Machining
★★★☆☆
Splitting resistance
★★★★☆
Screw/nail-holding
★★☆☆☆
Gluing
★★★★☆
It is marketed and sold separately or in the Spruce-Pine-Fir (south) species combination.
Main Uses
High quality pianos, stringed instruments, joinery and boats. It is also used for light framing in structural applications, ladder rails, scaffolding and other uses where its high strength-to-weight ratio is important.
Distribution & Availability
Its natural home is a narrow belt of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, from Alaska, through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. Readily available.
Physical & Mechanical Properties
Weighs 349 kg per cubic metre. A clear, straight-grained wood, classed moderate in many of its properties, including weight and hardness. It has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any species.
Durability
Not durable. Difficult to treat.