Basswood

Description

Several species of large deciduous trees of the genus Tilia, such as T. americana (linden). The light-brown wood from these trees has a straight grain, fine texture and is easily worked. Because linden wood is soft and workable, it has been used since at least the 1600s for decorative items especially intricate carvings such as picture frames and sculptures. It is currently used for millwork, furniture, boxes, and crates.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Tilia americana; Tilia glabra; Linden (Deut.); lime tree (Br.); limewood; basswood (N. America); tilleul (Fr.) ; tiglio (It.); tilia (Port.); tilo (Esp.)

Basswood

Other Properties

Specific gravity = 0.40-0.45 (air dry)

Density	20-40 ppcf

Additional Images

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  Basswood (Tilia glabra)

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  Basswood (Tilia americana)

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  Basswood (Tilia americana)

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986

• F. H. Titmuss, Commercial Timbers of the World, The Technical Press Ltd., London, 1965 Comment: 23-40 ppcf

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• External source or communication Comment: Hardwood Manufacturers Institute, Memphis Tenn.: air-dry weight = 26 ppcf

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937

• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: density=20-37ppcf (0.32-0.39g/cm3)

• Gordon Hanlon, contributed information, 1998 Comment: density=25-35 ppcf (0.40-0.45g/cm3)