Beech AD
Supply condition
AD = air-dried, 15–18 % moisture content
Shed-dried stock for outdoor-sheltered joinery or as feedstock before final kilning.
Values for the AD condition
Other Beech tempers and conditions
Beech is listed in 4 conditions; see the grade overview at Beech.
Compare all 4 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green / unseasoned | Freshly sawn stock for green woodturning, riving and bending blanks — strength is roughly halved. | — | 70 | 2 | — | 0.3 W/m·K |
Thermally modified | Pick for dimensionally stable, decay-resistant cladding or sauna/wet-area parts where reduced toughness is acceptable. | — | 70 | 0.7 | — | 0.13 W/m·K |
ADThis page Air-dried, 15–18 % moisture content | Shed-dried stock for outdoor-sheltered joinery or as feedstock before final kilning. | — | 95 | 1.5 | — | 0.19 W/m·K |
KD12Default Kiln-dried, 12 % moisture content | Standard furniture/joinery condition: use for indoor structural, turned and machined parts. | — | 110 | 1.2 | — | 0.16 W/m·K |
What is Beech AD?
Beech AD is Beech supplied in the AD condition — shed-dried stock for outdoor-sheltered joinery or as feedstock before final kilning. Beech AD has a tensile strength of 95 MPa (13.8 ksi), stronger than 78% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 12.8 GPa (1.86 Msi). Beech AD has a density of 0.76 g/cm³ (0.0275 lb/in³), heavier than 68% of natural material grades. KD12 is the default condition FabDigit quotes; AD is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 0.19 W/m·K (0.11 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 80/100, better than 80% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Needs corrosion protection — 15/100, worse than 100% of natural material grades
- Difficult to machine — 65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades
Beech AD properties
Typical room-temperature values for Beech AD; 13 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Beech reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Beech AD has a density of 0.76 g/cm³ (0.0275 lb/in³), heavier than 68% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Beech AD has a tensile strength of 95 MPa (13.8 ksi), stronger than 78% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1.5% and the elastic modulus is 12.8 GPa (1.86 Msi).
Thermal5
Beech AD is rated for continuous service to 80°C (176 °F). It conducts heat at 0.19 W/m·K (0.11 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4 µm/m·K (2.22 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Beech AD is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 4 kV/mm (101.6 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10⁷ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is poor (15/100), worse than 100% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Beech AD takes about 11 MJ of energy and emits 0.45 kg of CO₂ — more than 56% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 5%.
Manufacturability2
Beech AD's machinability is good (65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Beech AD
Is Beech easy to machine?
Cuts, turns and drills cleanly with carbide or sharp HSS; keep feeds up and tools sharp or the close grain scorches, and expect moderate tool wear from its density.
Can Beech be welded?
Not weldable — joined by PVA/urea-formaldehyde/PU adhesives, dowels, mortise-and-tenon or mechanical fasteners (pre-drill to avoid splitting).
Can Beech be formed, bent or molded?
Best-in-class steam bender: steam ~1 h per 25 mm at 100 °C and bend over a form with a tension strap; also peels well for plywood and moulded seat shells.
What surface finishes work on Beech?
Sands to a very smooth surface and needs no grain filler; takes dye unevenly (blotching) so use a conditioner or gel stain, then lacquer/oil — treat or coat for any damp exposure.
Beech chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| celluloseoven-dry basis | 42 – 48 | 45 |
| hemicellulose (mainly xylan)high xylan typical of hardwoods | 27 – 35 | 31 |
| ligninsyringyl-rich hardwood lignin | 20 – 25 | 22 |
| extractiveslow — poor natural durability | 0.5 – 2 | 1.2 |
| ash | 0.3 – 0.8 | 0.5 |
Beech AD — frequently asked
What is Beech AD used for?
Beech AD is typically used for bent furniture (Thonet-style), tool handles, flooring, kitchen worktops and toys. In short: best steam-bending hardwood; even close-grained texture; poor untreated decay resistance.
What is the tensile strength of Beech AD?
Beech AD has a typical tensile strength of 95 MPa (13.8 ksi) — stronger than 78% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Beech AD easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades). Cuts, turns and drills cleanly with carbide or sharp HSS; keep feeds up and tools sharp or the close grain scorches, and expect moderate tool wear from its density.
Can Beech AD be welded?
Not weldable — joined by PVA/urea-formaldehyde/PU adhesives, dowels, mortise-and-tenon or mechanical fasteners (pre-drill to avoid splitting).
What surface finishes work on Beech AD?
Sands to a very smooth surface and needs no grain filler; takes dye unevenly (blotching) so use a conditioner or gel stain, then lacquer/oil — treat or coat for any damp exposure.
Can Beech AD be formed, bent or molded?
Best-in-class steam bender: steam ~1 h per 25 mm at 100 °C and bend over a form with a tension strap; also peels well for plywood and moulded seat shells.
What is the maximum service temperature of Beech AD?
Beech AD is rated for continuous use to about 80°C (176 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-282) — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2021)
- EN 13556 — Round and sawn timber: nomenclature of timbers used in Europe (FASY) — CEN (2003)
- EN 350 — Durability of wood and wood-based products — CEN (2016)
- DIN 68364 — Characteristic values of wood species: density, modulus of elasticity, strength — DIN (2003)
- Species property data for Fagus sylvatica (European beech) — Thünen-Institut / Wood Database compilations (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.