General Description: The heartwood is very pale white to pinkbrown.
Some logs have a dark red kern or darker veining. Beech has a straight
grain and fine, even texture. Average weight 720 kg/m3 (45lb/ft3);
specific gravity 0.72.
Mechanical Properties: The steam bending properties are
exceptionally good, even tolerant of knots and irregular grain. It has
medium stiffness, high crushing strength and medium resistance to shock
loads.
Working Properties: The ease of working varies with growth
conditions and seasoning. Tough material or badly dried timber will bind
on saws, burn when crosscut and be difficult to plane. Beech offers medium
resistance to hand and power tools and has a moderate blunting effect on
cutting edges. Pre-boring is necessary for nailing, it glues easily,
stains well and takes an excellent finish.
Durability: The wood is perishable, liable to attack by common
furniture beetle and by death watch beetle in old buildings. Sapwood is
affected by longhorn beetle. The timber is permeable for preservation
treatment.
Uses: Cabinet making, high class joinery, solid and laminated
furniture, desks and work benches, chair making, shoe heels, sportswear,
toys, tool handles and turning. More European Beech is consumed in the
U.K. than any other hardwood.
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