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 Black Beech Nothofagus solandri var. solandri

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Product qualities

The colour of New Zealand black beech heartwood ranges from honey coloured to light brown, sometimes with darker blackish streaks adding interest to the grain. The sapwood is light brown. The grain is straight, with a fine and even texture and a rich lustre.

Uses and applications

Furniture, benchtops, joinery, flooring and decking.

Physical and mechanical Properties

Black beech has excellent strength properties and hardness with exceptional dimensional stability once dry (12% m.c.). The wood is not slow drying like red or hard beech.

The fine and even texture of black beech allows for uniform wearing.

Moderately easy to split. Nailing is satisfactory but requires care.

Galvanised fixings are recommended for exterior uses because unprotected iron nails stain the timber. Alternatives include stainless steel, silicon bronze or copper.

Sawing, machining, finishing and turning properties are all excellent.

Minimal sanding is required after machining to achieve a smooth high quality finish.

Black beech glues, stains and paints well.

Its steam bending properties are excellent.

The product has no odor.

Properties Black beech
Density (air dry) 645  kg/m3
Tangential shrinkage (green to 12% moisture content) 7%
Radial shrinkage (green to 12% moisture content) 2.4%
Hardness*The hardness rating of a timber species is measured by the Janka Test. This is a standard test which measures the penetration into the timber of a common load and projectile. The results relate to a hardness capacity of the material and are expressed in kN. Typical 35 year old radiata has hardness of 4.2kN (dry) 4.6 kN
Modulus of elasticity*These average strength properties are based on testing short clear lengths of timber and are not used for structural design under the building code. Characteristic stresses used for structural design are determined from structural grades. Click here for more... 12.5 GPa
Modulus of rupture*These average strength properties are based on testing short clear lengths of timber and are not used for structural design under the building code. Characteristic stresses used for structural design are determined from structural grades. Click here for more... 116 MPa

Availability

Normally available in the marketplace

Natural durability

Black beech heartwood is durable and can be used in exterior exposed situations. It is suitable for outdoor decking and achieves Hazard Class H3.2 durability. Pathological heartwood is non-durable. Black beech sapwood is suitable for internal end-uses and is resistant to anobium and lyctus borers.

Black beech Showcase

Black Beech Furniture. By Dag Guest, Furniture Maker
Black Beech Furniture. By Dag Guest, Furniture Maker
Black Beech Furniture. By Dag Guest, Furniture Maker
Black Beech Floor. Photo: Mark McKenzie, Timbers of New Zealand
Black Beech Deck. Photo: Mark McKenzie, Timbers of New Zealand

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