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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
| |
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 |
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| Rare |
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| Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk) |
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| Generally widespread, secure, and abundant within most of its range |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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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 |
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| White |
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| Yellow |
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| Orange |
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| Red |
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| Purple |
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| Brown |
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| Pale brown |
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| White to cream |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| Whitish |
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| Same as sapwood |
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| Light buff to yellowish brown |
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| Light brown |
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| Latewood may have a tinge of roseate, reddish brown, or lavender color |
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Sapwood Color
| Red |
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| Brown |
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| Yellow |
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| White |
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| Color not distinct from heartwood |
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| Paler than heartwood |
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Grain
| Straight |
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| Figure |
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| Even |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Stripe (figure) |
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| Weak (figure) |
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| Generally straight, but not always |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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| Weak figure |
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| Striped figure |
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| Even |
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Texture
| Coarse |
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| Medium |
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| Medium to coarse |
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| Coarse |
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| Medium |
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Natural Durability
| Non-durable |
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| Perishable |
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| Susceptible to insect attack |
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| Non durable |
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| Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present |
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| Very low natural resistance to attack by decay fungi and wood destroying organisms |
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Odor
| Has an odor |
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| No specific smell or taste |
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| May have a slightly disagreeable smell when green |
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Kiln Schedules
| UK=L US=T14C6S/T12C5S - |
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| T12 - E5 (4/4); T10 - E4 (8/4) |
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| Dry at a moderate speed |
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Drying Defects
| Uneven Moisture Content |
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| Ring Shakes |
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| Splitting |
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| Checking |
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| Wetwood |
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| Uneven moisture content |
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| Slight surface checking |
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| Shakes |
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| Expect splits |
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| Expect slight degrade due to knots, splits, and loosening |
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Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy |
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| Moderately Difficult to Difficult |
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| Slowly |
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| Moderate |
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| Easy |
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Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries at a moderate speed |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is straight |
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| Bole/stem form is unknown |
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Tree Size
| Tree height is 30-40 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
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| Tree height is greater than 70 m |
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| Tree height is 40-50 m |
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| Tree height is 50-60 m |
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| Tree height is 60-70 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm |
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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 |
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| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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Boring
| Fair to good results |
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| Fairly easy to very easy |
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| Good results |
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| Easy |
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Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy |
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Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Easy to glue |
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| Excellent results |
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Mortising
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good mortising properties |
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| Finishes well |
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| Easy to mortise |
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Moulding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Moulds well |
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| Good finishing results |
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| Easy to mould |
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Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability - Small Movement |
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| Small |
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Nailing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Holds nails well |
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| Easy to nail |
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| Excellent nailing properties |
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Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Easy to plane |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Good planing properties |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood |
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| Permeable sapwood |
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| Resistant sapwood |
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| Heartwood is resistant |
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| Sapwood is permeable |
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| Difficult to treat with preservatives |
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Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
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| Easy to machine |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Routing yields good results |
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| Routing is easy |
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Screwing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very good screw holding qualities |
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| Screwing yields good results |
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| Excellent screwing properties |
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| Easy to screw |
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Turning
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good results |
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| Good results |
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| Easy to turn |
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Veneering Qualities
| Veneers moderately easy |
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| Difficult to veneer |
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| Veneers easily |
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| Suitable for peeling |
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| There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits |
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| Moderately easy to veneer |
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| Drying degrade is often moderate to severe, with collapse, buckles, and splilts |
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Painting
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good results |
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| Satisfactory results |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good results |
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Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Finish is generally good |
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| Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining |
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Varnishing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good results |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low |
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| Hardness (side grain) = very soft |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = low |
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| Work to Maximum Load = very low |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = medium |
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