Black Cherry wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 950lbf
- Density
- 34.9lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.9
- Spec. gravity
- 0.5
Black Cherry is a North American hardwood. It has a Janka side hardness of 950 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.5, and an air-dry density near 35 lb/ft³ (559 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 7.1% tangentially and 3.7% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.9), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.17 in (≈ 5/32 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Black Cherry: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Black Cherry's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.028″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.015″ (≈ 0 in) |
| 3″ | 0.043″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.022″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.057″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.03″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.085″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.044″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 8″ | 0.114″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.059″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.142″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.074″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 12″ | 0.17″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.089″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 16″ | 0.227″ (≈ 7/32 in) | 0.118″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Black Cherry. At a T/R ratio of 1.92, Black Cherry is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 7.8 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 11.6 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 15.5 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 19.4 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 23.3 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 15.5 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 23.3 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 31 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Black Cherry.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.131″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.08″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.062″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.037″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.071″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.139″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Driven by Black Cherry's tangential shrinkage of 7.1%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Black Cherry compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 950 lbf, Black Cherry is harder than 50% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 34.9 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 42% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 11.6 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.92 is more even than 39% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 61% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Black Cherry plotted against every species we carry: the full Janka hardness chart and the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when Black Cherry is unavailable or priced out.
- Sweetgum is a common substitute for Black Cherry : 11% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Hackberry is a common substitute for Black Cherry : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Red Maple is a common substitute for Black Cherry : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Tamarack is a common substitute for Black Cherry : 38% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
About Black Cherry
Black cherry (Prunus serotina) is sometimes known as cherry, wild black cherry, and wild cherry. It is the only native species of the genus Prunus that produces commercial lumber. Black cherry is found from southeastern Canada throughout the eastern half of the United States. Production is centered chiefly in the Middle Atlantic States. The heartwood of black cherry varies from light to dark reddish brown and has a distinctive luster. The nearly white sapwood is narrow in old-growth trees and wider in second-growth trees. The wood has a fairly uniform texture and very good machining properties. It is moderately heavy, strong, stiff, and moderately hard, with high shock resistance. Although it has moderately high shrinkage, it is very dimensionally stable after drying. Black cherry is used principally for furniture, fine veneer panels, and architectural woodwork. Other uses include burial caskets, wooden ware, novelties, and patterns.
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Black Cherry heartwood moderately resistant to fungal decay . Ratings are for heartwood only and the table's own note cautions that resistance varies substantially within a species; treat this as a general indicator, not a guarantee, especially for ground contact. Wood Handbook, Chapter 14: Biodeterioration of Wood (Arango, Lebow, Glaeser), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 14-1. Public domain.
CITES status: not listed on any CITES Appendix — no international-trade restriction applies to Black Cherry.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 950 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 34.9 lb/ft³ (559 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 31.2 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 2.91 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 3.7% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 7.1% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 11.5% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.9 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-3); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page.
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.