Juglans nigra. Black Walnut is one of America's most widely known and most valuable species. The wood is moderately heavy, hard, and strong. The heartwood color ranges from light brown to chocolate brown -- sometimes with purplish overtones; the sapwood is light brown, and often steam treated in order to reduce the contrast.
Black Walnut grows throughout the eastern United States, but in relatively low quantities. The wood works easily, stains and finishes extremely well and is often used in furniture and for architectural products which highlight its particular grain pattern, color, and texture.
Use: Furniture, cabinets, architectural panels, doors, floors, gun stocks, woodenware.
Availability:
Generally available 4/4 through 8/4 thickness,
limited availability 10/4 and thicker.
Price:
Valuable.
Relative Working Properties:
| Machining | Resistance to Splitting in Nailing |
Resistance to Splitting in Screwing |
Gluing |
| Excellent | Fair | Good | Good |
Physical Properties:
| Specific Gravity (12% M.C.) | Average Shipping Weight kilograms (kg) per cubic metre (m3) Air Dry | Average Volumetric Shrinkage (oven dry % of Green) | Modulus of Rupture (Kilopascals) | Modulus of Elasticity (Megapascals) | Side Hardness (Newtons) |
| 0.55 | 579 | 12.8 | 101,000 | 11,600 | 45,000 |