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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 Certified Source 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 Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Bombax chevalieri Trade Name Kondroti Family Name Bombacaceae Common Names Alone, Bombax, Condrotti, Kondroti, Meguza, Mfume, Munguza, N'demo Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo Common Uses Blockboard, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Tables , Trimming, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview West Africa, extending into Tanzania in Central Africa. Generally found in savannah secondary forests and dense rain forests. Heartwood Color Brown Red Black Purple Yellowish brown Pale reddish brown Light brown Dark markings and gum veins Sapwood Color White Yellow Pink Whitish Occasionally clearly defined from the heartwood, but not always. Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Coarse Medium Medium coarse to coarse Luster Medium High Dull Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-durable Non-resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to powder post beetles Perishable Durable Very little natural resistance Odor No specific odor Kiln Schedules UK=E (4/4) T6 -B3 (4/4) US Drying Defects Splitting Checking Distortion Collapse Internal Honeycombing Possible Moderate cupping Moderate collapse and honeycombing Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Slowly Thick Stock Requires Care Little degrade Air-dries rapidly with severe degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Slow Drying rate is slow Tree Size Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bole length is 0-10 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 0-10 m Bole length is 10-20 m Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Moderate High to severe Blunting effect on sawing is mild Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fairly difficult to very difficult Use very sharp cutting edges to prevent grain from tearing Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good if cutting edges are sharp Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Moderate to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very good properties Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Moulding Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Stable Small Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Pre-Boring Recommended Poor to Very Poor Results Holds nails well Easy to nail Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Requires sharp cutting edges Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately to extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good sanding qualities Screwing Holds screws well Good screwing properties Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Requires very sharp cutting edges Good results Steam Bending Poor to Very Poor Results Unsuitable Moderate Painting Little or no surface prep required Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Smooth finish Staining Fair to Good Results Stains well Varnishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 4224 7524 psi Density 33 lbs/ft3 Hardness 392 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 2332 4625 psi Stiffness 715 970 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.36 0.51 Weight 50 32 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 296 529 kg/cm2 Density 528 kg/m3 Hardness 177 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 163 325 kg/cm2 Stiffness 50 68 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.36 0.51 Weight 801 512 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % 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. 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. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.