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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
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
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resin Content
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
Cedrela guianensis

Trade Name
Acajou blanc

Family Name
Meliaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Acajou blanc, Acajou rouge, Cedrat, Cedre rouge, Cedro, Epi, Kapere, Red cedar, Soeren, Thitkado, Toon, Youhom

Regions of Distribution
Central America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Guyana

Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Boat building, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Cigar boxes, Cigar wrappers, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Millwork, Musical instruments , Office furniture, Organ pipes, Piano keys, Pianos , Plywood, Shingles, Shipbuilding

Environmental Profile
The environmental status of this species within its geographical boundaries has not been officially determined

Distribution Overview
Mexico and possibly south. Prefers rich, well-drained humid soils.

Heartwood Color
White
Yellow
Brown
Orange
Black
Green/grey
Red


The heartwood changes from a pink to pale pink - brown or reddish brown when freshly cut, to a red or dark reddish brown, sometimes with a purplish tinge after exposure

Sapwood Color
Green/Grey
Red
Brown
Yellow
White


The sapwood is pinkish beige to white in color, and is poorly to clearly demarcated from the heartwood.

Grain
Even
Straight
Interlocked

Occasionally interlocked, but not always
Generally straight, but not always

The wood has a fine but not clearly distinct silver figure.

Texture
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Uniform
Uneven
Fine to medium
Coarse


Luster
The wood has a medium to high and golden luster

Natural Durability
Susceptible to insect attack
Non-durable
Perishable
Non-resistant to termites
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-resistant to marine borers
Very suitable for exterior applications
Very high natural resistance
Moderately resistant to decay
Moderately resistant to attack by termites

The wood is susceptible to attack by marine borers

Odor
Odor is distinctively cedary and often pronounced. Some specimen possess a bitter taste

Resin Content
Contains resin

Presence of volatile oils may restrict the use of the wood in some applications

Kiln Schedules
Schedule H United Kingdom
10 - D4S (4/4); T8 - D3S (8/4) US


Drying Defects
Distortion
Splitting
Checking
Slight twist/warp
No surface checking
Collapse


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Slowly
Easy
Dries readily with little degrade
Dries at a fairly rapid rate


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries quickly
Naturally dries at a moderate speed


Tree Size
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 10-20 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Bole length is 10-20 m


Product Sources
The ITTO reports that a very important source of timber. The timber is exported regularly, especially as square-edged timber and veneer.

Blunting Effect
High to severe
Blunting effect on machining is slight


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy


The wood is somewhat difficult to bore cleanly.

Carving
Good carving qualities


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Easy to saw

Lighter woods show a tendency toward woolliness, and resin may clog up cutters

Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Glues well


Mortising
Good mortising properties


Moulding
Good moulding properties


Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Stable


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Holds nails well
Easy to nail


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results
Slight dulling of cutters
Easy to plane


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

Reports on the treatability of the sapwood vary.

Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Easy to machine


Routing & Recessing
Good in both routing and recessing.


Sanding
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Pre-boring recommended


Turning
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to turn


Steam Bending
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Requires a filler

Gums and oils may present problems in polishing.

Staining
Fair to Good Results
Good staining properties


Varnishing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage6%
Volumetric Shrinkage10%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage6%

References
Boone, R. S., C. J. Kozlik, P. J. Bois, and E. M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant, and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France.

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operator's Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.









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