Custom Search
|
|
Butternut Lumber: A Beneficial Hardwood
Butternut lumber (also referred to as Juglans Cinerea) is taken from the butternut tree, which reaches a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. This tree grows mostly in central and eastern North America, with limited trees in Southeast Canada. Butternut heartwood is chestnut brown with darker areas, while the narrow sapwood is white. It has a satiny, generally straight grain and a coarse texture. Butternut is closely related to the walnut family and it is often called ‘white walnut’. This is because it resembles black walnut, but it’s not as dark. Experienced woodworker, Tom Elberson, has worked with butternut wood for trim and box making. He prefers the natural look of the wood because it is graded with knots, which gives it a rustic look. To show its natural beauty, he applies a clear finish to the wood. After the first application of clear coat, the grains begin to rise. He suggests sanding the butternut between coats of finish. This is necessary to obtain a smooth finish to the surface. Butternut has a Janka hardness of 490, which deems it a soft wood. This makes it an excellent wood for carving. Woodworkers use butternut because it shows beautiful color and grain pattern when it is carved. It is also used for furniture, interior trim, boxes, crates, paneling, and veneer. Butternut has many notable qualities for being such a soft wood. It is relatively light weight, which makes it easy to work with. It holds up very well to hand and power tools, but make sure the cutters are sharp since it is a soft wood. It has good nailing and screwing properties. It also glues, stains, and finishes well. However, it does have some drawbacks for being such a soft wood. Butternut is not a very flexible wood, so it lacks stiffness and has weak bending strength. Its durability is low, rating it below black walnut. Because it’s not an extremely tough wood, it makes it more susceptible to insect attack or fungus growth. With the variety of domestic lumber available, you need to take into account the different features that each one offers. Depending on your specifications, you can find the perfect domestic hardwood for any project. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Discover Butternut wood benefits and features. |
|