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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 Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Abies grandis

Trade Name
White fir

Family Name
Pinaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Epicea, Fir, Giant fir, Grand fir, Larch, Lowland fir, Lowland white fir, Menzies fir, Oregon fir, Sapin, Silver fir, Western balsam fir, Western fir, Western white fir, White fir, Yellow fir

Regions of Distribution
North America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Canada, United States

Common Uses
Beams, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Cabin construction, Casks, Concrete formwork, Construction, Cooperages, Decks, Decorative plywood, Dressed boards, Factory construction, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Heavy construction, Joinery, Joists, Light construction, Lumber, Packing cases, Plywood, Porch columns, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Rough boards/dimension stock, Rough construction

Environmental Profile
Abundant/Secure
Rare
Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk)
Generally widespread, secure, and abundant within most of its range
Data source is Nature Conservancy

Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally

Distribution Overview
In the U.S. and Canada, Grand Fir is native to the Northern Rocky Mountain region from southeast British Columbia south to western Montana and central Idaho, northeast from southwest British Columbia and western Washington to northwest California. It can be generally found in coniferous forests, preferring mountain slopes in cool, humid climates and valleys. This species of fir is also grown in Great Britain.

Heartwood Color
Brown
White
Yellow
Orange
Red
Purple
Brown
Pale brown
White to cream
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Whitish
Same as sapwood
Light buff to yellowish brown
Light brown
Latewood may have a tinge of roseate, reddish brown, or lavender color


Sapwood Color
Red
Brown
Yellow
White
Color not distinct from heartwood
Paler than heartwood


Grain
Straight
Figure
Even
Growth rings (figure)
Stripe (figure)
Weak (figure)

Generally straight, but not always
Clear growth rings (figure)
Weak figure
Striped figure
Even


Texture
Coarse
Medium
Medium to coarse
Coarse
Medium


Natural Durability
Non-durable
Perishable
Susceptible to insect attack
Non durable
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present
Very low natural resistance to attack by decay fungi and wood destroying organisms


Odor
Has an odor
No specific smell or taste
May have a slightly disagreeable smell when green


Kiln Schedules
UK=L US=T14C6S/T12C5S -
T12 - E5 (4/4); T10 - E4 (8/4)
Dry at a moderate speed


Drying Defects
Uneven Moisture Content
Ring Shakes
Splitting
Checking
Wetwood
Uneven moisture content
Slight surface checking
Shakes
Expect splits
Expect slight degrade due to knots, splits, and loosening


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Slowly
Moderate
Easy


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries at a moderate speed


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is unknown


Tree Size
Tree height is 30-40 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Tree height is greater than 70 m
Tree height is 40-50 m
Tree height is 50-60 m
Tree height is 60-70 m
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm


One of the tallest trees of the true firs. The tallest is in the Olympic National Park in the state of Washington, with a height of 231 feet (70.4 m) and a girth of 20.6 feet (6.3 m). Blisters on the smooth bark of young trees often burst to produce fragrant, transparent resin or balsam

Product Sources
Strength properties of White fir are similar to those of Pacific silver fir (A. amabilis), and is also marketed with Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla).

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Blunting Effect
Little
Blunting effect on machining is slight


Boring
Fair to good results
Fairly easy to very easy
Good results
Easy


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


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Easy to glue
Excellent results


Mortising
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good mortising properties
Finishes well
Easy to mortise


Moulding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Moulds well
Good finishing results
Easy to mould


Movement in Service
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Small


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Holds nails well
Easy to nail
Nails hold poorly
Excellent nailing properties


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Easy to plane
Planes well, to a good finish
Good planing properties


Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Permeable sapwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is resistant
Sapwood is permeable
Difficult to treat with preservatives


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Easy to machine


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results
Routing yields good results
Routing is easy


Screwing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Very good screw holding qualities
Screwing yields good results
Excellent screwing properties
Easy to screw


Turning
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good results
Good results
Easy to turn


Veneering Qualities
Veneers moderately easy
Difficult to veneer
Veneers easily
Suitable for peeling
There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits
Moderately easy to veneer
Drying degrade is often moderate to severe, with collapse, buckles, and splilts


Painting
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good results
Satisfactory results


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good results


Staining
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results
Finish is generally good
Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining


Varnishing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good results


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft.
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low
Hardness (side grain) = very soft
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Work to Maximum Load = very low
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low
Max. crushing strength = medium
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = very low
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low
Max. crushing strength = low
Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft.
Toughness (total work) = very low
Bending strength (MOR) = very low
Toughness (total work) = low
Surfaces may dent or scratch easily
Soft
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Shrinkage, Radial = very small
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Max. crushing strength (stiffness) = very low
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Crushing strength = low
Bending strength (MOR) = medium


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength55588581psi
Crushing Strength265490psi
Density23lbs/ft3
Hardness407lbs
Impact Strength2225inches
Maximum Crushing Strength29245117psi
Shearing Strength900psi
Stiffness123114901000 psi
Toughness119inch-lbs
Work to Maximum Load57inch-lbs/in3
Specific Gravity0.280.25
Weight2423lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage7%
Volumetric Shrinkage11%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength390603kg/cm2
Crushing Strength1834kg/cm2
Density368kg/m3
Hardness184kg
Impact Strength5563cm
Maximum Crushing Strength205359kg/cm2
Shearing Strength63kg/cm2
Stiffness861041000 kg/cm2
Toughness137cm-kg
Work to Maximum Load0.350.49cm-kg/cm3
Specific Gravity0.280.25
Weight384368kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage7%

References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods -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

Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 6 Europe,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.

Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London

Dallimore, W. and Jackson, A. Bruce,1966,A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae Fourth Ed. Revised by S.G.,Harrison,Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. London

Descriptive Sata Source

Forest Products Research Laboratory U.K.,1957,A Handbook of Softwoods,Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Forest Products Research,HMSO

Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1945,A Handbook of Empire Timbers,Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Forest Products Research

Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1969,The Movement of Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Technical Note,No.38

Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.

I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting

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)

Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

MacDonald, J., R.F. Wood, M.V. Edwards and J.R. Aldhous, Editors. 1957. Exotic Forest Trees in Great Britain. Forestry Commission Bulletin No. 30. Paper Prepared for the Seventh British Commonwealth Forestry Conference, Australia and New Zealand. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

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

Mullins, E.J. and McKnight, T.S.,1981,Canadian Woods Their Properties and Uses,University of Toronto Press 3rd Edition

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

Redding, L.W.,1971,Resistance of Timbers to Impregnation with Creosote,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Bulletin No.54 pp.43

Stone, H.,1924,The Timbers of Commerce and their Identification,William Rider & Sons Ltd. London

T.D.A.,1942,Timber Leaflet No.71 Silver Fir,TRADA Timber Leaflet

T.R.A.D.A.,1942,Home-grown timber trees - their characteristics, cultivation and Uses,TRADA

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.

Western Wood Products Association. 19__. Softwoods of the Western USA. Published and Distributed by the Western Wood Products Association, Yeon Building, 522 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

Wood, A.D.,1963,Plywoods of the World: Their Development, Manufacture and,Application,Johnston & Bacon Ltd. Edinburgh & London









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