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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 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 Schedules Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Castanea dentata Trade Name American chestnut Family Name Fagaceae Common Names American chestnut, Chestnut, Chinkapin, English chestnut, European chestnut, Spanish chestnut, Sweet chestnut Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Barrels, Bedroom suites, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canes, Canoes, Caskets, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Coffins, Concealed parts (Furniture), Cooperages, Crossties, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fiberboard, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Foundation posts, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Handles, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Lock gates, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Musical instruments, Office furniture, Paneling, Piling, Plywood corestock, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Shingles, Tables, Tool handles, Vats Environmental Profile Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat Some long-term concern for the species Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk) Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions. Extinct, Endangered, Rare, or Vulnerable within some parts of its original range. Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Data source is Nature Conservancy Vulnerable in the U.S. states of Iowa, Maryland, and Michigan. Rare in Canada. Possibly extinct in Mississippi Distribution Overview The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once one of North America's most important forest trees. The natural range of the American chestnut is in the Carolinian region of eastern North America, and extends from southeastern Michigan through southern Ontario to Maine, and south to Georgia.  Chestnut commonly made up to 25 percent of mixed stands and formed pure stands on many dry ridgetops of the Appalachians. Until the 1940's, American chestnut was a prevalent tree species in southern Ontario and occurred throughout the Carolinian or deciduous forest region.  It was most common on sandy soils and on well drained slopes in Norfolk County and around Dundas, and millions of trees were present in these areas.  American chestnut was a common and well-recognized tree at that time. However, after the 1940's, this species was devastated by the introduction of a plant pathogen from Asia that caused the plant disease called Chestnut blight.  Today, there are only several hundred sites left in southern Ontario where Chestnut trees and saplings still survive,  from Windsor through London to Oakville and south to Lake Erie.  Heartwood Color Red Pink Brown Brown Pale brown Greenish to greyish Brown - grayish Wood may age to dark brown Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Paler than heartwood Well defined The narrow sapwood is whitish to light brown in color Grain Straight Figure Growth rings (figure) Even Crossed Spiral Distinct (figure) Straight Clear growth rings (figure) Spiral grain occasionally Generally straight, but not always Distinct figure Figure occurrence = very fine Texture Fine Medium Coarse Coarse Fair to medium coarse Natural Durability Durable Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Resistant to powder post beetles Moderately durable Non-durable Durable Very durable Resistant to decay for 15-25 years Resistant to attack from pinworms (ambrosia beetles) Moderately durable Heartwood has very high natural resistance to decay Blue-black iron stain will occur if contact is made with iron under moist conditions Odor No odor, generally. May have a mild taste Kiln Schedules Schedule D UK 10 - E4 (4/4); T8 - E3 (8/4) US Drying Defects Distortion Water pockets Uneven moisture content Slight surface checking No surface checking Moderate collapse and honeycombing Ease of Drying Easy Dries slowly Difficult Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 0-10 m Product Sources Almost all standing chestnut trees have been killed by the chestnut blight (Endothia parasitica), which appeared first in 1904 in New York City, and spread very quickly through the entire range of the species. By 1925, the blight has destroyed the American chestnut population in an area covering about 1000 miles north, south, and west of New York City. Current supplies of chestnut lumber are reported to come from dead trees, most of which can be found standing in the Appalachian Mountains. Dead fallen trees are reported to lead still as the primary source of tannin from all tree growing in the United States. Wormy Chestnut is produced from dead chestnut trees that are attacked by small insects which burrow small round holes throughout the entire tree, giving the resulting wood an antique appearance. Wormy chestnut is moderately expensive, and is popular for the manufacture of picture frames and novelties. It is also sliced for decorative veneer. Some hybrids of chestnut, such as those obtained from Chinese species (which are resistant to the blight) and American species, are also being developed for ornamental, shade, and as wild trees. The following species in the database is similar in appearance to Chestnut: Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) \ Comments A victim of chestnut-blight, a disease caused by an introduced fungus, American chestnut has been wiped out from the forests. Fortunately, the species can be cultivated in the western states and other areas where the blight is absent General finishing qualities are rated as good General finishing qualities are rated as satisfactory Blunting Effect Blunting effect on machining is slight Boring Easy Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Difficult to saw Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to glue Glues well Mortising Difficult to mortise Moulding Good moulding properties Movement in Service Stable Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Holds nails well Pre-boring recommended Difficult to nail Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Moderate difficulty Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Resistance to Splitting Poor Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to Work Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Routing is easy Sanding Fair sanding qualities Screwing Pre-Boring is recommended in screwing Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good results Steam Bending Poor Polishing Fair to Good Results Staining Reacts with Iron to discolour wood Strength Properties Work to Maximum Load = very low Max. crushing strength = medium Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Max. crushing strength = low Hardness (side grain) = very soft Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Weight = medium Soft Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength (stiffness) = very low Dents and mars easily Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = very low Bending strength (MOR) = medium Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 6011 9335 psi Crushing Strength 319 691 psi Density 35 lbs/ft3 Hardness 432 lbs Impact Strength 27 22 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 2899 5392 psi Shearing Strength 882 psi Static Bending 3332 7546 psi Stiffness 1132 1383 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 5 7 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.37 0.4 Weight 40 32 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 422 656 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 22 48 kg/cm2 Density 560 kg/m3 Hardness 195 kg Impact Strength 68 55 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 203 379 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 62 kg/cm2 Static Bending 234 530 kg/cm2 Stiffness 79 97 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.35 0.49 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.37 0.4 Weight 641 512 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Acosta-Solis, M.,1960,Maderas Economicas del Ecuador y sus Usos,Editorial Casa de la Culhra Ecuatoriana Quito Boone, R. S., C. J. Kozlik, P. J. Bois, and E. M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Brown, H.P. and Panshin, A.J.,1940,Commercial Timbers of the United States Their structure, identification,,properties and uses,McGraw-Hill, London Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World: - No.7 North America,TRADA Dave Faison. Into the Woods. Personal Communication, 1993. 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. Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month: Chestnut. Wood and Wood Products, December, 1990. Page 44. Kaiser, J. 1989. Wood of the Month - Chestnut: American Chestnut Suffers from Blight; Supplies are Limited. Wood of the Month Annual, Volume 1, Supplement to Wood and Wood Products. Page 29-30. Kline, M. 1980. Castanea dentata - American chestnut. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 92-93. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Markwardt, L.J., Wilson, T.R.C.,1935,Strength and related properties of woods grown in the United States,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin,No.479 Panshin, A. J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Saucier, J.R.,1973,American Woods - American Chestnut,USDA, Forest Service, American Woods FS-230 Titmuss, F.H.,1965,Commercial Timbers of the World,Technical Press Ltd., London, 3rd edition U.S.D.A. Forest Service,1974,Wood Handbook,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Handbook,72 USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Wangaard, F.F., et al,1954,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 4,Tropical Woods,14(99, pp1-187