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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 Boring Carving 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 Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Shorea assamica Trade Name White Meranti Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Lun, Lun puteh, Melapi, White Meranti Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam Common Uses Balusters, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Construction, Crossties, Decorative plywood, Furniture , Interior construction, Light construction, Moldings, Packing cases, Planks, Plywood, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stairworks, Stringers, Tables , Utility furniture Environmental Profile Not threatened Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Its status within its natural habitat in China is, however, Rare and it is suspected to belong to one of the following categories in India; Extinct Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare Distribution Overview Species in the Shorea genera are reported to occur extensively, from Sri Lanka and India on the west and throughout Burma and other areas in Southeast Asia, up to the Philippines in the east. Most of the species are reported to grow in Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. The White meranti group of Shorea spp. is widely distributed from India in the north and west through the Malayan Peninsular to the Philippines and Celebes in the east. Heartwood Color Purple Brown Red Pink Light yellow brown or pale orange brown, eventually aging into deep golden-brown Changes color upon exposure Almost white Sapwood Color White Brown Yellow Same color as heartwood Not distinct from heartwood Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Coarse Moderately coarse Even textured Luster Low Slightly lustrous Natural Durability Moderately durable Durable Very durable Susceptible to termite attack Natural durability varies (moderately to non-durable) Odor No distinct odor or taste Silica Content Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) Kiln Schedules T6-D4 (4/4) T3-D3 (8/4) US Schedule F (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Checking May cup and stain during drying Ease of Drying Slowly Dries easily with little degrade Air dries rapidly, with little degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 60-70 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bole length is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Bole length is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm The mature tree usually has a straight clear bole Product Sources The genus Shorea is a major source of timber in international trade. The trees are abundant, and supplies are plentiful, especially in the form of veneers. Price is in the inexpensive range. Many species in the Shorea genera are also a source of other economically important non-timber products. Seeds of some species yield fat which is used in the manufacture of chocolate. Others produce nuts, the most common of which is the illipe nuts of commerce produced by S. gysbertisiana . The nuts yield a fat which is similar to cocoa-butter in some of its properties. Shorea trees are also tapped for oleo-resin, and typical dammar is obtained from S. wiesneri which grows in Java and Sumatra. The tree of S. robusta produces dammar which is used as a disinfectant and as incense in religious ceremonies in India. Other non-timber products from Shorea are reported to include tannin and fibers. Comments Produced by tress of Shorea species in the Anthoshorea group Blunting Effect Little High to severe Extreme blunting effect on cutting tools because of resin and silica Boring Fairly easy to very easy Boring properties are usually affected by high accumulations of silica in White meranti wood Carving Poor carving properties Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Tungsten-Tipped or stellite-tipped cutters and increased tooth pitch during sawing is recom. Sawn surfaces are usually wooly Difficult to saw due to high silica content Gluing Easy to glue Mortising Difficult to mortise Tend to be very abrasive Moulding Responds poorly to ordinary to machine tools Movement in Service Holds its shape well after seasoning Good dimensional stability and shows little movement in use Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Tends to split during nailing Pre-boring recommended Good nailing characteristics Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Poor machining properties due to severe and rapid dulling of cutting edges Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Extremely resistant to resistant Response to Hand Tools Very difficult to work with hand tools Routing & Recessing Routs with difficult, with severe dulling of cutting edges Sanding Good sanding properties Screwing The wood has good screwing characteristics Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Difficult turning operations Cutters dull rapidly and severely Steam Bending Poor to Very Poor Results Poor steam bending qualities Polishing Can be polished to a high finish, after surface preparation Staining Stains rather well after surface pre-treatment Varnishing Improve with surface preparation Strength Properties Weight=High Resists wearing, denting and marring fairly well Fairly hard Density=High Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength in air-dried condition...is strong Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9389 12160 psi Density 35 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1021 lbs Impact Strength 29 22 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5091 6257 psi Shearing Strength 1509 psi Stiffness 1274 1460 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 8 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.47 0.49 Weight 49 35 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 660 854 kg/cm2 Density 560 kg/m3 Hardness 463 kg Impact Strength 73 55 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 357 439 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 106 kg/cm2 Stiffness 89 102 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.56 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.47 0.49 Weight 785 560 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Arno, J. 1988. Shorea spp. - Luan. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 329-330. Chowdhury, K.A. and S.S. Ghosh. 1958. Indian Woods - Their Identification, Properties and Uses, Volume I - Dilleniaceae to Elaeocarpaceae. Published by the Manager of Publications, Delhi, India. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Limaye, V.D. 1954. Grouping of Indian Timbers and their Properties, Uses and Suitability. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 2, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India. Limaye, V.D. and B.R. Sen. 1953. Weights and Specific Gravities of Indian Woods. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 4, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.