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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 Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Castanopsis chrysophylla Trade Name Giant chinkapin Family Name Fagaceae Common Names Chinkapin, Giant chinkapin, Golden chestnut Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Novelties, Office furniture, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Tables , Utility furniture, Wardrobes Environmental Profile The conservation status of this species within its natural growth range has not been officially determined Distribution Overview Pacific coast region from southwest Washington south to western Oregon, and in coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada to central California. The tree prefers gravelly and rocky soils in mountain slopes and canyons in Redwood and evergreen forests. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Orange Red White Pink Black Green/grey The heartwood is pale reddish brown or light brown with pinkish stripes or cast Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Green/Grey Color not distinct from heartwood The narrow sapwood is pale brown with a pinkish tinge Grain Straight Figure Even Birds-eye (figure) Interlocked Other (figure) Rays (figure) Stripe (figure) Texture Coarse Medium Luster Low Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Even Interlocked Straight Non-resistant to termites Perishable The wood is susceptible to attack by decay-causing organisms. Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules The recommendation for drying 5/4 stock is to air-dry to 20 percent moisture content before kiln drying with Table 290 Drying Defects Splitting Checking Prone to checking Honeycombing possible The wood is prone to collapse if dried from the green conditions Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Reconditioning Treatement Slowly Fairly Easy Kiln-Drying from the green conditions is difficult. Air-seasoning to a moisture content of about 20% before kilning is recommended to prevent excessive degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Bole length is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 30-40 m Bark width is 30-40 mm Bark width is 25-30 mm Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bark width is 15-20 mm Bole length is 10-20 m Bole length is 30-40 m Tree height is 50-60 m Bark width is 20-25 mm Comments Chinkapin is seldom used for building or structural applications because of its scarcity but it is used for fine furniture and other interior applications Blunting Effect High to severe Moderate Boring Poor to very poor results Fairly easy to very easy Excellent (95+ pieces out of 100 will yield excellent results) Carving Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to carve Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Very good properties The wood is reported to bond well with a wide range of glues under moderately controlled conditions. Strength of glued joints is excellent Mortising Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good mortising properties Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy The wood has superior moulding qualities, but requires some care Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Properly seasoned timber is fairly stable Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Holds nails well Good resistance to splitting while nailing Planing Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Permeable heartwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to Work Responds Readily Routing & Recessing Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Easy to sand Very little scratching and fuzzing Screwing Good screw holding properties Excellent screwing properties Turning Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Painting Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Staining Fair to Good Results Strength Properties Weight = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium It is moderately hard and resistant to wearing and marring Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10486 psi Crushing Strength 666 psi Hardness 715 lbs Impact Strength 29 inches Shearing Strength 1235 psi Stiffness 1215 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.38 0.44 Weight 58 30 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 13 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 737 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 46 kg/cm2 Hardness 324 kg Impact Strength 73 cm Shearing Strength 86 kg/cm2 Stiffness 85 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.38 0.44 Weight 929 480 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Boone, S.R., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Timbers. USDA, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. California Department of Forestry. Comparative Physical & Mechanical Properties of Western & Eastern Hardwoods. Prepared by Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. n/d. Dave Faison. 1993. Into the Woods. Personal Communication. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Niemiec, S.S., G.A. Ahrens, S. Willits, and D.E. Hibbs. March, 1995. Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University, College of Forestry, Research Contribution 8, Forest Research Laboratory, Department of Forest Products, Corvallis, Oregon. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Western Wood Products Association. 19__. Woods of the Western USA. Published and distributed by the Western Wood Products Association, Yeon Building, 522 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland, Oregon.