bara, Boa-wood, Butterwood, Common persimmon, Cylil date plum, Persimmon, Possum wood, Virginia date palm, White ebony Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Bedroom suites, Boat building, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Mine timbers, Musical instruments , Office furniture, Organ pipes, Parquet flooring, Piano keys, Pianos , Shipbuilding Environmental Profile Status unknown due to inadequate information Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Common persimmon is distributed from southern Connecticut and Long Island, New York to southern Florida. Inland it occurs in central Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, and central Illinois to southeastern Iowa; and southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma to the Valley of the Colorado River in Texas. It does not grow in the main range of the Appalachian Mountains, nor in much of the oak-hickory forest type of the Allegheny Plateau. Scattered throughout most forest types, but particularly abundant on roadsides, pastures, and old fields. Heartwood Color Brown Red Black Purple Small heartwood Brown Black Very small heartwood is black/brown, with streaks and an irregular outline Sapwood Color White Yellow Wide Small heartwood Pale colored when freshly cut Color changes with exposure The freshly-cut sapwood is pale-colored, or white to creamy white, but changes upon exposure to a light yellowish-brown or grayish-brown. This species is characterized by a very wide sapwood, with the heartwood confined to a small area in the center Grain Even Closed Straight Plain Little figure Generally straight, but not always Closed Wood often appears plain, with very little figure Texture Coarse Fine Even textured Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Non-resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-durable Resistant to powder post beetles Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Heartwood resistant to decay The species is vulnerable to attack by the persimmon wilt fungus, which is causing considerable losses to Persimmon trees growing in the southeastern United States Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T6 - C3 (4/4) T3 - C2 (8/4) US T3 - C2 recommended for golf club heads. T3 - B2 recommended for shuttles Schedule C (United Kingdom) Drying Defects Splitting Checking Distortion Surface checks End-checks Chemical brown stains End-Checks, surface- checks, and chemical brown stains are some common drying defects. These are believed to be caused by severe drying and slow drying at low temperatures Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Large shrinkage may occur Difficult Tree Size Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Product Sources Common persimmon is rather scarce in veneer form. Supplies in lumber form are also limited, and the material is rather costly when available. Comments Almost all the persimmon used commercially is reported to consist of sapwood. The heartwood is used mainly for veneer and specialty items. The properties of Persimmon makes it an ideal material for two specific types of applications: golf club heads and textile shuttles. Persimmon shuttles are very hardy and can withstand up to 1000 hours of use without wear or cracking. The wood is used for heads of driver golf clubs because of its hardiness and outstanding resistance to shock. Light & Air-Induced Changes - The creamy white sapwood changes color upon exposure Blunting Effect Moderate Gluing Easy to glue Movement in Service Not stable/prone to move Nailing Possible if prebored Holds nails well The wood is hard and requires pre-boring Planing Special attention required Persimmon requires sharp cutters and reduced cutting angles to yield very smooth surfaces in planing Resistance to Impregnation Permeable heartwood Permeable sapwood Response to Hand Tools Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Easy to machine With the exception of some blunting of cutting surfaces, the wood is rather easy to work with hand tools Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Screwing Possible if prebored Turning Special attention required Moderate blunting effect on cutters Fairly easy turning, boring, mortising and other machining operations Sharp cutting edges are recommended. The surface of the worked wood is reported to stay smooth even under hard usage Steam Bending Moderate Dries rapidly and may develop checks Polishing Excellent results Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Max. crushing strength = very high Heavy The bending strength qualities of this species in the air-dry condition is very high, far superior to those of Mahogany. Compression strength parallel to grain, or maximum crushing strength, is very high - higher than in Teak or Hard maple. It is hard - harder than Teak, and does not marr or dent easily. The weight is very high. The wood is very dense Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10290 18228 psi Density 51 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2254 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 4243 9330 psi Shearing Strength 2117 psi Stiffness 1254 1842 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 13 15 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.6 0.66 Weight 60 50 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % Volumetric Shrinkage 19 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 723 1281 kg/cm2 Density 817 kg/m3 Hardness 1022 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 298 655 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 148 kg/cm2 Stiffness 88 129 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.91 1.05 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.6 0.66 Weight 961 801 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % References American Walnut Manufactures Association (AWMA). 1987. Fine Hardwoods Selectorama: A Guide to the Selection and Use of the World's Most Popular Species. Published by AWMA, 5603 West Raymond Street, Suite O, Indianapolis, Indiana in Co-operation with Fine Hardwood Veneer Association. Bodig, J. and B. A. Jayne. 1982. Mechanics of Wood and Wood Composites. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York. Boone, R.S., Kozlik, C.J., Bois, P.J., Wengert, E.M. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Constantine, Jr., A.J. 1975. Know your Woods: A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers. Revised Edition. Revised by H.J. Hobbs. Charles Scribner and Sons, New York. HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer, Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Kaiser, J. 1993. Wood of the Month - Persimmon:The Ebony of America. Wood and Wood Products, December, 1993, Page 46. Kline, M. 1979. Diospyros virginiana - Common persimmon. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 141-142. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co., Fresno, California. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.