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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
Kiln Schedules
Light-Induced Color Change
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities
| |
Synonyms
Tabebuia pentaphylla, Tecoma pentaphylla
Common Names
Afina, Amapa, Amapa rosa, Amape, Apamate, Apamate ocobo, Cambora, Caoba del brasil, Cortes, Cortez, Guayacan, Macuelizo, Macuil, Macuilis, Macuiliz, Maculez, Maculigua, Maculis, Maculiz, Maculiz prieto, Maculizo, Mano de leon, Maqueliz, Maquilgua, Maquiliqua, Maquiliz, Maria blanco, Matilisquate, Mayflower, Ocobo, Orum, Otovo, Palo blanco, Palo de rosa, Palo yugo, Pink poui, Pink trumpet tree, Poirier, Poirier du pays, Poirier rouge, Roble, Roble blanc, Roble blanco, Roble colorado, Roble de guyana, Roble de la america central, Roble de rio, Roble de savana, Roble de yugo, Roble flor morado, Roble morado, Rosa morada, Rosa morado, Taipoca, Warakuri, Weisse roble, West Indian boxwood, White cedar, Witte roble
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Belize, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guadelope [France], Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Balusters, Beams, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Ceiling, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Cooperages, Decks, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Door, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Handles: general, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Marine construction, Millwork, Moldings, Musical instruments, Oars, Paneling , Paneling, Particleboard, Piling, Plywood, Poles, Railroad ties, Shingles, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Vehicle parts, Veneer: decorative
Environmental Profile
| Widespread |
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| Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat |
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| Status unknown in many of its growth areas |
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| Rare in parts of its natural range |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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| Abundant |
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This species is officially classified as Vulnerable within its natural habitat in Panama. Its status in the wild in Cuba, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela is listed as unknown because of insufficient information
Distribution Overview
Widely distributed in tropical America, and occurs from Mexico to northern South America and Ecuador. It occurs in a variety of habitats, but especially in somewhat swampy forests, from sea level to an altitude of about 3940 feet (1200 m). also widely cultivated.
Heartwood Color
| Brown |
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| Purple |
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| Red |
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| Brown |
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| Greenish to greyish |
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| Pale brown |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| Dark brown |
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| Golden brown |
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| Chestnut - dark |
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Sapwood Color
| Brown |
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| Pink |
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| Red |
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| White to yellow |
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| Same as heartwood |
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| Merges gradually into the heartwood |
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| Initially pale rose, then turns grayish brown upon exposure |
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Grain
| Figure |
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| Straight |
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| Other (figure) |
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| Distinct (figure) |
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| Interlocked |
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| Stripe (figure) |
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| Wavy |
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| Closed |
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| Mottled (figure) |
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| Even |
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| Rays (figure) |
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| Straight |
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| Other figure |
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| Distinct figure |
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| Striped figure |
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| Interlocked |
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| Wavy |
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| Mottled figure |
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| Straight to interlocked |
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| Rays figure |
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Texture
| Fine |
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| Even or uniform |
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| Medium to coarse |
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| Medium |
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| Medium to fairly course |
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| Fine |
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| Coarse |
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Luster
Natural Durability
| Very durable |
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| Resistant to marine borers |
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| Durable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Very durable |
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| Susceptible to marine borer attack |
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| Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Resistant to attack from pinworms (ambrosia beetles) |
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| Poor weathering properties |
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| Non durable |
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| Heartwood susceptible to marine borer attack |
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| Heartwood is susceptible to attack by dry-wood insects |
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| Heartwood has very little resistance to decay |
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Odor
| Has an odor |
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| No specific smell or taste |
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Light-Induced Color Change
Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
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| Dry at a moderate speed |
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| UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5 |
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| T6 - D2 (4/4) US |
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| T3 - D1 (8/4) US |
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| Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rapid |
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| Dry at a slow speed |
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Drying Defects
| Splitting |
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| Distortion |
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| Slight twist/warp |
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| Slight surface checking |
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| No surface checking |
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| Slight spring/bow |
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| Slight end splitting |
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| Slight cupping |
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| No twisting or warping |
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| No end splitting |
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| No cupping, generally |
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Ease of Drying
| Reconditioning Treatement |
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| Easy |
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| Tolerates severe drying schedules |
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| Kiln dries well |
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| Dries at a moderate rate with little degrade. |
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Kiln Drying Rate
| Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm) |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
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| Bole/stem form is straight |
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| Bole/stem form is fluted |
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Tree Size
Product Sources
It is one of the most widely distributed and abundant species in Central America.
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Roble wood is suggested as a subsitute for Ash (Fraxinus spp.) and Oak (Quercus sapp.)
Widely cultivated for ornamental trees
Blunting Effect
| High to severe |
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| Slight |
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| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild |
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| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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Boring
| Fairly difficult to very difficult |
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| Easy |
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| Excellent results |
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Carving
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Very good response to preservative treatment |
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| Clean and smooth surfaces |
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Cutting Resistance
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy |
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| Easy to saw |
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Gluing
| Easy to glue |
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| Good gluing characteristics |
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Mortising
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Easy to mortise |
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| Very good mortising properties |
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Moulding
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Easy to mould |
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| Fairly good response to preservative treatment |
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Movement in Service
Nailing
| Possible if prebored |
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| Easy to nail |
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| Holds nails well |
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| Thicker boards require pre-boring |
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Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Planes well, to a good finish |
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| Easy to plane |
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| Ease of planing is moderate |
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| Requires some care to prevent rough surfaces |
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| Planing properties are excellent |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable |
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| Heartwood is permeable |
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Penetration in the sapwood is total, but irregular, while it is partial, peripheral, and irregular in the heartwood.
Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work |
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| Easy to machine |
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| Good response |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Routing yields good results |
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| Routing characteristics are good |
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Sanding
| The sanding finish is generally good |
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| Results improve with 100 grain sander |
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Screwing
Turning
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Easy to turn |
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| Good results |
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| Very good turning characteristics |
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Veneering Qualities
| Easy to cut |
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| No drying degrade. Dries flat without splitting |
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| Material can converted into smooth and compact veneers |
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Steam Bending
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good |
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| Moderate |
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Polishing
| Satisfactory results |
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| Good results |
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Staining
| Finish is generally satisfactory |
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Strength Properties
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
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| Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Max. crushing strength = medium |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low |
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| Hardness (side grain) = soft |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low |
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| Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shrinkage, Volumetric = small |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = small |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = small |
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| Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Max. crushing strength = high |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = very small |
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| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low |
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| Bending | |