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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 Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Widdringtonia whytei Trade Name Mlanje Cedar Family Name Common Names Mkungusa, Mlanje Cedar, Mlanje Cypress Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe Common Uses Balusters, Building construction, Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Pencil, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Sub-flooring, Tables Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Described as a bush or a small tree, and occurs in South Africa, from the southwest Cape, east and northwards through Natal to the Soutpansberg in the northern Transvaal, up to an elevation of 8500 feet (2490 m). It is rather common along gullies and steep slopes on grassy mountain sides at Giant's Castle Cathedral Peak in Natal. Heartwood Color Yellow Orange White Red Brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Light brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Paler than heartwood Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Even Straight Straight Texture Medium Fine Fine Luster Medium Lustrous High and satiny luster Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Non-durable Perishable Moderately durable Resistant to powder post beetles Very resistant to termites, borers and fungi, except the honey fungus, Armillaria sp oil in wood acts as preservative Odor No characteristic taste Cedar-Like odor Drying Defects Distortion Splitting Checking Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Rapidly Good seasoning characteristics. Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 0-10 m Blunting Effect Blunting effect on machining is slight Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Timber responds well to machine tools to yield clean surfaces in boring Carving Good results Cutting Resistance Saws readily although it is hard and tough Easy to saw Gluing Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Fair to Good Results Yields clean and smooth surfaces Moulding Good finishing results Easy to mould Nailing Good nailing properties Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good planing properties Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds well Routing & Recessing Responds well to routing operations Sanding Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Yields smooth, clean surfaces Easy to sand Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good screwing properties Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Yields smooth, clean surface. Responds well Painting Does not take paint well because of its oily nature Polishing Polishes to a lustrous shine Cut surfaces are usually smooth and glossy Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Varnishing Interlocked slightly to moderately Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = high Moderate weight and high density Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7350 11270 psi Density 33 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 3675 6566 psi Shearing Strength 1666 psi Stiffness 1294 1519 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.44 Weight 32 26. lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 516 792 kg/cm2 Density 528 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 258 461 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 117 kg/cm2 Stiffness 90 106 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.44 References Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Palmer, E. and N. Pitman. 1972. Trees of Southern Africa, Volume 1 - Covering All Known Indidenous Species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho & Swaziland. A.A. Balkema, Publisher. Cape Town, South Africa.