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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Plantation species? Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Acacia melanoxylon Trade Name Australian blackwood Family Name Leguminosae Common Names Australian black acacia, Australian blackwood, Black sally, Black wattle, Blackwood, Cedar, Cedar lightwood, Lightwood, Swarthout, Tasmanian blackwood Plantation species? Yes Regions of Distribution Africa, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Argentina, Australia, Chile, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania Common Uses Bedroom suites, Bent Parts, Boat building (general), Boat building: framing, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Chairs, Chests, Cooperages, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Food containers, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture, Gunstocks, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Musical instruments , Musical instruments, Office furniture, Organ pipes, Paneling, Piano keys, Pianos , Plywood corestock, Plywood, Poles, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rifle stock, Sounding boards, Sporting Goods, Structural work, Tables, Tool handles, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Violin bows, Violin, Walking sticks, Wardrobes, Wheel spokes, Wheels, Xylophones, agricultural implements Environmental Profile Questionable Extinct Endangered Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare within its range Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Particularly in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa Distribution Overview Australian Blackwood grows in Eastern Australia from Queensland southward to Victoria and also in Tasmania. It has been introduced into East and South Africa, India, Ceylon, Chile, and Argentina. It's distribution is closely linked to rainfall. The tree can be found in various habitats, chiefly wet sclerophyll forest and in or near cooler rainforest. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Orange Purple Black Dark brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Reddish brown Brown Pale brown Golden brown with a reddish cast May have chocolate brown zones. Plantation timber may be Greenish-greyish to black in color Sapwood Color White Yellow Green/Grey White to yellow Well defined Straw colored to grayish-white Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Wavy Straight Figure Other (figure) Closed Even Distinct (figure) Fiddleback (figure) Interlocked Rippled (figure) Generally straight, but not always Wavy Other figures are possible or common Rippled figure Occasionally wavy Occasionally interlocked, but not always Fiddleback figure Distinct figure Texture Medium Fine Even or uniform Uniform Medium Fine Fine to medium Even textured Luster Medium High Lustrous Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Durable Non-resistant to termites Perishable Non-durable Moderately durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Durable Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) Perishable Moderately durable Untreated wood in contact with ground could decay in less than 5 years Non durable Little or no natural resistance Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Respiratory effects Dermatitic effects Kiln Schedules Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is fairly rapid Dry at a moderate speed Drying (speed) is fast Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Checking Collapse Internal Honeycombing Possible Slight surface checking Moderate cupping Slight end splitting Slight collapse and honeycomb No twisting or warping No surface checking No end splitting Moderate end spitting Wide, flat-sawn boards have a tendency to cup but this can be avoided by weighting down stack Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Moderately Difficult to Difficult Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Rapidly Easy Moderate Kiln Drying Rate Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries quickly Rapid Fairly rapid (11-17 days for boards under 32 mm, to 31-51 days for boards greater than 63 mm) Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm) Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is unknown Bole/stem form is misshapen Bole/stem form is buttressed Stem form tends to be straighter with plantation-grown timber Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 15-20 cm Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources Supplies of the timber are adequate in Australia, but are limited in other parts of the world. Prices are in the high range when the material is available. Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Moderate Blunting effect on machining is moderate Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Easy Difficult Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Material with interlocked grain can be difficult. Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to glue Moderate gluing properties Satisfactory gluing properties Gluing properties are variable Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor moulding results Reduce cutting angle to 20 degrees, especially if interlocked grain is present Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Medium Stable Small Not stable/prone to move Plantation timber is less stable Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor to Very Poor Results Fair to Good Results Pre-Boring Recommended Difficult to nail Easy to nail Satisfactory nailing properties Possible if prebored Nails hold poorly Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planes well, to a good finish Moderately easy to plane Responds well to both hand and machine tools Reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is suggested Planes to a poor finish Easy to plane Material containing curly grain usually requires extra attention. Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Heartwood is extremely resistant Sapwood is moderately resistant Heartwood is resistant Sapwood is permeable Sapwood is moderately treatable Sapwood is extremely resistant