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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 Certified Source 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 Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resin Content 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 leprosula Trade Name Light red meranti Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Almon, Lauan, Light red lauan, Light red meranti, Light red seraya, Mayapis, Meranti bunga, Perawan, White lauan Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Beams, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Plywood, Porch columns Environmental Profile Relatively secure within its natural growth range Little or no threat to its population Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview The geographical range of S. leprosula which belongs to the Light red meranti group includes the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, the Philippines, as well as Sabah and Sarawak. reported to grow at low altitudes and prefers well-drained soils. Heartwood Color Brown Black Yellow Pink Orange Pale pink to dark red or light red-brown Sapwood Color Brown Yellow Pink Red Same as heartwood Grayish tinge Dark reddish-brown, often with alternating lighter reddish-brown and golden brown bands Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Fine Even or uniform Coarse Luster Medium Low Slightly lustrous Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Varied natural durability of heartwood (poor to moderate) Susceptible to attack by powder-post beetle Odor Has a taste No distinct odor or taste Resin Content Contains resin streaks and oil Kiln Schedules T6-D4 (4/4) T3-D3 (8/4) US Schedule F (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Thinner stock may warp Thick material dries slowly and tends to surface check Ease of Drying Dries easily with little degrade Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources Shorea genus is a major timber source in international trade. They are plentiful, and supplies are universally available, especially in the form of veneers. This popular wood is typically priced 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. Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Slight blunting effect on cutting tools Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Easy Clean and smooth surfaces Bored surfaces are usually clean Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Respond very well to carving operations Cutting Resistance Easy to saw May be some break away at the base and back cut when sawing lighter stock Good sawing properties Gluing Takes glue well Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good mortising properties Easy mortising operations Bores readily with ordinary tools, with very good results Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Responds readily to ordinary tools in boring operations to produce clean surfaces Responds readily to machine tools Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Holds shape well in service Good dimensional stability and shows little movement in use Nailing Satisfactory nailing qualities Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planing with standard tools is satisfactory if they are kept sharp Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing The timber exudes resin and oil but they do not interfere with machining operations Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Resistant to very resistant to preservative treatment Fairly permeable Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Yields a smooth, clean finish Responds well to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Routs easily with ordinary machine tools Produces clean surfaces Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Lighter stock may produce rough surfaces in sanding Denser stock sands well Screwing Takes screws satisfactorily Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turned surfaces of lighter stock may be somewhat rough Easy to turn Denser stock is reported to turn well Steam Bending Wood buckles severely Very poor Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good polishing properties after filling Staining Stains satisfactorily after surface preparation Strength Properties Weight=Medium Not hard Dents and marrs easily Density=High Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending stength in air-dried condition...is medium Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7278 10425 psi Crushing Strength 343 353 psi Density 31 lbs/ft3 Hardness 528 lbs Impact Strength 22 23 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3912 5978 psi Shearing Strength 951 psi Static Bending 4547 6203 psi Stiffness 1617 1931 1000 psi Toughness 212 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 6 7 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.45 0.51 Weight 45 33 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 511 732 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 24 24 kg/cm2 Density 496 kg/m3 Hardness 239 kg Impact Strength 55 58 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 275 420 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 66 kg/cm2 Static Bending 319 436 kg/cm2 Stiffness 113 135 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 244 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.42 0.49 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.45 0.51 Weight 721 528 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % 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 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. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, 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.