You may find the decision to present acacia wood according to species such as the paltin and nuc. There are plenty of other species used to make furniture, which are much better known and appreciated. I chose acacia precisely because, despite the fact that we see it almost everywhere, quite a lot is known about acacia wood. But I think it is a very special wood and I will try to convince you.
photo source: blacklocustlumber.com
The first time I worked with acacia wood was before the revolution, when I was at ICPIL (Institute for Research and Design in the Wood Industry). Acacia was nothing new to me, because my grandmother had acacia trees in the countryside, near the fence, for which she often got into disputes with the neighbours. They would want to cut them down because they made shade, my grandmother didn't want to because it was good wood for structural strength and she kept them for eventual construction. Besides this idea that they could be used in construction, I also had in mind their smell when they bloomed, the spikes I scratched myself in, and so on.
photo source: commons.wikimedia.org
At the institute, however, I discovered it from a different point of view. The theme I was working on was supposed to bring new species into furniture production. Acacia was one of them. That's how I got to see what acacia solids and veneers look like, and I was impressed by how many colours you can find in a single wood. On the same piece you could find shades of greenish yellow, green, brown and even purple. It was a real delight to look at.
photo source: turningblanks.net
Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) is native to North America. In the 17th century it was brought to Europe, and 200 years later the first acacia trees were grown in Oltenia. Nowadays it is mostly found in the highlands, in sandy areas. It grows faster than other species and resists drought well. The trunk grows straight and sturdy and is very good for resistance structures.
Acacia wood is strong and flexible, with a dense structure and pronounced grain. It is wood with clearly defined sapwood and heartwood and large annual rings.
photo source: fld.czu.cz
The pores are spread throughout the ring, but those in the latewood zone are 2-3 times larger than those in the earlywood zone. There are no mirrors, the medullary rays are hardly visible. In tangential section it closely resembles oak, but with different colours.
The main characteristic of acacia wood is its hardness. It is the hardest "domestic" wood known. For this reason it is used more as solid wood, because it is difficult to obtain veneer. Its hardness often makes it difficult to machine, and there is even a risk of damaging tools. It is much used as hardwood for flooring, decking, boat building, fencing, etc.
The high tannin content makes it highly resistant to rotting and to fungal and mould attack. Someone showed me a piece of acacia wood that had been sitting outside for more than 10 years. It was covered with a thin layer of mould, but when he scraped it off, the wood under the thin layer was perfectly healthy. The fact that it is so resistant to rot makes it suitable for fencing and landscaping.
photo source: sectlandscaping.com
It is also widely used as tutors (ploughs) for fruit trees and vines.
photo source: rodel.bg
All this high tannin content also makes it hard to finish. In order to avoid problems, a coat of insulator should always be applied before any finishing. I wanted to finish some pieces of acacia at one point with white waterborne primer. The pieces were strung side by side on a long table and I sprayed them. By the time I got to the last piece, the first one was already green. The water accelerated the extraction of tannin from the wood. And still on the subject of tannin content, I once saw a pile of acacia wood being rained on. From beneath the pile, the rainwater that dripped down had a reddish-brown-cyclamen colour. It was absolutely incredible.
Acacia has a very high calorific value, comparable to that of anthracite. That's why it is widely used as firewood. It burns with a low, slow flame, just like charcoal. In addition, it burns and gives off heat even when it is green (unburnt). However, it is not recommended for open fireplaces because, when burning, it cracks and throws burning logs a long way.
photo source: wooddomain.com
As I said, being a very hard and strong wood, it is used for strength structures in houses. As a child, everything I saw built in the country was made of acacia wood. And you could also use green, no problem. When they decided to build, they cut it down. It's also used for flooring because of its strength. It has a beautiful design and if you finish it with oils, the natural colour is enhanced.
photo source: yorking-hardwood.com
In furniture, due to the fact that it is hard to process, it is rather little used and then mostly in solid form. In veneer cutting it breaks the knives. I have read that the yield in veneer making is 10%. As a solid it is however very nice and you can get great furniture.
photo source: jessica-wickham.com
Being resistant to the outside it is much used for garden furniture. Finishing is mainly done with oils outdoor resistant. In this case finishing with varnishes is not the best solution.
photo source: rimini.subito-italia.eu
Acacia is also used to make barrels. However, care must be taken with the liquors put in it, because, at least at first, it releases a lot of tannin. A drink left in for a long time risks turning purple.
photo source: ecwbny.com
Although it is not easily machined, there are no problems with turning, so it can be used to make bowls.
photo source: chisel-me-timbersbydarejones.com
I don't know if I've managed to convince you, but I hope I have. If you are passionate about crafting it is best not to bypass it. It'll give you a bit of a headache, but you'll be very happy with the result. Plus, it's not that hard to find and grows quickly, at one time it was considered an invasive species.
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Mrs. Mihaela Radu, I have a question: in the book of Exodus (the Bible) in chap. 26, verses 15 and 16, it says about some acacia planks from which the Tabernacle was made. The dimensions of the planks are given as 10 cubits (5 m) - length and 1.5 cubits (0.75 m) - width... and I am thinking how big that species of acacia (sitim - Ebr.) could have been. Any ideas? I am an architect and need this information for a study. Thank you in advance.
Hello. As far as I know, the salcam is a species that originated in America, so the one mentioned in the Bible should be another species, not Robinia pseudoacacia. However, if it were a salcam, it would not be difficult to obtain such planks because the salcam can reach over 50 m tall, with a diameter of more than 1.5 m, and its trunk is straight. An exact calculation could be made by a wood engineer. I am only a chemical engineer passionate about wood and wood finishing and I do not want to give you wrong information. 🙂
All the best.
Probably the wood mentioned in the Bible is Acacia alba (Faidherbia alba), being del mar widespread in the Sinai peninsula. An interesting article in this regard https://rabbielimallon.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/2-10-13-acacia-wood-1-pshat/
Thank you very much for the article, I love the Salcam is the tree of my heart and I love it very much, the wood what to talk about, I work with it and it gives me Joy :).For five years, in my daily life, I make pancakes from flowers plants and seeds, for bath, it's my passion and activity and I always wondered about making pancakes for bath from tree bark, but information or studies about the properties of tree bark are not too much found, do you have knowledge or access to information about this? Thank you.
I managed to make a gazebo out of acacia wood, I want to tell you that I "dismantled" a hayloft/porumbar that was built since 1949 outside in the yard, covered with broken tiles. The poles of thickness between 120mm 140mm I used for the bottom structure of the gazebo and not only.
What I want to tell you is that those poles were buried in the ground 600mm respectively 60 cm, I took them out whole with difficulty, I cleaned the parts that were in the ground and I was surprised to find that they still had about 6cm of good wood.I insisted on cleaning and peeling the salcam, and after peeling in some parts that had been exposed to moisture for decades I discovered something extraordinary, it was eaten by decay, namely some white worms that left traces / grooves throughout their thickness.
I didn't give up and carefully cleaned every single particle of that wood, I really want to send you (or post here but I don't know how) some pictures of unique pieces of acacia, you have to see the pictures to realize what I'm talking about.
I want to mention that all the joints have been cherted, pre-drilled with 3mm metal burs and then with exigency, patience and accuracy we have hammered nails through those holes.
I'd be glad if you'd like me to send you pictures to see the approximately 67 year old wood I've managed to extend its life.
Please do send them. You can do it on my email address, mihaela.radu@cesbrands.ro, or post on the magazine's Facebook page (Wood Magazine). You can't imagine how much I enjoy the enthusiasm that radiates from your text and the fact that I can discuss with people who have the same passion as me. Thank you and I will contact you after I receive the photos to share my impressions.
Thank you very much, I will send you the promised pictures today!
Thanks for the photos. You've done some work, but it looks great. Congratulations! I too am waiting for you to finish it and send me photos. I'd love, when it's done, to do an article on the transition of the salcam from the old "life" of a dovecote to the new, gazebo life. Do you also have photos of the dovecote (I really like that term. My grandmother was from near Urziceni and she used to say so. I haven't heard it for a long time)? I think it would make a great article. 🙂
Good luck for the future!
All the best.
I also have pictures of the old porumbar, they used to keep there wood, corn, cane (because in the garden there is a huge "nest" of cane planted intentionally to use the leaves for wine barrels), under this sopron/storage/porumbar there is also a bread oven, which I will restore and move it to the new location.
About the gazebo, I hope to finish it as soon as possible (at least the covering that will be once with the scandura given with linseed oil and over bituminous shingles).
I have been looking to make the covering out of cane, papura or dranita (shingles) but finding two sources I came to the conclusion that the price for cane of 50E/sqm is too much.
I'm still deciding how to make the shingles, it would look nice and rustic with shingles but I need time to make the thousands of pieces that need to cover about 25sqm (the area of the patio).
Anyway I'll keep you updated, thank you very much for the article proposal, I'd be delighted to describe what I like to do.
Have a nice day!
-p.s. -I'm going to make a smoker from an old 400L oak barrel that is no longer functional, the project with everything needed is on paper, I just need a little time, but I'll keep you posted.
Now I noticed that I wrote oak barrel...it's a barrel made of salcam wood, it's 50 years old at least.I have several barrels of this kind but the disused one I'm going to transform it, it's already been well cleaned with a wire brush, oil in two hands, then the rosewood lard, it came out very dark, the inside is burnt (from the origin), I'm ready to make another lid and everything I need for the smoker, you'll see !
I'm not saying anything else, I'm just impatient!
I'm caught up in your enthusiasm and can't wait for you to complete the gazebo so I can write about it. I'm suscribing and waiting to hear about the smokers. All the best!
Sarumana, thank you!
Sarumana, this Sunday, June 4, we finished the gazebo.
I am sending you pictures, I have written down all the details, exactly how I did it including how many screws, shingle nails, etc went in, prices and everything!
Can't wait to hear from you!
Interesting article, we know that acacia wood is very hard and would hold up well outside, interesting would be to find out how it behaves over time when standing outside under the action of the weather factors. Does it warp, does it twist, how dimensionally stable is it, does it crack? I'm interested in this because I'd like to "pave" my backyard walkways with acacia cabinetry and I've heard opinions against using acacia in such work on the grounds that it would twist/twist. Thanks
Indeed, it can warp and crack. When the humidity outside is very low (winter in very cold periods, when the moisture in the air freezes and falls to the ground - chickweed), the moisture in the wood tends to come out. Because it is very hard, tensions are high and then cracks are high, or warping occurs. It depends on how you want to pave your yard. If you lay long cabinets, then the probability of cracking is higher. If you use thinner and shorter pieces of wood, then you get rid of the warping problem and the cracks will be small (if any).
All the best.
Thanks for the reply, the pieces will be somewhere around 1.3 m long, so not very long. I understand from you that it would be better to go plank and not cabinet. As a treatment did you recommend anything specific?
Thank you,
All the best
I think the best solution for salami used directly on the ground is oil finishing. Linseed oil is one option. It should be applied in several coats so that the wood absorbs as much as possible. That way it will be better protected against moisture. Good luck!
Okay, thanks for the advice. They won't come directly on the ground, the walkways are cement, and the planks will come mechanically fastened (stainless steel screw+diblu) to them. Between the planks and cement I want to put some plastic spacers of 2-3 mm. And between the planks I would like to leave a 2-3 mm gap.
regarding the behaviour of the decking: for many years I have been promoting this Romanian product
we have done all types of cladding: decking, decking on plastic bases (PE). siding
we found the following:
dry wood:
-long planks 1500-2000 mm long are curved 10-20 mm, "yatagan" effect
percentage cam 20%
-if the screws are cheap and corrode in 4 years break them
-20x60x800 mm sheets clamped on 400×400 mm plastic bases curves about 5%
20x60x400 none curved
so: if you like long boards (and it is normal to like them) don't save on screws
mounted with decking nails that do not rust
green wood: it moves all over the place, if you don't want it to crack, seal the ends with wax or paint
don't get discouraged: order a few more boards and replace what bends
it's well worth it
mounting on the ground: in the technical manual it says that it lasts 45 years in contact with the ground
I burn the underside with a gas lamp;
who knows maybe they live 100 years 🙂
As much as I love salcam (because of the colour and texture, which I think is quite spectacular when polished - I don't know why anyone would put anything but a little oil on salcam), it's not the hardest of the local woods. It's perhaps the hardest native wood that's available in larger quantities, and that lends itself to bigger things, like furniture, gazebos or patio flooring. A much harder wood (if dried properly) is hornwood. That unfortunately is extremely hard to find, and is usually used for small things - typically hammer or axe handles.
Good evening,
All well and good, but where could I find small quantities of salcam scales in Bucharest?
I could even use some scraps from flooring/flooring or similar, at least some knife handles to make.
Thank you
Interesting article, thank you. Thanks also to those who leave comments with more tips and ideas. I wish you all good health.
Very interesting all the articles published ! You "see" the love for wood turned discussions ! Congratulations ! Although I'm not a woodworker either, every time I get home I like to chew something because I like it ! There's something special about wood... you can't compare it to anything else ! Wood has a special nobility, closer to the human soul, regardless of species, regardless of age.
And one more thing! I don't think there is such a thing as "bad wood"! There are only people with ideas and a love for beautiful and lasting things!
Once again, esteem and consideration!
Thanks for your appreciation.
Congratulations and thanks for this article Ms Mihaela, article that highlights the value of acacia wood. In addition to the valuable things you mentioned, if I may, I just want to mention two more points:
- successfully exploits poorly productive land;
- is the most honey-bearing tree in Romania
Thank you, both for your appreciation and for the additions.
All the best!
Well-dried acacia wood is also used to make the pipes, as acacia wood provides one of the most pleasant musical timbres.
Good evening!
Thanks for the information. I didn't know.
All the best!
Can acacia wood be used for windows and doors?
How does it behave when it is combined and layered?
Hello!
Acacia is a heavy wood and a door made of acacia would be very heavy. It can be used, but with care. When it is laminated it is very stable and there are no problems with variations in humidity. Laminated salcam wood is used to make double glazed windows.
Laminated acacia wood flooring is one of the safest flooring choices.
Although it is a very hard and tannin-rich wood, salami does not have big problems with tension in the grain, twisting or other deformations. Problems occur during processing (it is hard and can "chip" tools) and finishing (tannins change colours and reduce varnish adhesion).
All the best!
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I've been trying for 4 days to find continuous-plank acacia wood panels for kitchen furniture. No chance.
It seems that as popular as it is, it is rare to find it processed - the joke...
In Germany it is used more often, in our country...pal domle pal, there is no demand for local wood.