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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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability 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 Substitutes Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Terminalia amazonica Trade Name Nargusta Family Name Combretaceae Common Names Almendro, Amarillo carabazuelo, Aromilla, Canshan, Cochun, Coffee mortar, Cuiarana, Fukadi, Guayabo, Guayabo leon, Nacastillo, Nargusta, Pardillo negro, Pau-mulato brancho, Tanimbuca, White oliver Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela Common Uses Boat building, Cabinetmaking, Construction, Flooring, Furniture , Railroad ties, Shipbuilding, Turnery, Utility plywood Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Rather secure within its natural growth range Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview The species occurs in Central and South America. Its range extends southward from southern Mexico through Central America and into northern South America to Brazil and Peru. The tree is common in the Wallaba forests of Guyana. It is also found in Trinidad, and is scattered in very small concentrations per acre in the forests in Belize. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Orange Red Pink Green/grey Yellowish-Olive Golden-Brown to dark brown The color varies from yellowish-olive to golden brown, and may have distinct reddish-brown markings. Sapwood Color Brown Yellow Red Pink White to yellow Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Figure Interlocked Irregular Irregular Interlocked Texture Coarse Medium Even or uniform Medium Luster Medium High Low Medium to high Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Durable Non-resistant to termites Resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-resistant to marine borers Susceptible to attack by subterranean termites Resistant to attack by dry-wood insects Heartwood highly resistant to attack by brown-rot and white-rot fungi Fair weathering characteristics It tends to check considerably and lose surface smoothness if exposed to the elements for prolonged periods without protection Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules T3-C2 (4/4); T3-C1(8/4) US/T3-C2 (4/4); T3-C1(8/4) U Drying Defects Splitting Checking Distortion Sever warping and checking Defects include severe warping and checking, and thicker material tends to retain moisture pockets in the center Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Variable results. Some materials dry rapidly and easily with little degrade, while others are reported to dry with difficulty, and are prone to considerable degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Rapid Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Tree Size Bole length is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 40-50 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bole length is 30-40 m Tree height is 60-70 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trees with trunk diameters above 20 to 25 inches (50 to 60 cm) are often hollow Product Sources Although Nargusta is rather abundant within its growth range, Certified Source Certified Source Substitutes Nargusta has been suggested as potential substitute for White oak (Quercus ) Blunting Effect Little Cutting edges dull severely and rapidly Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly difficult to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Good gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Moderate dimensional stability after seasoning Medium Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Pre-boring required Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Special attention required Straight-Grained material responds readily and well to planing, but wood containing irregular grain tends to tear. A reduced cutting angle has been recommended Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood response to preservative treatment is variable Heartwood is extremely difficult to treat with preservatives Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Very difficult to work with hand tools Severe dulling effect on cutters Contains irregular grain Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Pre-Boring is recommended in screwing Good screw holding properties Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Gluing is often difficult Turning, boring, and other woodworking qualities are rated as generally difficult, especially if the material contains irregular grain Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Suitable for slicing No drying degrade Some Nargusta logs are sliced for decorative veneers, and the timber is used for the manufacture of plywood Steam Bending Poor to Very Poor Results Unsuitable Moderate Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Surface Preparation Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Yields a shiny surface Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Surface Preparation Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good staining qualities Strength Properties Heavy Hard Dense Nargusta has medium strength properties in bending, crushing, and resistance to shock loads. It is low in stiffness Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 11887 17395 psi Crushing Strength 1039 1205 psi Density 49 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1578 lbs Impact Strength 33 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 5419 9349 psi Shearing Strength 1911 psi Static Bending 7556 11084 psi Stiffness 1970 2254 1000 psi Toughness 183 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 12 16 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.63 0.76 Weight 48 39. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 15 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 835 1223 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 73 84 kg/cm2 Density 785 kg/m3 Hardness 715 kg Impact Strength 83 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 381 657 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 134 kg/cm2 Static Bending 531 779 kg/cm2 Stiffness 138 158 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 210 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.84 1.12 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.63 0.76 Weight 769 624. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Descriptiva Data Source Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Lavers, G.M. 1967. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50 (Spersedes Bulletin No. 45). Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California. Teixeiro, D.E., M.A.E. Santana, and M. Rabelo de Souza. 1988. Amazonian Timbers for the International Market. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) Technical Series 1, Prepared by the Brazilian Institute for Forestry Development, Brasilia, Brazil. Wangaard, F.F. and A.F. Muschler. 1952. Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods III, Tropical Woods, No. 98, Yale University Press, School of Forestry, New Haven, Connecticut. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.