CutMath

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides · hardwood · North America · moderate movement

Field data
  • Janka hardness 350 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
  • Density ≈ 27 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.38 at 12% MC
  • Shrinkage — tangential 6.7%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
  • Shrinkage — radial 3.5%quartersawn width
  • T/R ratio 1.9 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock

Shop notes Soft, light, and fuzzy under dull tools — keep edges sharp. Odorless and splinter-resistant, which is why it lines saunas and drawer boxes.

Seasonal movement at a glance

Width change for quaking aspen across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:

Board widthFlatsawnQuartersawn
6″ 3/32″ (0.086″) 1/32″ (0.045″)
12″ 3/16″ (0.172″) 3/32″ (0.090″)
24″ 11/32″ (0.345″) 3/16″ (0.180″)
36″ 17/32″ (0.517″) 9/32″ (0.270″)

Run your own numbers

Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to quaking aspen:

Board & conditions
Grain
Conditions given as

Typical swings:

Movement estimate
    Estimate Figures use species-average shrinkage from the USDA Wood Handbook and the standard shop movement formula. Individual boards vary — leave margin, especially with flatsawn stock.

    Quaking Aspen questions

    How much does quaking aspen move with the seasons?

    A 12″-wide flatsawn quaking aspen board moves about 3/16″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 3/32″. Its tangential shrinkage is 6.7% and radial 3.5% (green to ovendry) — a moderate-movement wood.

    How hard is quaking aspen?

    Quaking Aspen rates about 350 lbf on the Janka scale — soft enough to dent in daily use (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 27 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.

    Is quaking aspen good for wide panels and tabletops?

    Yes, with normal precautions: its 1.9:1 tangential-to-radial ratio is moderate. Still fasten solid tops so they can move across their width.

    Similar species

    Balsam Poplar · American Basswood · Bigtooth Aspen · Eastern Cottonwood · Black Willow · Butternut

    Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.