Honeylocust wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 1,580lbf
- Density
- 41.9lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.6
- Spec. gravity
- 0.6
Honeylocust is a North American hardwood. It has a Janka side hardness of 1,580 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.6, and an air-dry density near 42 lb/ft³ (671 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 6.6% tangentially and 4.2% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.6), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.16 in (≈ 5/32 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Honeylocust: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Honeylocust'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″ | 0.026″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.017″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.04″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.025″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.053″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.034″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.079″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.05″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.106″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.067″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.132″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.084″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.158″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.101″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 16″ | 0.211″ (≈ 7/32 in) | 0.134″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Honeylocust. At a T/R ratio of 1.57, Honeylocust 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 | 9.3 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 14 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 18.6 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 23.3 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 27.9 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 18.6 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 27.9 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 37.2 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Honeylocust.
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 | 0.121″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.074″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.058″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.034″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.066″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.129″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
Driven by Honeylocust's tangential shrinkage of 6.6%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Honeylocust compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 1,580 lbf, Honeylocust is harder than 77% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 41.9 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 63% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 14 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.57 is more even than 77% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 23% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Honeylocust 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 Honeylocust is unavailable or priced out.
- Sapele is a common substitute for Honeylocust : nearly identical hardness, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- White Ash is a common substitute for Honeylocust : 16% softer, about the same weight, and similarly stable in service.
- Black Locust is a common substitute for Honeylocust : nearly identical hardness, 15% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
- Jarrah is a common substitute for Honeylocust : 21% harder, 12% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapele | 1,510 lbf | 38.4 | 1.61 |
| White Ash | 1,320 lbf | 41.9 | 1.59 |
| Black Locust | 1,700 lbf | 48.2 | 1.57 |
| Jarrah | 1,910 lbf | 46.8 | 1.43 |
About Honeylocust
The wood of honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) has many desirable qualities, such as attractive figure and color, hardness, and strength, but it is little used because of its scarcity. This species is found most commonly in the eastern United States, except for New England and the South Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. Sapwood is generally wide and yellowish, in contrast to the light red to reddish-brown heartwood. The wood is heavy, hard, strong in bending, stiff, resistant to shock, and durable when in contact with the ground. When available, honeylocust is primarily used locally for fence posts and general construction. It is occasionally used with other species in lumber for pallets and crating.
Durability & sustainability
CITES status: not listed on any CITES Appendix — no international-trade restriction applies to Honeylocust.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.6 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 1,580 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 41.9 lb/ft³ (671 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 37.4 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 3.49 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.2% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 6.6% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 10.8% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.6 |
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.