 Engelmann Spruce (P. sitchensis pictured)
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Common Name(s): Engelmann Spruce Scientific Name: Picea engelmannii Distribution: Western North America Tree Size: 130 ft (40 m) tall, 3 ft (1 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 26 lbs/ft3 (415 kg/m3) Hardness: 390 lbf (1,740 N) Bending Strength: 9,300 lbf/in2 (64,140 kPa) Elasticity: 1,300,000 lbf/in2 (8,970 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 7.1%, Volumetric: 11.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.9 |
Color/Appearance: Engelmann Spruce is usually a cream to almost white color, with an occasional hint of red.
Grain/Pore: Engelmann Spruce has a fine, even texture, and a consistently straight grain; numerous small knots are also common.
Durability: Heartwood is rated as being slightly resistant to non-resistant to decay.
Workability: Easy to work, as long as there are no knots present. Glues and finishes well, though it can give poor (blotchy and inconsistent) results when being stained due to its closed pore structure. A sanding sealer, gel stain, or toner is recommended when coloring Spruce.
Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.
Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Spruce in the Picea genus has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include skin irritation and/or respiratory disorders. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Price Range: Construction grade spruce is cheap and easy to find. However, old growth and/or quartersawn clear pieces—free from knots—can be more expensive. Quartersawn billets of instrument-grade Engelmann Spruce can easily exceed the cost of most all domestic hardwoods in terms of per board-foot cost.
Comments: Common uses for Engelmann Spruce include: construction lumber, sheathing, railroad ties, wood pulp, and papermaking. It’s also used occasionally in place of Sitka Spruce on guitars and other musical instrument soundboards.
Engelmann Spruce is slightly lighter and weaker than Sitka Spruce, but still has a good stiffness-to-weight ratio.
Scans/Pictures: There are currently no pictures of this exact wood species, but a similar species within the Picea genus is being substituted (P. sitchensis). If you’d like to contribute a wood sample of this specific species to be scanned, (even small pieces of veneer can be sent), please use the contact form.
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Sitka Spruce (sanded) |
 Sitka Spruce (sealed) |
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