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Boring
Carving
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning

Scientific Name
Acacia mollissima

Trade Name
Black wattle

Family Name
Leguminosae

Synonyms
Acacia decurrens, Acacia mollissima


Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Acacia, Basboom, Black wattle, Green wattle, Swartwattel, Tan wattle, Wattle

Regions of Distribution
Africa, Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Australia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Common Uses
Boxes and crates, Charcoal, Chemical derivatives, Cooperages, Domestic flooring, Factory flooring, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Fuelwood, Furniture, Hardboards, Mine timbers, Parquet flooring, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Sub-flooring, Tannin, Tool handles

Environmental Profile
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Black wattle is native to Southeast Australia (Victoria to New South Wales and southern Queensland) and Tasmania, but has been extensively planted in East and South Africa and elsewhere.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Red
Yellow
Pink
Orange
Pale brown
Red
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Pale red to pink
Mostly indistinct in color from sapwood
Light brown


Sapwood Color
Brown
Red
Pale brown
Different than heartwood
Color not distinct from heartwood


Grain
Figure
Interlocked
Other (figure)
Crossed

Interlocked
Other figure
Crossed


Texture
Fine
Medium
Even or uniform
Fine
Fine to medium
Uniform


Luster
Medium
Medium
Lustrous


Natural Durability
Susceptible to insect attack
Non-durable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-resistant to termites
Perishable
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Non durable
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Very little natural resistance
Susceptible to termite attack
Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Kiln Schedules
Drying (speed) is fast
Dry at a slow speed


Drying Defects
Distortion
Splitting
Checking
Ring Shakes
Moderate end spitting
Severe cupping
Moderate surface checking
Shakes
Severe twisting/warping
Moderate cupping
Expect splits
Distortion (twist/warp) is likely


Ease of Drying
Slowly
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Thick Stock Requires Care
Requires special attention
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Requires slow and careful seasoning to prevent degrade.
Moderate


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries slowly
Naturally dries quickly


Tree Size
Tree height is 10-20 m
Tree height is 0-10 m
Tree height is 20-30 m


Product Sources
Black wattle is also cultivated principally for its bark which yields tannin

Boring
Fairly easy to very easy


Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy

Plantation grown timber can be hard and tough

Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Movement in Service
Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement
Not stable/prone to move
Large


Nailing
Pre-Boring Recommended
Possible if prebored
Pre-boring necessary


Planing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Difficult to plane
Moderately easy to plane
May produce some torn grain


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable sapwood
Resistant heartwood
Permeable heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is moderately resistant
Sapwood is permeable
Permeable

Sapwood absorbs preservatives readily.

Response to Hand Tools
Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Difficult to machine


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Screwing
Pre-boring recommended
Pre-boring necessary


Turning
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Good results


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft.
Max. crushing strength = high
Hardness (side grain) = medium
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact strength)= high
Toughness (total work)= very high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low
Max. crushing strength = medium
Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft.


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1081117821psi
Crushing Strength9211651psi
Density46lbs/ft3
Hardness1659lbs
Impact Strength5454inches
Maximum Crushing Strength57719115psi
Shearing Strength2430psi
Static Bending45677120.psi
Stiffness167221531000 psi
Toughness407inch-lbs
Specific Gravity0.58
Weight4645lbs/ft3
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength7601252kg/cm2
Crushing Strength64116kg/cm2
Density737kg/m3
Hardness752kg
Impact Strength137137cm
Maximum Crushing Strength405640kg/cm2
Shearing Strength170kg/cm2
Static Bending321500.kg/cm2
Stiffness1171511000 kg/cm2
Toughness468cm-kg
Specific Gravity0.58

References
Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48

Banks, C.H.,1954,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with Particular Reference to those,grown in the Union of South Africa,Journal of the South African Forestry Association,No. 24 pp.44-65,[South,African Forestry Journal]

Bois, P.J.,1966,The Strength Properties of Tanzania Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Tech. Note, No.35

Bolza, E. and N. H. Kloot. 1963. The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 25, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, Melbourne, Australia.

Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research

Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1963,The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper,No.25

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

E.H. Walker,1954,Important Trees of the Ryukyu Islands,United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands Special Bulletin,No. 3

Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO

Guha, S.R.D.,1969,Summary of Investigations on the suitability of Indigenous Broadleaved,woods for production of Sulphate pulps for writing and printing,Indian Forester,95(8,pp579-90

Hartwig, G.L.F.,1967,Flooring Timber in S.Africa - Acacia mearnsii,The South African Builder 45(2) pp34-35

HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods. 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lavers, G.M.,1983,The Strength Properties of Timber (3rd ed. revised Moore G.L.,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Report (formerly Bulletin No.50)

Lincoln, W. A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.

Little, E.L.,1948,A Collection of Tree Specimens from Western Ecuador,Caribbean Forester,9(3,pp215-98

Nation Research Council,1980,Firewood Crops Shrub and Tree Species for Energy Production,National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C.

Scott, M.H.,1935,Weights of South African Growth Timbers,South African Department of Agriculture and Forestry Bulletin,No.145,Forest Products Institute, Forestry Series No.1

Scott, M.H.,1953,Utilisation Notes on South African Timbers,South African Forestry Department Bulletin No.36

South African Lumber Millers Assoc.,1969,Notes on some Commercially Available Hardwoods,S.A.L.M.A. Timber Info. Centre Timber Technical Guide,No.1

Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7

Timber Development Association,1948,Some New Timbers and Their Uses No. 34,Timber Development Association Limited, London [TRADA]

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.









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