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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. Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Grain Heartwood Color Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Sickingia salvadorense Trade Name Arariba Family Name Common Names Acajou de Cuba, Acajou de St. Domingue, Aguano, Arariba, Caoba, Caoba de Santo Domingo, Caoba dominicana, Caobilla, Chiculte, Cobano, Cuban mahogany, Dominican mahogany, Gateado, Jamaica mahogany, Madiera, Mahog, Mahogany, Mongo, Orura Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela Common Uses Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Ceiling, Crossties, Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Flooring, Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Interior construction, Interior trim, Light construction, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Railroad ties, Shakes, Sheathing, Shingles, Siding, Stair rails, Stairworks, Sub-flooring, Trimming, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Grown mainly in continental tropical America, from southern Mexico to southern Brazil and Paraguay. Heartwood Color White Yellow Green/grey Orange Swirl pattern Streaked with pink and orange Dark brown There are reports of wide color variation between boards which makes matching rather difficult and time consuming. Sapwood Color Yellow White Yellowish brown Red, pink or violet rose Rather pale, with a hint of pink Frequently variegated Fades with age Grain Even Figure Irregular Straight Straight Irregular Texture Coarse Uniform Fine Luster Low Low to medium Natural Durability Perishable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-durable Moderately resistant to attack by decay fungi Odor Slight bitter taste No distinct odor or taste Drying Defects Distortion Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 10-20 m Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Comments Fine checks and worm hole are also present Waste factos is potentially high due to difficult in matching board that vary widely in color Yields red dye that has commerical applications Boring Good boring properties Clean and smooth surfaces Carving Carves easily with ordinary tools Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Low resistance to cutting Mortising Good mortising properties Easy mortising operations Moulding Responds readily to ordinary tools in boring operations to produce clean surfaces Responds readily to machine tools Movement in Service Small Planing Planes readily Clean, finished surfaces Resistance to Impregnation Highly permeable to preservatives Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds well to hand tools Routing & Recessing Routs easily with ordinary hand tools Bores readily with ordinary tools, with very good results Sanding Good sanding properties Turning Turned surfaces are generally clean and smooth Easy turning operations Veneering Qualities Veneers easily Suitable for peeling Veneers moderately easy Suitable for slicing Polishing Fair to Good Results Polishes and finishes well Strength Properties Heavy Density=High Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12%moisture content)is high-comparable to Teak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10055 13406 psi Density 39 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 4733 6303 psi Stiffness 1200 1418. 1000 psi Toughness 127 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.51 0.65 Weight 38 31. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 706 942 kg/cm2 Density 624 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 332 443 kg/cm2 Stiffness 84 99. 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 146 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.51 0.65 Weight 608 496. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Perpetua Hardwoods. Sea Star Trading Co. - Purveyors of Fine Wood. Newport, Oregon. Personal Communication, 1993. Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT. WARP. 1995. Getting to Know LKS -Chakte kok -Sickingia salvadorenses. Published Results of Tests Conducted by Students at The Woodworking Centre of Ontario, Conestoga College, under the Supervision of Dennis Harlock and John Buss. Understory, Volume 5, Number 1, Fall/Winter 1995. Page 9.