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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Certified Source
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
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities
Weathering
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Common Names
Olive
Regions of Distribution
Mediterranean Sea Region
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Greece, Iran, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, United States
Common Uses
Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Jewelry box, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Tables , Utility furniture, Wardrobes
Environmental Profile
| Rare |
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| Status has not been officially assessed |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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A subspecies, O. europea ssp. maderensis is Rare
Distribution Overview
Olive is indigenous to the Mediterranean region including southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It grows especially in Italy and is in the same family as Ash (Fraxinus spp). The species is also cultivated in orchards throughout California, and is also found in Arizona and Florida. It prefer sub tropical or Mediterranean climates, especially hot, dry regions under irrigation.
Heartwood Color
| Brown |
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| Red |
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| Pink |
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| Purple |
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| Yellow |
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| Pale brown |
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| Occasional dark streaks |
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| Occasional brown streaks |
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| Light tan |
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| Light reddish-brown to yellowish-brown |
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The dark brown streaks and yellowish sapwood are reported to contrast to give the wood a very attractive appearance
Sapwood Color
| Yellow |
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| Pink |
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| White |
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| Brown |
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| Yellowish |
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| Often striped |
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| Narrow |
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| Clearly differentiated from the heartwood |
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| Brown - golden with brown streaks |
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Grain
| Figure |
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| Closed |
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| Interlocked |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Shallowly interlocked |
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| Closed |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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Annual rings are visible, and tangential surfaces are slightly figured
Texture
Luster
Natural Durability
| Non-resistant to powder post beetles |
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| Susceptible to insect attack |
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| Durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Non-durable |
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| Resistant to termites |
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| Non-resistant to marine borers |
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| Perishable |
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| Resistant to powder post beetles |
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| Susceptible to termite attack |
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| Moderately durable |
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Wearing properties or resistance to abrasion is high. Wood has little natural resistance to termite attack, and is somewhat resistant to fungi
Weathering
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
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Kiln Schedules
Very mild kiln schedules are recommended
Drying Defects
| Splitting |
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| Resin Exudation |
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| Internal Honeycombing Possible |
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| Collapse |
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| Distortion |
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| Checking |
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Material obtained from branches usually contains reaction wood, which is particularly prone to warping
Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy |
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| Rapidly |
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| Gum Exudation |
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| Thick Stock Requires Care |
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| Dries very slowly |
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Kiln Drying Rate
Tree Size
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
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| Sapwood width is 10-15 cm |
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| Tree height is 20-30 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm |
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| Tree height is 30-40 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
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| Bark width is 10-15 mm |
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Olive trees are extremely long lived (over1500 years). They are usually short, gnarly branched, with a short and stout trunk
Product Sources
Olive is cultivated in relatively large quantities for oil and olives. It is often not readily available in the timber trade. Occasionally, burl veneer, lathe billets, and carving flitches are available, but they are typically expensive.
Certified Source
Comments
Hard
Heavy
Strong
Blunting Effect
Boring
| Fairly difficult to very difficult |
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| Fairly easy to very easy |
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| Fair to good results |
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| Difficult |
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Carving
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Requires sharp cutting edges. Wood should be well seasoned before use to avoid checks and warps in the final product.
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Gum-Up |
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| Difficult to saw |
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The wood is difficult to cut, especially across the grain, because of interlocked grain
Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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Mortising
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Excellent mortising properties |
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Moulding
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability - Small Movement |
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| Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement |
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Nailing
| 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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Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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The wood is hard, but reports indicate that it is not very difficult to work, especially if cutting edges are kept very sharp
Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable heartwood |
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| Resistant heartwood |
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| Resistant sapwood |
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| Permeable sapwood |
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| Sapwood is permeable |
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| Heartwood is resistant |
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Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
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| Responds Readily |
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Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Screwing
| 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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Turning
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Special attention required |
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Material should be thoroughly seasoned before turning to prevent checking and warping in the finished product.
Veneering Qualities
| Veneers easily |
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| Suitable for slicing |
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| Suitable for peeling |
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| Veneers moderately easy |
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| No drying degrade |
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Painting
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Excellent results |
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The wood has excellent polishing characteristics, and has a natural waxy feel
Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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Varnishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Numerical Data
References
Arno, J. 1988. Olea europa - Olive. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 252-253.
Constantine, Jr., A.J. 1975. Know Your Woods: A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers. Revised by H.J. Hobbs. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
Dave Faison. Into the Woods. Personal Communication, 1993.
Lincoln, W.A. 1986. 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.
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