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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 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 Drying Rate Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Swintonia sp. Trade Name Merpauh Family Name Anacardiaceae Common Names Boilam, Khan thong, Merpauh, Selan, Taung thayet Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Balusters, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Canoes, Construction, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Figured veneer, Interior construction, Lifeboats, Light construction, Matchboxes, Matches, Moldings, Packing cases, Plain veneer, Shipbuilding, Stairworks, Stringers, Veneer Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Various species in the Swintonia genus are distributed from Burma and the Malay Peninsula eastward into Borneo. They also occur in Cambodia and the Philippines. Heartwood Color Red Brown Pink Yellowish brown Tangential surfaces show a dark zig-zag figure Red light brown Radial surfaces show narrow light lines Brown - light grayish Sapwood Color Red Brown Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Texture Medium Fine Medium Luster Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Very durable Perishable Moderately durable Non-durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Sapwood is quite vulnerable to stain Heartwood has very little resistance to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Likely to have significant impact on machining Contain high levels of silica (.10% to .42% of dry weight) Drying Defects Distortion Splitting Checking Staining Slight twist/warp Slight spring/bow End-checking is slight Ease of Drying Slowly Air dries rapidly under cover Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Slow Drying rate is slow Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bole length is 10-20 m Bole length is 0-10 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Tree height is 0-10 m Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Comments Tension wood may be present Blunting Effect Medium effect Boring Fair results Carving Material with interlocked grain is fairly difficult to carve Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Tension wood may blunt saw Difficult to saw Gluing Moderate gluing properties Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Slight to moderate blunting effect on cutters Easy to mortise Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Generally easy Areas of tension wood prove more difficult Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Clean surfaces are difficult obtain in areas of tension wood Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Heartwood is permeable Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Routing & Recessing Routing characteristics are generally good Turning Poor to Very Poor Results Tension wood causes rough surfaces Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Strength Properties Very heavy Resists denting and marring Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 11362 14906 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1301 lbs Impact Strength 30 34 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5622 7510 psi Shearing Strength 1945 psi Stiffness 2236 2420 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 11 15 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.61 0.62 Weight 69 44 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 798 1048 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Hardness 590 kg Impact Strength 76 86 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 395 528 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 136 kg/cm2 Stiffness 157 170 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.77 1.05 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.61 0.62 Weight 1105 705 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References 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. Foxworthy, F.W. 1921. Commercial Woods of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records, No. 1. Malayan Science Bulletin, Malaya.