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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 Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster 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 Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Magnolia grandifolia Trade Name Southern magnolia Family Name Common Names Bat tree, Big Laurel, Black lin, Bullbay or Bull bay, Cucumber wood, Evergreen magnoilia, Magnolia, Mountain magnolia, Southern magnolia, Sweet magnolia Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Blinds, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Fixtures, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shutters, Stools, Tables , Trimming, Utility furniture, Wainscotting, Wardrobes, Windows Environmental Profile The environmental status of Magnolia within its growth range has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Magnolia grandiflora is relatively common and is native in North America. It occurs from North Carolina to Florida to Texas. Although its native range is along the Coastal Plain, it can be seen as an ornamental tree throughout much of the Southeast, inland as far as the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Some have been grown as far north as Washington, D.C. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Black Pink Orange The heartwood is described as straw colored to greenish-beige in color. Dark purple streaks believed to be caused by mineral deposits are usually present. Reports indicate that the heartwood can be bleached when it is too dark Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Green/Grey White to yellow Grain Even Straight Straight Texture Medium Fine Coarse Stright and closed Similar to yellow poplar Luster Medium High Low The wood surface exhibits a satin-like luster Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to powder post beetles Sapwood is vulnerable to attack by furniture beetles The heartwood has very little resistance to decay and should not be used in external applications without proper chemical treatment Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules 10 - D4 (4/4); T8 - D3 (8/4) U Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Checking The wood has a slight tendency to warp and check during drying Ease of Drying Kiln drying is easy with very little or no degrade but air seasoning can potentially produce excessive shrinkage in the tangential direction Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 40-50 m This beautiful ornamental tree is the state tree of Mississippi and Louisiana. It often measures 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m) in height, with a trunk diameter of 24 to 36 inches (60 to 90 cm ) Product Sources Southern magnolia (M. grandifolia) is the most commonly used of the three commercially important Magnolias, and accounts for nearly fifty percent of all the Magnolias used. The material is readily available in the areas where it grows, but supplies are limited in other parts of the United States and abroad. Blunting Effect Blunting effect on cutting edges is small Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair results Number of bored pieces out of one hundred with good to excellent results = 71 Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Magnolia woods are generally rated as easy to saw and machine Gluing Excellent gluing properties Mortising Responds poorly to mortising Percent of pieces with fair to excellent results in mortising = 32 Moulding Moulding properties are poor Percent of pieces with good to excellent results in moulding = 27 Movement in Service Stable Small Nailing The material responds well to nailing, but pre-boring is recommended. (Percent of nailed pieces free from complete splits = 73) Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results The wood is very easy to work and planes to a smooth surface. (Percent of planed pieces yielding perfect results = 65) Resistance to Impregnation Softwood can be easily treated Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Respond well to ordinary tools in carving, with moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Routing & Recessing Good routing qualities Sanding Difficult to sand (expect < 50 out of 100 good to excellent results) Percent of sanded pieces with good to excellent results = 37 Screwing Requires pre-boring before screwing. Good screwing properties Number of pieces out of one hundred free from complete splits = 76 Turning Very good Number of pieces out of one hundred producing fair to excellent results in turning = 79 Steam Bending Good Painting Excellent finish with enamels and natural wood tones Easy It is popular as wood that is easily painted Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Excellent results Staining Excellent staining characteristics Varnishing The wood is reported to finish smoothly in natural color Strength Properties Stiffness = moderate Shock resistance = good Hardness = medium Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low Bending strength (MOR) = low Magnolia is quite popular as an ornamental tree because of its attractive flowers and leaves. The timber is often mixed with that of Yellow poplar and sold under that name or under its own name. The dark-colored heartwood of southern magnolia is more expensive and is preferred for furniture and other applications where hardness is a factor Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 6664 10976 psi Crushing Strength 451 843 psi Density 34 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1000 lbs Impact Strength 53 28 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 2646 5351 psi Shearing Strength 1499 psi Stiffness 1088 1372 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 13 15 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.42 0.46 Weight 56 33 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 468 771 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 31 59 kg/cm2 Density 544 kg/m3 Hardness 453 kg Impact Strength 134 71 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 186 376 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 105 kg/cm2 Stiffness 76 96 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.91 1.05 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.42 0.46 Weight 897 528 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % 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, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Ecological Timber Company, Personal Communication, 1993. Kaiser, J. 1987. Wood of the Month - Magnolia - Lovely Magnolias are Older than Man. Wood & Wood Products, July 1987. Page 68. Kaiser, J. 1993. Scented Magnolia Ideal for Louvres and Trim. Wood and Wood Products, October 1992, Page 62. Kline, M. 1984. Magnolia grandiflora - Southern magnolia. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 218-219. Laidlaw, W.B.R. 1960. Guide to British Hardwoods. Published by Leonard Hill [Books] Limited, 9 Eden Street, N.W.1, London. Lincoln, W.A. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. 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. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.