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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 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 Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Carya lacinosa Trade Name Shellbark hickory Family Name Juglandaceae Common Names Big shagbark hickory, Hickory, Kingnut, Shellbark hickory Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Baseball bats, Charcoal, Drum sticks, Fishing rods , Flooring, Fuelwood, Skis, Sporting Goods, Textile equipment, Tool handles, Vehicle parts Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview In North America, this species grows in southeastern Canada and eastern United States. It occurs from southeast Iowa east to Ohio and southwest Pennsylvania, south to Tennessee and west to northeastern Oklahoma. It is also found in localized areas in southern Ontario in Canada, and New York, northern Georgia, and Mississippi in the United States. Heartwood Color Brown Black Reddish brown Brown Sometimes marketed under the trade name of Red hickory. Sapwood Color White Yellow Pale colored Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Sapwood is often wide and is frequently marketed as as White hickory. Sapwood is sometimes preffered to the heartwood in appearance Grain Even Closed Figure Straight Irregular Wavy Occasionally wavy Irregular grain occasionally Generally straight, but not always Texture Fine Coarse Natural Durability Perishable Susceptible to insect attack Non-durable Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to marine borers Very little natural resistance Standing trees/logs vulnerable to attack by forest longhorn or Buprestid beetles Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules White handles White handles T8 - D3 (4/4); T6 - D1 (8/4) US Small = T8-D1 Small = T8-D1 Small = T1-D2 Small = T1-D2 Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom/T8 - D3 (4/4); T6 - D1 (8/4) US Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom Pink handles Pink handles Large = T8-C1 Large = T8-C1 Large = T1-C2 Large = T1-C2 Drying Defects Distortion Slight twist/warp Severe shrinkage may result Ease of Drying Slowly Dries rapidly with little or no degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries slowly Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 20-30 m Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Bark width is 10-15 mm Tree height is 40-50 m Bole length is 0-10 m Large tree, produces the largest hickory nuts. Straight bole Blunting Effect Severe effect Medium effect Boring Excellent (95+ pieces out of 100 will yield excellent results) Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Satisfactory sawing properties Cutting resistance to narrow bandsawing is satisfactory Gluing Difficult to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Good mortising properties Moulding Fair to Good Results Movement in Service Stable Retains shape After proper seasoning retains shape well Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Planing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Special attention required Poor machining properties Interlocked grain requires a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees in planing operations Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Wood moderately responsive to treatment Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Turning Good results Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Veneers moderately easy Veneers easily Difficult to veneer Steam Bending Excellent High bending and crushing strengths, high stiffness and high resistance to shock loads make hickory extremely suitable for steam bending applications Polishing Polishing characteristics are good to very good Staining Stains well Strength Properties Several species of Carya, including Shellbark (C. laciniosa ), Pignut (C. glabra ), Mockernut (C. tomentosa ), and Shagbark (C. ovata ) are usually marketed together as hickory because of very close similarities. Density and other related properties of the species are significantly determined by the rate of growth. Wood with wide growth rings is generally high in density and strength. The wood has very good strength properties in relation to its weight, and is well suited for applications where shock resistance is required. Strength properties are slightly superior to those of European beech (Fagus ), but toughness is considerably higher Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10290 17738 psi Crushing Strength 794 1764 psi Density 42 lbs/ft3 Impact Strength 102 86 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3842 7840 psi Shearing Strength 2068 psi Stiffness 1313 1852 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 24 29 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.58 0.63 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 13 % Volumetric Shrinkage 19 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 723 1247 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 55 124 kg/cm2 Density 673 kg/m3 Impact Strength 258 218 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 270 551 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 145 kg/cm2 Stiffness 92 130 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 1.68 2.03 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.58 0.63 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 13 % References 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. HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California. Rendle, B.J. Editor. 1969. World Timbers, Volume Two - North & South America (Including Central America and the West Indies). Published by Ernest Benn Limited, Bouverie House, Fleet Street, London. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.