Search for

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 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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Varnishing Veneering Qualities Weathering Scientific Name Beilschmiedia mannii Trade Name Kanda Family Name Lauraceae Synonyms Tylostemon longipes, Tylostemon mannii, Afrodaphne elata, Afrodaphne mannii, Beilschmiedia bitehi, Beilschmiedia djalonensis, Beilschmiedia elata, Beilschmiedia stapfiana Common Names Akok, An-gba, Atiokouo, Atiokwo, Be-ay, Beay, Bidi-tu, Bitehe, Bitehi, Bogo, Bonzale, Gba, Gbei, Gboko nisa, Gbwei, Kanda, Kpa, Kwintofi, Labi, Mfimbo, Nkonengii, Nkonengu, Pogo, Spicy cedar, Tola, Zoe-kpoe Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zaire Common Uses Boat building (general), Boat building, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture, Joinery, Light construction, Millwork, Paneling, Plywood, Tool handles, Veneer Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Vulnerable Endangered Rare Secure in many areas of its range Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview West to Central Africa, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Heartwood Color Brown Red Pink Purple Highly variable Reddish brown Red Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Greenish to greyish Cherry red Brown Sapwood Color Yellow White Brown White to yellow Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Paler than heartwood Different than heartwood Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Straight Even Figure Silver tint (figure) Interlocked Straight Straight to interlocked Silver tinted figure sometimes Texture Medium Coarse Fine Fine to medium Medium Luster Low Medium Medium Natural Growth Defects Brittleheart is often frequent and extensive Natural Durability Very durable Durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Durable Very durable Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Weathering Good Odor Spicy scent No taste in seasoned wood Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Checking Distortion Case Hardening Slight twist/warp Slight tendency to distort Slight tendency to check Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Medium to High Shrinkage Dries slowly Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries slowly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is buttressed Bole/stem form is cylindrical Tree Size Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bole length is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 350-400 cm Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 50-60 m Tree height is 40-50 m Bole length is 20-30 m Substitutes Can be used a substitute for Walnut (Juglans) Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Generally hard and heavy Blunting Effect Moderate Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe Boring Fairly easy to very easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Good properties Easy to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Holds nails well Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Requires specially tipped cutters Planes to a satisfactory finish Kanda responds well to specially tipped tools in machining operations since it tends to dull ordinary tools severely Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Heartwood is extremely resistant Hard to treat with perservatives Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to machine Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Pre-boring recommended Veneering Qualities Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Suitable for peeling Difficult to veneer Can be rotary peeled and sliced into veneer Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Painting Surface Preparation Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Satisfactory results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Substance in wood may interfere with finish, but controllable Staining properties are satisfactory Varnishing Surface Preparation Fair to Good Results Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = medium Max. crushing strength = medium Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Hardness (side grain) = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = very low It is far superior in strength to either Teak or Hard maple Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 12482 19371 psi Density 42 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1658 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 3916 7106 psi Stiffness 1665 1778 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.62 Weight 39 31 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 877 1361 kg/cm2 Density 673 kg/m3 Hardness 752 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 275 499 kg/cm2 Stiffness 117 125 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.62 Weight 624 496 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % References Cooper, G.P., Record, S.J.,1931,The Evergreen Forests of Liberia,Yale School Forestry Bulletin,31,pp1-153 Dudek, S.,1981,Lesser Known Liberian Timber Species,German Agency for Technical Cooperation Germany Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood A. Wood Species from African Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry Department France - C.T.F.T./C.T.B.,1982,Guide pour le Choix des Essences Deroulables-pour la fabrication du,contreplaque,C.T.F.T./C.T.B. France Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed. Irvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. London ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. Prepared for International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) by Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, Division of CIRAD, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France. Jay, B.A.,1968,Timbers of West Africa,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees . Clarendon Press, Oxford. Keay, R.W.J., et al,1960,Nigerian Trees Vol.1,Nigeria Federal Department of Forest Research, Ibadan Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Kryn, J.M., Forbes, E.W.,1959,The Woods of Liberia,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture,Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,,Report No. 2159 Kunkel, G.,1965,The Trees of Liberia,German Forestry Mission to Liberia Report,No.3 Savill, P.S., Fox, J.E.D.,1967,Trees of Sierra Leone Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7 Voorhoeve, A.G.,1965,Liberian High Forest Trees,Centre for Agric. Publishing and Documentation, Wageningen