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Color/Appearance: Engelmann Spruce is usually a cream to almost white color, with an occasional hint of red.
Grain/Texture: Engelmann Spruce has a fine, even texture, and a consistently straight grain; numerous small knots are also common.
Rot Resistance: 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.
Odor: No characteristic odor.
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Spruce in the Picea genushas been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include skin irritation and/or respiratory disorders. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safetyfor more information.
Pricing/Availability: 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.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.
Common Uses: Construction lumber, sheathing, railroad ties, wood pulp, and papermaking; also used occasionally in place of Sitka Spruceon guitars and other musical instrument soundboards.
Comments: Engelmann Spruce is slightly lighter and weaker than Sitka Spruce, but still has a good stiffness-to-weight ratio.
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