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Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Guilandina echinata

Trade Name
Bahia wood

Family Name
Leguminosae

Synonyms
Caesalpinia echinata


Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Bahia wood, Bois de Bresil, Brasilete, Brasiletto, Brasilienholz, Brasillet de fernambouc, Brazil wood, Braziletto, Brazilwood, Bresil, Fernambucco, Fernambuco, Fernambuco wood, Fernambukholz, Ibirapitanga, Legno del Brasile, Legno di Santa Maria, Legno rosso, Orabuta, Palo Brasil, Palo de pernambuco, Pao Brasil, Para, Pau Brasil claro, Pau Brasil escuro, Pau Brazil, Pau rosado, Pau-pernambuco, Peachwood, Pernambucco, Pernambuco wood, Sapan, Verzino, Verzino del Brasile, Violin bow wood, Ymira piranga, Zapan

Regions of Distribution
Latin America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Brazil, Colombia

Common Uses
Boat building: framing, Carvings, Chemical derivatives, Flooring, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Mine timbers, Musical instruments, Musical instruments: strings, Railroad ties, Structural work, Turnery, Vehicle parts

Heartwood Color
White
Yellow
Orange
Red
Brown
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange


Sapwood Color
White
Yellow
Red
White to yellow
Well defined


Grain
Straight
Figure
Interlocked
Even
Rippled (figure)
Other (figure)

Straight
Interlocked
Rippled figure
Other figure


Texture
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Medium


Luster
Medium
High
Lustrous
Pronounced


Natural Durability
Non-durable
Perishable
Susceptible to insect attack
Non-resistant to termites
Non-resistant to marine borers
Resistant to powder post beetles
Very durable
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles


Toxicity
Unspecified toxicity


Drying Defects
Checking
Slight twist/warp
Slight surface checking


Ease of Drying
Rapidly


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries quickly


Tree Size
Tree height is 30-40 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Bole length is 20-30 m
Tree height is 40-50 m
Tree height is 20-30 m
Bole length is 10-20 m


Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable heartwood
Resistant heartwood
Permeable sapwood
Resistant sapwood


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Easy to machine
Moderate working qualities
Difficult to machine


Sanding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Turning
Easy to turn


Veneering Qualities
Suitable for peeling
Veneers easily
Suitable for slicing
Veneers moderately easy


Polishing
Good results


Strength Properties
Shrinkage, Tangential = large
Shrinkage, Radial = large
Density (dry weight) = >75 lbs/cu. ft
Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu.ft
Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft
Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large
Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large
Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Density59lbs/ft3
Weight5853lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage6%
Tangential Shrinkage9%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Density945kg/m3
Weight929849kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage6%

References
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

Bolza, E.,1976,Timber and Health,Div. Building Res. C.S.I.R.O. Australia

Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 2 South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London

Fors, A.J.,1949,Maderas Industriales de Colombia,Caribbean Forester,10(3,pp161-96

Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.

Kribs, D.A.,1950,Commercial and Foreign Woods on the American Market (a manual to their,structure, identification, uses and distribution,U.S.A. Penn. State College, Tropical Woods Laboratory

Mainieri, C.,1970,Madeiras Brasilieras,Sao Paulo Secretaria da Agricultra, Institulo Florestral

Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press

Record, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. Press

Rizzini, C.T.,1978,Arvores e Madeiras Uteis do Brasil: Manual de Dendrologia Brasileira,Editora Edgard Blucher LTDA Brazil

Woods, R.P.,1949,Timbers of South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series