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Some of American hardwood species:

American alder

Latin name

Alnus rubra

Other Common names

Red alder, Western red alder, Western alder.

Distribution

West coast USA, principally the Pacific North West, where it is the most common commercial hardwood.

General Description

Red alder is almost white when freshly cut, but quickly changes on exposure to air to light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of
advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The
wood is fairly straight grained with a uniform texture.

Working Properties

Red alder machines well and is excellent for turning and polishing. It nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, painted, or stained to a good finish. It dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying.

Physical Properties

Red alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density that has low bending strength, shock-resistance and stiffness.

Durability

The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay, liable to attack by the common furniture beetle, but permeable for preservation treatment.

Availability

USA:

Reasonably available, but strictly limited to the region.

Export:

Readily available in some markets but limited in others. Available in dimension stock and rough lumber.

Main Uses

Furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, interior mouldings, turning, carving and kitchen utensils.

Grading

The grading rules are unique for this Western US species. Key points include: lumber is kiln dried, surfaced and then inspected for grading from the best face. Pin knots are a natural characteristic and not considered a defect. The primary grades include superior (select & BTR), cabinet (#1C) and frame (#2C) which adapt themselves to similar uses as the standard NHLA grades.

Technical statistics

Specific Gravity (12% M.C.):           0.41

Average Weight (12% M.C.):          449Kg/m³

Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.):10.10%

Modulus of Elasticity: 9515 MPa

Hardness: 2624 N

American ash

Latin name

Fraxinus spp.

Other Common names

Northern ash, Southern ash

Distribution

Throughout the Eastern USA.

General Description

American ash is similar in appearance to European ash. The sapwood is light coloured to nearly white and the heartwood varies from greyish brown to light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The wood is generally straight grained with a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability of light coloured sapwood, and other properties, will vary according to the growing regions.

Working Properties

Ash machines well, is good in nailing, screwing and gluing, and can be stained and
polished to a very good finish. It dries fairly easily with minimal degrade, and there is little movement in performance.

Physical Properties

Ash has very good overall strength properties relative to its weight. It has excellent shock resistance and is good for steam bending.
Durability

Non-resistant to heartwood decay. The sapwood is liable to attack by powder post and the common furniture beetle. The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment, and the sapwood is permeable.

Availability

USA:

Readily available.

Export:

Good availability as lumber and veneer. The lumber is often classified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern ash and Southern ash. It is sometimes separated for colour and sold as white ash (sapwood) or brown ash (heartwood). Fraxinus nigra, black ash, may also be sold as brown ash.

Main Uses

Furniture, flooring, doors, architectural interiors, high class joinery and moulding, kitchen cabinets, paneling, tool handles, sports goods and turning.

Grading

When purchasing specifications call for a white (sapwood) or brown (heartwood) colour in the clear cutting yield, refer to colour sorting in the grading guide. Light brown mineral streaks (sometimes referred to as glassworm) are a natural characteristic and not considered a defect in the lumber

Technical statistics

Specific Gravity (12% M.C.):           0.6

Average Weight (12% M.C.):          673 kg/m³

Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.):10.70%

Modulus of Elasticity: 11,977 MPa

Hardness: 5871 N

American aspen

Latin name

Populus tremuloides

Distribution

Throughout USA, but commercially in the North Eastern USA.

General Description

Sapwood is white, blending into the light brown heartwood. The contrast between sap and heartwood is small. The wood has a fine uniform texture and is straight grained.

Working Properties

Aspen does not split when nailed, it machines easily with a slightly fuzzy surface, and turns, bores, and sands well. It takes paint and stain well to produce a good finish although care is required where the surface is fuzzy. It has low to moderate shrinkage and good dimensional stability. Aspen is a true poplar, and therefore has similar characteristics and properties to cottonwood and European poplar.

Physical Properties

The wood is light and soft, with low bending strength and stiffness, and medium shock resistance. It has a very low bending classification.

Durability

Non-resistant to heartwood decay, and extremely resistant to preservative treatment.

Availability

USA: 
Limited, and rarely available in thick stock.
Export:
Limited due to low demand.

Main Uses

Furniture parts (drawer sides), doors, mouldings, picture frames, interior joinery, toys, kitchen utensils. Matchsticks (USA). Important specialised uses include sauna laths because of its low conductivity of heat, and chopsticks.

Grading

Furniture parts (drawer sides), doors, mouldings, picture frames, interior joinery, toys, kitchen utensils. Matchsticks (USA). Important specialised uses include sauna laths because of its low conductivity of heat, and chopsticks.

Technical statistics

Specific Gravity (12% M.C.):           0.38

Average Weight (12% M.C.):          417 kg/m³

Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.): 9.20%

Modulus of Elasticity: 8136 MPa

Hardness: 1557 N