COLOR: Sapwood is gray-white; heartwood is salmon red to orange-brown when fresh, and becomes russet or reddish brown when seasoned; often marked with dark streaks.
HARDNESS: Janka hardness of 2350 as compared to the hardness of 1290 for Red Oak.
GRAIN: Mostly interlocked; texture is medium to rather coarse.
VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Moderate to high color variation.
SAWING/MACHINING: Sawing is difficult due to high density; requires frequent resharpening of tools. Planing is difficult due to interlocked grain. Can be machined to a smooth surface. Carbide tooling recommended.
SANDING: Sands well.
NAILING: Good holding ability, but due to hardness may require adjustment of angle of penetration and/or height.
FINISHING:No known problems.