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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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects 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 Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Brachystegia zenkeri Trade Name Bomanga Family Name Leguminosae Common Names Akolodo, Ariella, Bomanga, Ekop evene, Ekop leke, Manga, Meblo, Mendou, Naga, Ngu, Nzang, Okwen, Yegna Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zaire Common Uses Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Cooperages, 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 Rare Very little threat to its natural environment. Very little threat to its natural environment. Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview West Africa. Heartwood Color Brown Red Green Yellowish brown Pale fawn Light brown Dark brown Copper brown Sapwood Color Pale yellowish brown Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Figure Straight Roey (figure) Occasionally straight Moderately to severely interlocked, producing a roey figure Grain may be straight, but it is usually interlocked to deeply interlocked, producing a pronounced roey figure. Texture Fine Medium coarse to coarse Luster Lustrous Natural Growth Defects Wind shakes in large trees Gum and mineral deposits Natural Durability Durable Resistant to termites Very low natural resistance to decay fungi Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T6 - D2 (4/4) US T3 - D1 (8/4) US Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Checking Distortion Severe surface checking Expect resin/gum exudation Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Gum exudation may occur if the wood is dried too rapidly Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Thick Stock Requires Care Requires special attention Shrinkage Green to12% MC Radial and tangential shrinkage from 2-4% Dries slowly with high tendency to degrade Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced occasionally. The material is being promoted on the export market. Comments Abnormal Wood Tissue Some authorities identify this species and B. zenkeri as the same, i.e., B. laurentii = B. zenkeri . Tension wood may be present. Material containing tension wood is highly prone to distortion during drying Blunting Effect Moderate Blunting effect on sawing is mild to moderate Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very good properties Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Oulding properties are good Movement in Service Fair stability in seasoned wood Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Nails well without pre-boring Holds nails well Dry timber is hard to nail Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately to extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Good sanding finish Screwing Pre-boring recommended Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Steam Bending Good Painting Good results Polishing Fair to Good Results Smooth finish Staining Stains well and easily Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Max. crushing strength = high Heavy Hardness = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10613 13977 psi Density 37 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1156 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 5381 6788 psi Stiffness 1343 1398 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.48 Weight 51 40 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 746 982 kg/cm2 Density 592 kg/m3 Hardness 524 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 378 477 kg/cm2 Stiffness 94 98 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.48 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. Lavers, G. M. 1966. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50. Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.