Red fir

Description

A large fir tree with red bark, such as Abies magnifica, native to the western coast of North America. The heartwood in older trees is a yellowish brown. Red fir trees have been used for framing lumber and paper pulp.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Abies magnifica; golden fir; yellow fir; red barked fir; silver tip fir; Shasta fir; California red fir; sapin rouge (Fr.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Heartwood is white to reddish brown and the sapwood is lighter but hard to distinguish.
• Grain is straight with a uniform texture
• Has little resistance to rot or insect attack
• Density = 34 ppcf

Working Properties

• Generally easy to work with both hand and machine tools, though some drying defects may be present or occur while drying the wood.
• Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Resources and Citations

• The Wood Database: California red fir

• H. A. Alden, A.C. Wiedenhoeft, "Qualified Determination of Provenance of Wood of the Firs (Abies spp. Mill) Using Microscopic Features of Rays: An Aid to Conservators, Curators and Art Historians" AIC Poster, reprinted online at http://www.si.edu/scmre/abies.html

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 273-274

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

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