American Walnut 12mm x 115mm Boxmaking Timber

American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) boxmaking boards in 12mm thickness, 115mm wide. Rich dark chocolate-brown heartwood with a straight grain that cuts cleanly and takes a fine finish.

Overview

American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) has been a benchmark hardwood for furniture makers and woodworkers for generations, and the reasons are straightforward: the colour is immediate, the grain behaves, and the finished surface is hard to walk past. These boards are milled at 12mm thick and 115mm wide, dimensioned specifically for box making. That thickness gives you wall stock with enough body to hold joints securely and enough material to clean up on the jointer without leaving yourself short.

Colour and Appearance

Heartwood runs from rich chocolate-brown through to dark mocha, with occasional subtle purple or grey undertones that shift depending on the light. Sapwood is creamy white and clearly defined against the dark core. The grain is typically straight, with some pieces showing gentle wave or curl that adds character without complicating the work. The texture is moderately coarse and uniform, and the surface takes an oil finish in a way that brings the colour up rather than flattening it.

Properties and Performance

American Walnut is a moderately hard, stable timber that holds its dimension well in service. It resists heartwood decay, glues reliably, and machines cleanly, including at the router table, on the saw, and through the thicknesser. The combination of workability and visual quality is why it has remained a first-choice hardwood for fine joinery and small furniture work across North America and beyond.

Perfect Applications

• Jewellery, keepsake, and display boxes
• Humidors and small chests
• Box lids paired with contrasting lighter timbers
• Decorative small furniture and fine interior joinery

Working Characteristics

Cuts cleanly with sharp tooling, routes smoothly, and sands to a silky surface without gumming the abrasive. Glue joints are strong when surfaces are well-prepared. An oil finish is the most popular choice for walnut wood: it deepens the colour, accentuates the grain, and produces a satin result that highlights the heartwood’s natural depth. The timber also accepts lacquer and wax finishes without difficulty.

Quality You Can Trust

American Walnut is a timber we stock because woodworkers ask for it consistently and it delivers. Pairing walnut wood with lighter species like Rock Maple or Silver Ash in box work produces a natural contrast that needs no colouring or staining to be striking. If you want to discuss your project or check on current availability, come and see us or drop us a line.

15 Railway Road North, Mulgrave NSW 2756 • sales@trendtimbers.com.au

Kiln dried and ready to work

All of our timber is kiln dried to Australian standards, so it arrives stable and ready to be worked.

Because timber is a natural product, not all stock is ready to send immediately. Occasionally we need to mill your timber to the size you’ve specified before dispatch.