
European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Family: Hippocastanaceae
Common names: European horse chestnutHorse chestnutMarrionier d'inde
Distributed in: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Greece, India, Iran, United Kingdom (Eastern Europe, Oceania and S.E. Asia, Western Europe)
Distribution overview: Its common range is in southern Europe (Greece, Albania), though it is naturalized at scattered locales throughout eastern North America from Maine to Minnesota, and south to South Carolina. It is also found in Great Britian, where it is widely cultivated.
Common uses: Baskets, Boxes and crates, Broom handles, Brush backs & handles, Brush backs & handles, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Decorative plywood, Flooring, Food containers, Furniture, Handles: general, Interior construction, Interior trim, Moldings, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Sporting Goods, Tables, Textile equipment, Toys, Turnery, Veneer, Veneer: decorative
Environment profile: Vulnerable in many parts of its natural habitat
Tree size: Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm
Colors: the heart isYellow, Yellow to golden-yellow to orangeand the sapwoodWhite, Yellow.The grain isWavy, the textureUniformand the lusterSlightly lustrous
Natural durability: Susceptible to insect attack, Very little natural resistance
Odor: No specific smell or taste
LightInduced Color Change: Darker
Kiln Schedules: Drying (speed) is fast
Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries quickly
Drying Defects: End splitting, Splitting
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is cylindrical
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect: Little
Boring: Satisfactory results
Cutting Resistance: Moderate to saw
Gluing: Very good properties
Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moulding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Movement in Service: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Nailing: Satisfactory nailing properties, Very Good to Excellent
Planing: Moderately easy to plane
Resistance to Impregnation: Permeable sapwood
Response to hand tools: Works well with hand tools
Routing recessing: Good in both routing and recessing.
Sanding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Veneering qualities: Veneers easily, Veneers moderately easy
Steam bending: Very good
Screwing: Screwing yields good results, Very Good to Excellent Results; Turning: Very Good to Excellent Results
Polishing: Very Good to Excellent; Staining: Very Good to Excellent; Varnishing: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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 |
 |
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| Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
| Specific Gravity |
0,37 |
0,39 |
|
| Density |
|
512 |
kg/m3 |
| Bending Strength |
416 |
687 |
kg/cm2 |
| Crushing Strength |
187 |
373 |
kg/cm2 |
| Hardness |
|
400 |
kg |
| Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
| Shearing Strength |
|
85 |
kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness |
65 |
77 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
| Tangential Shrinkage |
|
|
% |
| Radial Shrinkage |
2 |
|
% |
| Weight |
528 |
496 |
kg/m3 |
| Maximum Load |
0,7 |
0,77 |
cm-kg/cm3 |
| Toughness |
|
192 |
cm-kg |
| Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | | Item | Green | Dry | English | | Bending Strength | 5920 | 9785 | psi | | Density | | 32 | lbs/ft3 | | Hardness | | 882 | lbs | | Maximum Crushing Strength | 2668 | 5312 | psi | | Shearing Strength | | 1221 | psi | | Stiffness | 931 | 1098 | 1000 psi | | Toughness | | 167 | inch-lbs | | Work to Maximum Load | 10 | 11 | inch-lbs/in3 | | Specific Gravity | 0.37 | 0.39 | | | Weight | 33 | 31 | lbs/ft3 | | Radial Shrinkage | 2 | | % | | Tangential Shrinkage | 3 | | % | |
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. 0 Bending strength (MOR) = low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Max. crushing strength = low Work to Maximum Load = very low Max. crushing strength = medium Weight= medium Toughness (total work) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Resists denting and marring Hardness = medium Hardness (side grain) = soft Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium
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