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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 Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Light-Induced Color Change
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
Silica Content
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Canarium schweinfurthii

Trade Name
Africian canarium

Family Name
Burseraceae

Synonyms
Canarium velutinum


Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Abe, Abel, Abeul, African canarium, Africian canarium, Ahie, Aiele, Amonkyi, Bediwenua, Beri, Bidikala, Billi, Bobele, Buhura, Canarium, Elemi, Eyere, Gbebi, Incense tree, Kandangunuu, Kantankrui, Kurutwe, M'bili, Mbele, Mbidikala, Mbidinkala, Mbili, Mubafu, Mubani, Mubili, Mupafu, Mwafu, Omusanki, Omuwafu, Ovili, Owele, Owele ovili, Papo, Safukala

Regions of Distribution
Africa

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire

Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Bent Parts, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Cabinetmaking, Casks, Chairs, Chemical derivatives, Chests, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Door, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Paneling, Parquet flooring, Particleboard, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Structural plywood, Turnery, Utility furniture, Utility plywood, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wardrobes

Environmental Profile
Endangered
Vulnerable
Extinct
Rare
Questionable
Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat
Unknown status is some of its growth areas
Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk)
Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions.
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center

Population is relatively secure in Cameroon, Congo and Sierra Leone. Rare in Benin. Vulnerable in Liberia. Status in wild is listed as unknown due to insufficient information in Angola, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Ivory Coast,Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Zaire

Distribution Overview
Widely distributed in East, Central, and West Africa.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Red
Pale brown
Pale red to pink
Brown
White to cream
Yellowish tan
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Light brown
Darkens upon exposure

The wood may contain numerous small knots. Stained Canarium is so similar in appearance to African mahogany (Khaya ) that it usually requires an expert to differentiate between the two.

Sapwood Color
Brown
Red
White to yellow
Pinkish
Clearly differentiated from the heartwood
Not clearly differentiated from the heartwood.
Yellowish-brown
Paler than heartwood
Pale brown
Different than heartwood
Darkens upon exposure


Grain
Interlocked
Figure
Distinct (figure)
Stripe (figure)
Closed
Spiral
Wavy
Crossed

Interlocked
Distinct figure
Striped figure
Wavy
Spiral
Distinct and fine figure

The grain sometimes produces a very attractive stripe or roey figure on quarter-cut surfaces

Texture
Medium
Coarse
Medium
Medium coarse to coarse


Luster
Medium
Lustrous
Pronounced


Natural Growth Defects
Brittleheart is frequent to extensive
Yellowish deposits in vessels
Wind shakes may be present in the wood.
Whitish deposits in vessels
Brittleheart may be present in the wood.

Gum in the canarium may gum-up saws and cutters

Natural Durability
Durable
Resistant to termites
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Non durable
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present
Perishable
Susceptible to marine borer attack
Susceptible to termite attack
Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles

Soon after felling, logs should be treated chemically , extracted and converted to prevent insect attack,

Odor
No characteristic taste
Freshly cut wood is aromatic


Silica Content
Siliceous
Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight)


Light-Induced Color Change
Darker


Kiln Schedules
Dry at a slow speed
UK=H US=T10D4S/T8D3S Fr=7
Drying (speed) is fast
T10 - D4S (4/4) US; T8 - D3S (8/4) US
Schedule H; United Kingdom
Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rather slow


Drying Defects
Distortion
Checking
Moderate collapse and honeycombing
Slight end splitting
Moderate end spitting
Slight surface checking
Slight twist/warp
Slight cupping
Shakes may become extended


Ease of Drying
Thick Stock Requires Care
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Requires special attention
Easy
Shrinkage from Green to 12% MC (Tangential) = 4.5%
Shrinkage from Green to 12% MC (Radial) = 2.5%
Dries slowly and well


Kiln Drying Rate
Very slow (>28 days for boards < 32 mm, to >84 days for boards >= 63 mm)


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is buttressed
Bole/stem form is cylindrical
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Bole/stem form is fluted


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


Product Sources
The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced only occasionally and is exported in low but regular volumes.

Comments
Canarium contains a whitish gum which is reported to solidify to the consistency of wax and burns freely when lit. Uses of African canarium are rather limited because it dulls cutters rapidly and severely

General finishing qualities are rated as good

Blunting Effect
High to severe
Blunting effect on machining is severe
Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe
Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild
Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe
Blunting effect on machining is slight

Interlocked grain and silica content have very high blunting effects on cutting tools. To process the wood, tungsten tipped cutters may be required

Boring
Fairly easy to very easy


Use three winged drills for the best results

Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Cutting Resistance
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy
Material with interlocked grain can be difficult.

Silica content and interlocked grain can increase cutting resistance. Keep cutting edges sharp

Gluing
Easy to glue
Satisfactory gluing properties


Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good finishing results


Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Medium

Canarium timber that has been seasoned has moderate dimensional stability

Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Easy to nail
Holds nails well
Satisfactory nailing properties


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Easy to plane
Satisfactory planing properties

Materials with interlocked grain may require a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees and very sharp cutting edges

Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable sapwood
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is extremely resistant
Sapwood is treatable


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to machine
Moderate working qualities

Silica content and interlocked grain can have severe blunting effect on cutters

Routing & Recessing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Sanding
Difficult to sand
Good sanding qualities


Screwing
Screwing yields good results
Fair screwing qualities (expect < 70% of screwed pieces to be free from complete splits)
Easy to screw


Turning
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Special attention required

Use sharp, high speed steel cutters to discourage woolly surfaces

Veneering Qualities
Good gluing qualities
Easy to cut
Various figures can yield decorative veneers
There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits
Can sometimes be sliced into highly decorative veneers for paneling

Because of its attractive figure and easy response to staining, timber is often sliced into highly decorative veneers

Steam Bending
Very poor


Painting
Satisfactory results


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Satisfactory results


Staining
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Finish is generally satisfactory
Finish is generally good
Excellent staining characteristics


Varnishing
Satisfactory
Good results


Strength Properties
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Hardness (side grain) = very soft
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Max. crushing strength = medium
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low