Oak vs Southern Yellow Pine
Natural Material · grade comparison
Oak and Southern Yellow Pine are both natural material grades. Oak is the stronger of the two: tensile strength 95 MPa (13.8 ksi) against 80 MPa (11.6 ksi) for Southern Yellow Pine, about 19% more. In exchange, Southern Yellow Pine is the more ductile: elongation 1.2% versus 1% for Oak. Southern Yellow Pine is lighter (0.62 g/cm³ vs 0.72 g/cm³ for Oak) and Oak is stiffer (12.3 GPa vs 11.5 GPa). On the shop floor, Southern Yellow Pine machines more easily (80 vs 70 out of 100) and Southern Yellow Pine sits in a lower cost tier (budget, $) than Oak (standard, $$).
OakChoose it when strength drives the design, or when the part sees heat.
Southern Yellow PineChoose it when the part is bent, formed or impact-loaded, or when weight is the constraint.
Oak vs Southern Yellow Pine: propertiesHow to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
How to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all natural material grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
Mechanical
Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.
Elastic (Young's) Modulus
Shear Modulus
Poisson's Ratio
Tensile Strength (Ultimate)
Elongation at Break
Compressive Strength
Flexural Strength
Shear Strength
Fracture Toughness (K_IC)
Hardness, Mohs
Physical
Density and transition temperatures.
Density
Porosity
Thermal
How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.
Thermal Conductivity
Specific Heat Capacity
Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C)
Max Service Temperature (continuous)
Same in both: Min Service Temperature -60°C-76 °F
Electrical
Conductivity and insulation.
Electrical Resistivity
Dielectric Strength
Chemical & Environmental
Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).
Corrosion Resistance
Manufacturability
FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.
Machinability
Polishability
Sustainability
Primary-production footprint per kilogram.
Embodied Energy (primary production)
Embodied Carbon (primary production)
Typical Recycled Content
Same in both: Embodied Water 500 L/kg59.9 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Ratios derived from the values above.
Specific Strength (UTS / density)
Specific Stiffness (E / density)
Same in both: Thermal Diffusivity 0.1 mm²/s · Thermal Shock Resistance Index 0
Strength versus weight
Yield strength against density for every natural material grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.
Manufacturing and finishing
| Capability | Oak | Southern Yellow Pine |
|---|---|---|
| Default condition | — | — |
| Relative cost | $$ Standard | $ Budget |
| Min. machined wall | — | — |
| Best machined surface | — | — |
Oak vs Southern Yellow Pine — frequently asked
Is Oak stronger than Southern Yellow Pine?
Yes. Oak has a typical tensile strength of 95 MPa (13.8 ksi) against 80 MPa (11.6 ksi) for Southern Yellow Pine — about 19% more.
Which is cheaper, Oak or Southern Yellow Pine?
Southern Yellow Pine is the lower-cost material: it sits in the budget tier ($) while Oak is standard ($$). Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Which is easier to machine, Oak or Southern Yellow Pine?
Southern Yellow Pine, by a small margin. Both rate very good for machinability — 80/100 against 70/100 for Oak.
Ready to make it?
Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Oak and Southern Yellow Pine side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.
Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.