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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 Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Mortising Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Beilschmiedia velutina Trade Name Kanda Family Name Lauraceae Common Names Biteki, Bonzale, Kanda, Kauda, Mfimbo, Nkonengu Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zaire Common Uses Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Plain veneer, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Utility furniture, Veneer, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Questionable Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview West and Central Africa. Heartwood Color Brown Black Pinkish to greenish brown Sapwood Color Brown Yellow White Red Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Fine Even or uniform Fine to medium Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Resistant to lyctus attack Resistant to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Contains high levels of silica Drying Defects Distortion Slight tendency to check High tendency to distort Ease of Drying Medium to High Shrinkage Moderately Difficult to Difficult Dries slowly with difficulty Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Comments Represented under a general description Blunting Effect Blunting effect on sawing is severe Boring Fair to good results Gluing Good properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Holds nails well Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Requires specially tipped cutters Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Sapwood reponds well to preservation treatment Heartwood responds poorly to preservation treatment Sanding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good sanding finish Screwing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Requires specially tipped cutters Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Painting Good results Polishing Good results Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Stronger than Teak in the air-dry condition of 12 percent moisture content Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = very low Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 18522 psi Density 43 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 7272 psi Stiffness 1509 1000 psi Weight 59 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1302 kg/cm2 Density 689 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 511 kg/cm2 Stiffness 106 1000 kg/cm2 References ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France.