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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 Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects 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 Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Shorea faguetiana Trade Name Yellow Meranti Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Yellow meranti, Yellow seraya Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Balusters, Building construction, Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Sub-flooring, Tables , Utility furniture, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Relatively safe within most of its natural growth range Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Environmental status within Thailand is assessed as definitely Endangered and possibly Extinct Distribution Overview The Yellow meranti group of Shorea spp. grows in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Shorea genus is widely distributed, from Sri Lanka and India on the west and throughout Burma and several countries in Southeast Asia, up to the Philippines in the east. The highest concentration of species occurs in the forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Light yellow, dull yellow, or yellow brown Greenish tinge Darkens after exposure Yellow meranti from Malaysia and Yellow seraya from Sabah are produced by about a dozen Shorea species. They are generally similar in appearance to Red meranti and Red seraya but are not tinted red Sapwood Color Brown Yellow Paler than heartwood Grayish tinge Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Fine Coarse Moderately coarse Luster Low Low Natural Growth Defects Brittleheart sometimes present. Natural Durability Perishable Durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Vulnerable to attack by marine borers Susceptible to termite attack Not readily attacked by insects Non durable Odor Has an odor No distinct odor or taste Kiln Schedules T10-D5S (4/4); T8-D4S (8/4) US Schedule J (4/4) United Kingdom T10-D5S (4/4) Drying Defects Splitting Extension of Existing Shakes Checking Distortion Ring Shakes Cupping in thinner material, and honeycombing in thicker material Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Thick Stock Requires Care Slowly Seasons slowly and may cup Tree Size Tree height is 50-60 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm The mature trees are very tall, with straight, cylindrical boles and large buttresses Product Sources Shorea genus is a major timber source in international trade. The species occur in large numbers, and supplies are universally available, especially in the form of veneers. This popular wood is priced in the inexpensive range. Many species in the genus 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 Tendency to stain under moist conditions when brought in contact with iron and iron compounds Blunting Effect Moderate Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Stock should be supported adequately at tool exits Easy Carving Poor to Very Poor Results Easy to carve Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Moderate cutting resistance Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good gluing properties Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Stock should be supported adequately at tool exits Easy to mortise with ordinary machine tools Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Material causing interlocked grain may cause some tearing Easy to mould Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Retains shape well after manufacture Good dimensional stability and shows little movement in use Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Good nailing characteristics Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Responds well to most machine tools to produce a relatively smooth finish Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing Easy to work in planning and almost all machine operations Clean, finished surfaces Can be planed to a smooth finish Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Moderately resistant to preservative treatment Extremely resistant to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Yields a smooth, clean finish Responds well to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good routing characteristics, except in material containing interlocked grain Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good sanding properties Screwing Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good screwing properties Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Steam bend to a moderate radius of curvature Polishing Fair to Good Results Good polishing properties after filling Good finishing properties Staining Stains well Strength Properties Weight=High Resists wearing and marring Hardness = medium Density=High Crushing strength = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12%moisture content)is high-comparable to Teak It compares favorably with Teak, which also has high bending strength Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8208 11589 psi Crushing Strength 552 857. psi Density 40 lbs/ft3 Hardness 721 lbs Impact Strength 27 29 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4439 6566 psi Shearing Strength 1311 psi Stiffness 1413 1490 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 9 12 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.44 0.51 Weight 55 39 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 577 814 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 38 60. kg/cm2 Density 641 kg/m3 Hardness 327 kg Impact Strength 68 73 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 312 461 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 92 kg/cm2 Stiffness 99 104 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.63 0.84 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.44 0.51 Weight 881 624 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. Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers. Malayan Forest Records, 28(30):315-318. 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. Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month: Meranti - The Hardworking Import. Wood & Wood Products, May 1991. Page 48. Lavers, G.M. 1966. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50. Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 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.