Alder

Alnus rubra

Other names: Red alder, Western red alder, Western alder. Alder is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes with exposure to air to light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The wood is fairly straight grained with a uniform texture.

General Information

Uses

Availability

Price

Kitchen cabinets, doors, interior mouldings, turning, carving, and kitchen utensils.

Reasonably
available

Moderate.

Relative Working Properties

Machining

Resistance to splitting in nailing

Resistance to splitting in screwing

Gluing

Good

Good

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)

0.41

449

10.1

9800

9515

2624

Image