Search for

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 Schedules Luster Mortising Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Carya tomentosa Trade Name Mockernut hickory Family Name Juglandaceae Common Names Hickory, Mockernut, Mockernut hickory, White hickory Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Baseball bats, Cabinetmaking, Charcoal, Decorative veneer, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Fine furniture, Flooring, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Handles, Skis, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Mockernut hickory is widely distributed from eastern Massachusetts to Florida west across eastern and central New York and northern Ohio to southeastern Iowa, Missouri, southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas. The species occupies upland sites on ridges and hillsides. It is a major component of one forest cover type: Northern Red Oak-Mockernut Hickory-Sweetgum. It is a minor component of 4 other forest types: Post Oak-Black Oak; White Oak-Red Oak-Hickory; Beech-Sugar Maple ; and Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak. Heartwood Color Brown Purple Red Pink Reddish brown Brown Marketed under the name of Red hickory Sapwood Color Brown Pale colored Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Sapwood is often quite wide and is frequently sold as White hickory Grain Even Closed Figure Straight Irregular Wavy Occasionally wavy Irregular grain occasionally Generally straight, but not always Texture Medium Coarse Luster Medium Natural Durability Durable Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to powder post beetles 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 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 Collapse Checking Distortion Internal Honeycombing Possible Slight twist/warp Severe shrinkage may result Ease of Drying Dries rapidly with little or no degrade Tree Size Bark width is 5-10 mm Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Striaght bole, well formed. Nuts and leaves are arromatic when crushed Blunting Effect Severe effect Medium effect Boring Excellent (95+ pieces out of 100 will yield excellent results) Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Satisfactory sawing properties Gluing Difficult to glue Mortising Good mortising properties Movement in Service Retains shape High High dimensional stability after proper seasoning Nailing Pre-boring recommended Planing Special attention required Difficult machining properties Interlocked grain requires a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees for planing Resistance to Impregnation Wood moderately responsive to treatment Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results 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 Good results Staining Stains well Strength Properties Several species in the genus Carya, including Shellbark (C. laciniosa ), Pignut (C. glabra ), Mockernut (C. tomentosa ), and Shagbark (C. ovata ) are often mixed together and marketed under the trade name 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 are 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 10878 18816 psi Crushing Strength 794 1695 psi Impact Strength 86 75 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4390 8761 psi Shearing Strength 1705 psi Stiffness 1539 2176 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 23 25 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.6 0.65 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % Volumetric Shrinkage 18 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 764 1322 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 55 119 kg/cm2 Impact Strength 218 190 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 308 615 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 119 kg/cm2 Stiffness 108 152 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 1.61 1.75 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.6 0.65 Radial Shrinkage 8 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % 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. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 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.