Black Walnut
Quick Facts:
Common Name’s: Black Walnut
Scientific Name: Juglans nigra
Tree size in length: 100-120 feet/30-37 meter
Tree size in diameter: 2-3 feet/ 60-100 cm
Average dried weight: 38 lbs per cubic ft/610 kg per cubic meter
Shrinkage radial: 5.5%
Shrinkage tangential: 7.8%
Shrinkage volumetric: 12.8%
Odor: Black Walnut has a faint, mild odor when being worked.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.
General Info:
Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white. Figured grain patterns such as curl, crotch, and burl are also seen.
Grain/Texture:
Grain is usually straight, but can be irregular. Has a medium texture and moderate natural luster.
Workability:
Typically easy to work provided the grain is straight and regular. Planer tearout can sometimes be a problem when surfacing pieces with irregular or figured grain. Glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending.
Notes/Comments:
Walnut cooperative working characteristics, coupled with its rich brown coloration puts the wood in a class by itself among temperate-zone hardwoods. To cap it off, the wood also has good dimensional stability, shock resistance, and strength properties.
