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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 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 plagata Trade Name Balau Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Common Names Balau, Balau merah, Membatu, Red balau, Red selangan batu Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Philippines 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 Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The Balau group of Shorea grows in Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia, and is often found in pure stands. The natural growth range of Shorea genus is rather extensive, from India and Sri Lanka in the west and throughout Burma and several countries in Southeast Asia, and up to the Philippines in the east. The forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula are reported to contain the highest concentration of species in the genus. Heartwood Color Brown Black Light deep red brown or yellow-brown to brown or dark reddish-brown Sapwood Color Brown Grey Not differentiated from heartwood Lighter than heartwood Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Medium Even or uniform Uniform Resinous and oily Moderately fine to slightly coarse Luster Low Non-lustrous Dull Natural Growth Defects Hollowed logs are not uncommon Abundant in some locations Natural Durability Perishable Non-resistant to termites Vulnerable to attack by powder-post beetles Varied durability from non-durable to very durable Odor Has an odor No distinct odor or taste Kiln Schedules T6-D4 (4/4) T3-D3 (8/4) US Schedule G (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Wood may end split and check Warping is common but variable Existing shakes may open up Ease of Drying Reconditioning Treatement Fairly Easy Little degrade Dries slowly Difficult Air drying before kiln-drying is recommended Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm They often develop straight cylindrical boles with adequate merchantable lengths Product Sources Shorea is the major source of timber in Southeast Asia. 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 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 High to severe Medium dulling effect on cutting edges It is hard, heavy, and very dense and also because of the presence of interlocked grain Boring Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Difficult They are hard and heavy, and usually contain interlocked grain Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Responds poorly to carving operations Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Saws cleanly with moderate blutning of cutting edges Gluing Variable gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult May prosuce some torn surface in material containing interlocked grain Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult moulding qualities Balau timbers are usually hard and heavy Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Retains shape well after manufacture Dimensionally stable after seasoning Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Poor to Very Poor Results Unsuitable for Nailing Splits severely and readily Pre-boring recommended Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult 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 Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Extremely resistant to preservative treatment Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Fairly difficult to work with hand tools because of its high density and interlocked grain Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult routing operations Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Fair sanding qualities Screwing Pre-boring recommended 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 Suitable for peeling Steam Bending Requires support on outer surface Fair steam bending qualities Polishing Surface Preparation Fair to Good Results Satisfactory polishing properties Staining Rarely stained Strength Properties Very heavy Resists wearing, denting and marring fairly well Fairly hard Density=Very high Compression strength (parallel to grain)=very high Bending strength in the air-dry condition...very high It is far superior in strength to either Teak or Hard maple Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10998 25368 psi Crushing Strength 1103 1742 psi Density 52 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1649 lbs Impact Strength 44 52 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5046 9980 psi Shearing Strength 1673 psi Static Bending 7652 17144 psi Stiffness 2049 3387 1000 psi Toughness 632 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.69 0.75 Weight 59 49 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 773 1783 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 77 122 kg/cm2 Density 833 kg/m3 Hardness 747 kg Impact Strength 111 131 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 354 701 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 117 kg/cm2 Static Bending 538 1205 kg/cm2 Stiffness 144 238 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 728 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.69 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. Lauricio, F. M., Bellosillo, S. B., The Mechanical and Related Properties of Philippine Woods, The Philippine Lumber Journal, 12(5):A-H 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.