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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Qualea albiflora Trade Name Gonfolo Family Name Vochysiaceae Common Names Gonfolo, Grignon Fou, Gronfolo, Guaruba, Kouali, Mandio, Mandioqueira, Quaruba Regions of Distribution Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname Common Uses Beams, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Millwork, Plywood, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Species in the genus Qualea are well represented throughout tropical America, from southern Mexico to Peru, and are most common in the Guianas and Brazil. Heartwood Color Brown Red Black Purple Pinkish-Brown to reddish-brown, occasionally olive brown Sapwood Color Yellowish Brown - light grayish Grain Even Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Texture Coarse Medium to coarse Luster Some pieces may have a golden luster Natural Durability Moderately durable Moderately resistant to attack by termites Fair weathering properties Heartwood resistance to decay in Qualea timbers is variable, but the material is generally unsuitable for use under prolonged moist conditions Unpainted exposed surfaces tend to develop rather severe checks. Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Contains silica Silica accumulations of 0.10% (of ovendry weight) have been reported. Accumulations of 0.05% is generally regarded as the threshold above which machining properties become affected Kiln Schedules US=T3-D2/T3-D1 Drying Defects Checking Distortion Warping can be expected Staining Air seasoning accompanied by slight checking Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Slowly Dries rapidly Moderate difficulty in both air-seasoning and kiln-drying. Careful stacking and mild drying schedules are recommended Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Boles are often clear of branches to 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m)Can sometimes reach heights of 60 m.Trunk diameter can reach up to 100 cm above buttresses Comments Bears some resemblance to Spanish cedar (Cedrela ) Varies widely in appearance and properties Blunting Effect High effect due to high silica content Cutting Resistance Difficult to saw Cutting edges are dulled rapidly Gluing Satisfactory gluing properties Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Planing Qualea woods are generally difficult to plane, turn, mould, bore, and work in most machining operations, especially material containing roey grain. They tend to blunt cutting edges rather severely and rapidly because of high accumulations of silica Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Resistance to preservative treatment varies with species, but the wood is generally moderately difficult to easy to treat. Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Steam Bending Very Good to Excellent Results Painting Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Staining Fair to Good Results Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Fairly hard Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Comparable to teak Bending strength (MOR) = high Air-Dried condition about 12% moisture content Other species in this range include Teak, White oak, and Hard maple Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8869 14161 psi Crushing Strength 666 725 psi Hardness 892 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 4694 8173 psi Shearing Strength 1490 psi Static Bending 5841 10143 psi Stiffness 1637 1931 1000 psi Toughness 94 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 7 9 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.49 0.54 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 623 995 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 46 50 kg/cm2 Hardness 404 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 330 574 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 104 kg/cm2 Static Bending 410 713 kg/cm2 Stiffness 115 135 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 108 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.49 0.63 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.49 0.54 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT. Wangaard, F.F., and A.F. Muschler. 1952. Tropical Woods - Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods, Volume III, No. 98. School of Forestry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.