Basswood
Scientific Name: Tilia americana
General Description
The sapwood of Basswood is usually quite large and creamy white in color, merging into the heartwood which is pale to reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The wood has a fine uniform texture and indistinct grain that is straight.
Working Properties
Basswood machines well and is easy to work with hand tools making it a premier carving wood. It nails, screws, and glues fairly well and can be sanded and stained to a good smooth finish. It dries fairly rapidly with little distortion or degrade. It has fairly high shrinkage but good dimensional stability when dry.
Physical Properties
The wood is light and soft with generally low strength properties and a poor steam bending classification.
Specific Gravity: 0.37 (12% M.C.)
Average Weight: 417 kg/m3 (12% M.C.)
Average Volumetric Shrinkage: 12.6% (Green to 6% M.C.)
Modulus of Elasticity: 10,067 MPa
Hardness: 1824 N
Availability
Good availability.
Main Uses
Carvings, turnings, furniture, pattern-making, mouldings, millwork and musical instruments. An important specialized use is Venetian blinds and shutters.
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Alder
Aspen
Basswood
Beech
Birch
Cherry
Cottonwood
Elm
Hackberry
Hard Maple
Hickory and Pecan
Red Oak
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Soft Maple
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Willow
Yellow Poplar
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