Search for

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 References Regions of Distribution Resin Content Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Weathering Scientific Name Anisoptera thurifera Trade Name Palosapis Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Kaunghmu, New Guinea mersawa, Palosapis, Phdiek, Ven ven Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Common Uses Balusters, Bedroom suites, Boat building, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hardboards, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Particleboard, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Stairworks, Stools Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure No threat in the near future Generally secure within its natural habitat Distribution Overview Endemic to the Phillipines (Mindoro, Luzon, Ticao, Masbate, Sibuyan, Panay, Negros). Also believed to occur in Pakistan southward to lower Burma and Thailand. Generally found in evergreen and semi-evergeen forests. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Light buff to yellowish brown Darkens slightly upon exposure Sapwood Color Yellow Pale yellow Not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Even or uniform Uniform Coarse Medium Medium to coarse Even textured Luster Low Non-lustrous Dull Natural Growth Defects Generally defect-free Brittleheart is occasionally present, confined to the central core of the wood Natural Durability Perishable Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to termites Withstands harmful effects of weather fairly well Susceptible to attack by pin-hole borers Susceptible to attack by marine borers and termites Likely to be discolored by staining fungi Weathering Good Odor Has an odor No specific taste Distinctive resinous odor Silica Content High Silicac contents of .42% (of ordinary weight) have been reported Silica levels of 5% are believe to have significant impact on machining properties of wood Resin Content Resinous Kiln Schedules T2-D4(4/4);T2-D3(8/4)Us Schedule A; United Kingdom Drying Defects Uneven Moisture Content Checking Differential shrinkage, uneven moisture distribution and checking are common drying degrades Ease of Drying Slowly Thick Stock Requires Care Medium to High Shrinkage Moderately Difficult to Difficult Requires careful and slow drying to avoid defects Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 50-60 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Boles are usually cylindrical and straight. Some Anisoptera trees are buttressed Comments Retards the setting of cement and should not be used for shuttering concrete Tapped for oleo-resin The tree is often tapped for oleo-resin in Malaysia Blunting Effect High to severe Extreme blunting effect on cutting tools because of resin and silica Boring Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Tungsten carbide tipped cutters are recommended for converting seasoned wood Cutting tools dull rather rapidly due to silica and resin in the wood Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Glues well Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Mortising properties affected by interlocked grain Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very sharp cutting edges are required to produce a smooth surface Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium movement in use Nailing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good nail holding properties Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very sharp cutting edges needed for clean and smooth surfaces Reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended for best results A reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended to reduce pick-up on quartersawn surfaces. Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Extremely resistant to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Responds Poorly Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Severe blunting effect on cutting edges because of interlocked grain and silica content Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Good screwing properties Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good turning qualities Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory polishing characteristics Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory staining properties Strength Properties High in density Heavy Hardness = medium Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high It compares favorably with Teak, which also has high bending strength. Strength in compression parallel to grain is in the high range. Other species in this range include Teak, White oak, and Hard maple. It resists denting and marring about as well as white oak or birch Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7436 13298 psi Crushing Strength 670 783 psi Density 39 lbs/ft3 Hardness 858 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 3673 7081 psi Shearing Strength 1239 psi Static Bending 4572 9701 psi Stiffness 1444 2188 1000 psi Toughness 402 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.45 0.52 Weight 66 38 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 15 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 522 934 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 47 55 kg/cm2 Density 624 kg/m3 Hardness 389 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 258 497 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 87 kg/cm2 Static Bending 321 682 kg/cm2 Stiffness 101 153 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 463 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.45 0.52 Weight 1057 608 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Bolza, E. and N.H. Kloot. 1966. The Mechanical Properties of 81 New Guinea Timbers. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 41, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. 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. Eddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea. HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. 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 Lumberman, 12(5):A-H. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Simpson, W.T. and J.A. Sagoe. 1991. Relative Drying Times of 650 Tropical Woods : Estimation by Green Moisture Content, Specific Gravity, and Green Weight Density. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-71, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.