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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 Schedules Light-Induced Color Change Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Bagassa guianensis Trade Name Tatajuba Family Name Moraceae Common Names Amapa rana, Amapa-rana, Amaparana, Amarelao, Amarelo, Bagaceira, Bagaceiro, Bagasse, Bagasse jaune, Bagasse juane, Bois bagasse, Bois jaune, Bois vache, Cow-wood, Gale bagasse, Garrote, Gele bagasse, Jawahedan, Katowar, Kaw oedoe, Odon, Tatajuba, Tuwne, Yawahudan Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname Common Uses Beams, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boat building: framing, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Marine construction, Mine timbers, Office furniture, Piling, Poles, Porch columns, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Roofing, Rough construction, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Stools, Tool handles, Turnery, Veneer: decorative Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Can be found rather infrequently in the Guianas and the Brazilian Amazon, including Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, and Brazil. Heartwood Color Brown Pink Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Brown Reddish brown Yellow, but ages to a lustrous golden-brown, to russet, often with streaks Sapwood Color Brown White to yellow Well defined Pale yellow to yellowish-white Clearly demarcated from heartwood in old trees The sapwood is narrow Grain Figure Interlocked Stripe (figure) Straight Even Other (figure) Interlocked Striped figure Straight Other figure Interlocked grain produces a broad stripe Texture Medium Fine Coarse Medium to coarse Medium coarse to coarse Luster Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Durable Moderately resistant to marine borer attack Very durable Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Resistant to wood staining fungal attack Resistant to attack by white-rot and brown-rot fungi Poor weathering characteristics Moderately durable In marine applications this species is slightly resistant to marine borers, i.e. shipworms and gribble Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Light-Induced Color Change Darker Toxicity Unspecified toxicity Kiln Schedules Dry at a moderate speed Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Checking Distortion Slight twist/warp No surface checking Slight surface checking Slight tendency to distort and check Slight spring/bow No twisting or warping No end splitting No cupping, generally Moderate twist/warp Moderate surface checking Ease of Drying Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Moderate Difficult Medium shrinkage Easy to dry Drying rate is moderate to slow Tree Identification Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is cylindrical Product Sources The ITTO reports that an important and regular source for timber production and exportations. Substitutes Light virola (Virola surinamensis ), Ekop (Tetraberlinia tubmaniana , T. bifoliolata ), Brown terminalia (Terminalia brassii, Kondroti (Bombax brevicuspe ) As substitutes in plywood production Comments Bark contains large quantities of sweet, sticky latex General finishing qualities are rated as good In the green conidtion, it is superior in properties to White Oak (Quercus alba) Lesser-Known species from South America Mechanical properties in the dry condition are comparable to Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) Similar characteristics to the African species, Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) Blunting Effect High to severe Slight to moderate blunting effect on cutters Boring Fairly easy to very easy Good boring qualitites Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good carving characteristics Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Moderate to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Low resistance to sawing Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Glues without difficulty Easy to glue Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good mortising properties Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulds well (70+ % of pieces will yield good to excellent results) Movement in Service Retains shape very well after manufacture Good dimensional stability and shows little movement in use Nailing Fair to Good Results Pre-boring recommended Good nail holding properties Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Presence of interlocked grain may pose some problems Good planing properties Easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is resistant Heartwood is extremely resistant Resistance to impregnation is similar to Teak, and suggests may be very difficult to treat Response to Hand Tools Easy to machine Responds well to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fair to Good Results Responds well to sanding operations Produces smooth surfaces Produces clean surfaces Screwing Screws with difficulty Pre-Boring is recommended in screwing Good screw holding properties Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good turning qualities Steam Bending Good steam bending properties Painting Fair to Good Results Takes paint well Good results Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Finished clearly and polishes to a high, lustrous finish Staining Stains well Stains evenly Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Takes varnish without difficulty Good results Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = high Hardness (side grain) = medium Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Max. crushing strength = high Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Max. crushing strength = very high Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shrinkage, Radial = large Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = very high Very heavy Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high High in density Hard Does not marr or dent easily Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = medium The species is considerably stronger than White oak or Teak. It is hard - harder than Teak, Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 14300 20794 psi Crushing Strength 1176 1656 psi Density 49 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1711 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 8136 11628 psi Shearing Strength 2094 psi Static Bending 10133 13622 psi Stiffness 2255 2562 1000 psi Toughness 191 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 11 14 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.62 0.7 Weight 52 48 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 9 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1005 1461 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 82 116 kg/cm2 Density 785 kg/m3 Hardness 776 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 572 817 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 147 kg/cm2 Static Bending 712 957 kg/cm2 Stiffness 158 180 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 220 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.77 0.98 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.62 0.7 Weight 833 769 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Almeida, D.G. de, Costa, J.R. da,1956,Madeiras do Brasil. (Timbers of Brazil.,Min. Ag. Servico de Economia Rural, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,pp56 Barros Paes de, D.,1966,Bandpudsning af bog, e.g. Teak og Palisander,Traeindustrien (Denmark,16(6,pp86-9 Berni, C.A., Bolza, E., Christensen, F.J.,1979,South American Timbers - The Characteristics, Properties and Uses of 190,Species,C.S.I.R.O Div. Building Research Bois et Forets des Tropiques,1991,Bagasse - Bagassa Tilliaefolia R.Ben,Bois et Forets des Tropiques Vol.230 pp.57-60 Brazil -, I.B.D.F.,1980,Woods from Tucurui - characteristics and application,The Ag. Ministry Brazilian Institute for Forest Development Brazil-Ministerio do Interior,1979,Pesquisas e Informac†ces sobre especies florestais da Amazonia,Dept. de Recuros Naturais Centro de Tecnologia Madeireira Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 2 South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Caribbean Commission,1952,Information on properties of timbers gathered by questionnaire and,collated in the secretariat of the Caribbea