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Blunting Effect
Boring
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Natural Growth Defects
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities
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Common Names
Big pine, Bird's-eye pine, Black jack pine, Black pine, Blackjack pine, British Colombia soft pine, Bull pine, Californian white pine, Knotty pine, Lodgepole pine, Oregon pine, Pine, Pitch pine, Pole pine, Ponderosa pine, Pondosa pine, Prickly pine, Western pine, Western soft pine, Western yellow pine, Yellow pine
Regions of Distribution
North America
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Canada, United States
Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Beams, Bedroom suites, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Coffins, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, General carpentry, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior trim, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Light construction, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Pallets, Paneling , Paneling, Particleboard, Partitions, Piling, Plywood, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Roofing, Screens, Toys, Turnery, Veneer
Environmental Profile
| Abundant/Secure |
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| Widespread, abundant and globally secure |
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| May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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Distribution Overview
The most widely distributed of the pines in North America, Ponderosa pine grows from British Columbia to near the Mexican border. The species is found in Alberta, British Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It grow mostly in the mountains, often in pure stands to form extensive forests, but may also be in mixed coniferous forests. Ponderosa pine grow from sea level in the northern parts of its range to an altitude of up 9000 feet (2745 m) in the south, with the best stand of trees occuring between 4000 and 8000 feet (1220 and 2440 m).
Heartwood Color
| Red |
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| Reddish brown |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| Pale brown |
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| White to cream |
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| Deep yellow to reddish brown, yellowish to light reddish, or orange brown |
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| Brown |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| White to yellow |
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| Well defined |
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| Paler than heartwood |
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| Whitish to pale yellow |
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| Very thick in mature trees |
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Grain
| Straight |
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| Figure |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Even |
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| Distinct (figure) |
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| Birds-eye (figure) |
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| Straight |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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| Distinct figure |
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| Straight and even |
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| Fine, dark lines of resin ducts and numerous knots that generally sound |
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| Figured with bird's-eye pattern and dimples on split tangnetial surfaces |
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Texture
| Medium coarse to coarse |
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| Fine |
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| Medium |
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| Uniform |
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| Fine to medium |
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| Coarse |
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Natural Growth Defects
| Gum/resin streaks |
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| Gum/resin exudation |
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| Latex or other ducts |
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Natural Durability
| Non durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Very little natural resistance to attack by decay fungi and other wood destroying organisms |
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| Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Should not be used under high decay hazard conditions without proper protection |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present |
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| Moderately resistant |
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Odor
| No specific taste |
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| Clear and pleasant pine odor |
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Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
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| UK=L US=T146C6S/T12C5S |
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| Standard T9-C6(4/4); T7-C5(8/4)US Schedule L (4/4) United Kingdom |
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| Antibrown stain. T7-E6(4/4); T7-E5 (8/4) US |
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Drying Defects
| May warp during drying due to juvenile and compression wood |
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| Expect resin/gum exudation |
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| Chemical brown stains |
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Ease of Drying
| Easy |
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| Rapid conversion of logs and seasoning of lumber to prevent blue stains |
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| Moderate |
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| Easy to dry |
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Strength is unaffected by blue stains, and can be hidden with paint or accented with clear finishes and used as lower grade lumber.
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is straight |
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Tree Size
| Tree height is 0-10 m |
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| Tree height is 10-20 m |
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Comments
Abnormal wood tissue in the form of compression wood may be present
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect
| Moderate |
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| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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| Slight blunting effect on cutting edges |
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| Blunting effect on sawing green wood is mild |
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| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild |
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Boring
| Fair to good results |
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| Fairly easy to very easy |
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| Easy |
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| Responds very well to boring |
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Cutting Resistance
| Gum-Up |
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| Easy to saw |
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| Saws well |
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| Resin exudation may gum up sawteeth |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy |
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Gluing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Easy to glue |
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| Moderate gluing properties |
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| Good gluing properties |
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Mortising
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Finishes well |
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| Easy to mortise |
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| Excellent mortising characteristics |
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Moulding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Good finishing results |
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| Easy to mould |
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| Very good moulding properties |
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Movement in Service
| Stable |
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| Small dimensional changes in response to climate fluctuations in immediate surrounding |
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| Dimensionally stable after seasoning |
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Nailing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Holds nails well |
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| Easy to nail |
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| Satisfactory resistance to decay above ground |
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| Good nail holding properties |
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| Excellent resistance to splitting in nailing operations |
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Planing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Easy to plane |
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| Very good planning properties |
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| Pitch build-up on tools could be a problem |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant sapwood |
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| Resistant heartwood |
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| Permeable |
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| Sapwood is permeable |
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| Sapwood in mature trees absorb preservatives readily |
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| Heartwood is moderately resistant |
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Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work |
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| Easy to machine |
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| Works easily with hand tools, with little blunting effect on cutting edges |
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| Typically sound knots |
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| Resin exudation may interfere with some woodworking operations |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Routing yields good results |
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| Routing is easy |
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Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Screwing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Screwing yields good results |
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| Good screw holding properties |
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| Excellent screwing properties |
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| Easy to screw |
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Turning
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Good results |
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| Easy to turn |
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| Turns well |
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Veneering Qualities
| Easy to cut |
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| Suitable for peeling |
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| No drying degrade. Dries flat without splitting |
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Steam Bending
| Exudation |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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Painting
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Satisfactory results |
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| Good results |
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| Pre-treat wood surfaces with sealer before painting to prevent the bleeding of finishes |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Staining
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Finish is generally good |
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| Staining (Characteristic) = coloured water-soluble extract |
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Varnishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Takes variety of finishes well |
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| Requires some surface preparation |
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| Good results |
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Strength Properties
| Hardness (side grain) = very soft |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = low |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low |
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| Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Work to Maximum Load = very low |
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| Max. crushing strength = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = medium |
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| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = very low |
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| Toughness (total work) = very low |
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| Toughness (total work) = low |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = very low |
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| Surfaces may dent or scratch easily |
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| Soft |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = small |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = small |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low |
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| Medium bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12% moisture content) |
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| Max. crushing strength (stiffness) = very low |
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| Crushing strength = medium |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
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| Average weight |
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