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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
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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. |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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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 |
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| Brown |
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| Pink |
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| Purple |
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| Light to deep red brown or yellow-brown to brown or dark reddish-brown |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| Yellow |
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| Not differentiated from heartwood |
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| Lighter than heartwood |
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Grain
Texture
| Medium |
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| Fine |
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| Coarse |
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| Moderately fine to slightly coarse |
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Luster
| Medium |
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| Low |
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| Non-lustrous |
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| Dull |
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Natural Growth Defects
| Hollowed logs are common. |
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Natural Durability
| Non-durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Perishable |
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| Varied resisance to decay, from very low to high, depending upon species |
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| Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles |
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Odor
| No distinct odor or taste |
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Kiln Schedules
| T8-B3 (4/4) |
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| T5-B1 (8/4) US Schedule G (4/4) United Kingdom |
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Drying Defects
| Distortion |
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| Checking |
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| Wood may end split and check |
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| Warping is common but variable |
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| Existing shakes may open up |
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Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy |
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| Rapidly |
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| Dries very slowly |
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| Difficult |
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| Air drying before kiln-drying is recommended |
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Kiln Drying Rate
Tree Size
| Bark width is 5-10 mm |
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| Bole length is 30-40 m |
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| Bole length is 20-30 m |
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| Sapwood width is 0-5 cm |
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| Sapwood width is 5-10 cm |
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| Tree height is 40-50 m |
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| Tree height is 50-60 m |
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| Tree height is 60-70 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
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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 |
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| Medium dulling effect on cutting edges |
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It is hard, heavy, and very dense and also because of the presence of interlocked grain
Boring
They are hard and heavy, and usually contain interlocked grain.
Carving
| Responds poorly to carving operations |
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Cutting Resistance
| Saws cleanly with moderate blutning of cutting edges |
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Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Variable gluing properties |
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Mortising
| May prosuce some torn surface in material containing interlocked grain |
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Moulding
| Difficult moulding qualities |
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Balau timbers are usually hard and heavy
Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability - Small Movement |
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| Moderate stability when properly seasoned |
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| Medium movement after manufacture |
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Nailing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Unsuitable for Nailing |
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| Splits severely and readily |
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| Pre-boring recommended |
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Planing
| Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing |
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| Difficult to plane and machine in most operations due to high density |
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| Can be planed to a smooth finish |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Sapwood is permeable |
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| Extremely resistant to preservative treatment |
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Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
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| Fairly difficult to work with hand tools because of its high density and interlocked grain |
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Routing & Recessing
| Difficult routing operations |
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Sanding
Screwing
Turning
| Some tearing of grain |
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| Moderate blunting effect on cutters |
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| Difficult to turn since it is hard, heavy, dense and contains interlocked grain |
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Veneering Qualities
| Veneers moderately easy |
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| Difficult to veneer |
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| Veneers easily |
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| Suitable for peeling |
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Steam Bending
| Requires support on outer surface |
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| Fair steam bending qualities |
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Polishing
| Satisfactory polishing properties |
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Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Rarely stained |
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Strength Properties
| Resists wearing, denting and marring fairly well |
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| Heavy |
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| Fairly hard |
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| Density=Very high |
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| Bending strength in the air-dry condition...very high |
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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 |
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| 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 | | % |
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| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
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| 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.
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