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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 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 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 Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Shorea guiso Trade Name Balau Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Balau, Balau merah, Guijo, Membatu, Red balau, Red selangan, Red selangan batu Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Baskets, Bent Parts, Boat building, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Cooperages, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Food containers, Framing, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Pallets, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Plain veneer, Tables , Veneer, Woodenware Environmental Profile Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions. Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Rare in Thailand, while its environmental status in Sumatra is officially classified as either Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare Distribution Overview The Balau group of Shorea spp. are found on the Malay Peninsula, Indochina, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The trees are reported to often grow in pure stands. Shorea genus contains several species that are widely distributed, from India and Sri Lanka in the west and throughout Burma and several countries in Southeast Asia, up to the Philippines in the east. Most of the species are found in the forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula. Heartwood Color Red Brown Pink Purple Light to deep red brown or yellow-brown to brown or dark reddish-brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Not differentiated from heartwood Lighter than heartwood Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Medium Fine Coarse Moderately fine to slightly coarse Luster Medium Low Non-lustrous Dull Natural Growth Defects Hollowed logs are common. Natural Durability Non-durable Moderately durable Perishable Varied resisance to decay, from very low to high, depending upon species Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Odor No distinct odor or taste Kiln Schedules T8-B3 (4/4) T5-B1 (8/4) US Schedule G (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Distortion Checking Wood may end split and check Warping is common but variable Existing shakes may open up Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Dries very slowly Difficult Air drying before kiln-drying is recommended Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Tree Size Bark width is 5-10 mm Bole length is 30-40 m Bole length is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 50-60 m Tree height is 60-70 m Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Product Sources Species in the Shorea genus are a major source of timber from Southeast Asia. They are plentiful, and supplies are universally available, especially in the form of veneers. This popular wood is priced in the inexpensive range. Many species in the Shorea 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. Blunting Effect Little Medium dulling effect on cutting edges It is hard, heavy, and very dense and also because of the presence of interlocked grain Boring Difficult They are hard and heavy, and usually contain interlocked grain. Carving Responds poorly to carving operations Cutting Resistance Saws cleanly with moderate blutning of cutting edges Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Variable gluing properties Mortising May prosuce some torn surface in material containing interlocked grain Moulding Difficult moulding qualities Balau timbers are usually hard and heavy Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Moderate stability when properly seasoned Medium movement after manufacture Nailing Fair to Good Results Unsuitable for Nailing Splits severely and readily Pre-boring recommended Planing Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing Difficult to plane and machine in most operations due to high density Can be planed to a smooth finish Resistance to Impregnation Sapwood is permeable Extremely resistant to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly difficult to work with hand tools because of its high density and interlocked grain Routing & Recessing Difficult routing operations Sanding Fair sanding qualities Screwing Poor screwing qualities Turning Some tearing of grain Moderate blunting effect on cutters Difficult to turn since it is hard, heavy, dense and contains interlocked grain Veneering Qualities Veneers moderately easy Difficult to veneer Veneers easily Suitable for peeling Steam Bending Requires support on outer surface Fair steam bending qualities Polishing Satisfactory polishing properties Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Rarely stained Strength Properties Resists wearing, denting and marring fairly well Heavy Fairly hard Density=Very high Bending strength in the air-dry condition...very high It has superior properties in compression parallel to grain in the air-dry condition than Teak, White oak, or Hard maple Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 12193 17538 psi Crushing Strength 1253 1578 psi Density 52 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1642 lbs Impact Strength 33 35 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5988 9237 psi Shearing Strength 1926 psi Static Bending 7431 10844 psi Stiffness 1999 2395 1000 psi Toughness 491 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 10 14 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.67 0.75 Weight 59 49 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 857 1233 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 88 110 kg/cm2 Density 833 kg/m3 Hardness 744 kg Impact Strength 83 88 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 421 649 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 135 kg/cm2 Static Bending 522 762 kg/cm2 Stiffness 140 168 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 565 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.70 0.98 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.67 0.75 Weight 945 785 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % 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. Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1 Lauricio, F. M., Bellosillo, S. B., The Mechanical and Related Properties of Philippine Woods, The Philippine Lumber Journal, 12(5):A-H Lavers, G. M. 1966. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50. Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Limaye, V.D. and B.R. Sen. 1956. Weights and Specific Gravities of Indian Woods. Indian Forest Records (New Series). Timber Mechanics. Volume 1 No. 4. Manager of Publications (Publisher, Delhi Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.