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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 Certified Source 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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Dacryodes excelsa Trade Name Gommier Family Name Burseraceae Common Names Candle tree, Candlewood, Gommier, Gommier a canot, Gommier blanc, Gommier montagne, Tabonu, Tabonuco Regions of Distribution Central America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadelope [France], Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherlands, Puerto Rico [US], Puerto Rico Common Uses Beams, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Building construction, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Food containers, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Plywood, Porch columns, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rough construction, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Stools, Tables , Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Endangered Extinct Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk) Source -The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based mainly on the number of occurrences of the species worldwide Distribution Overview Puerto Rico and Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to Grenada, including Goudeloupe and Martinique. Generally in small groups along upper slopes, but forms almost pure stands at high elevations in Dominica. This most majestic tree of Puerto Rico is mostly limited to the remaining virgin or protected rain forest of the lower slopes of the Luquillo Mountains. Heartwood Color Brown Purple Black Yellow Red Orange Pale red to pink Purple Pale brown Brown Initially pink brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Different than heartwood Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Straw colored to grayish-white Grain Figure Stripe (figure) Rippled (figure) Other (figure) Interlocked Striped figure Rippled figure Other figure Interlocked Texture Medium Coarse Resinous and oily Fine to medium Medium Fine Luster Medium Pronounced Lustrous Occaisonally lustrous Natural Growth Defects Gum/resin streaks Natural Durability Very durable Durable Resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) The heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Susceptible to marine borer attack Moderately durable Untreated timber in ground contact has very little natural resistance to decay fungi, and is readily attacked by marine-borers and dry-wood termites. Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Moderate silica contact Likely to have significant impact on machining Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Drying Defects Splitting Checking Distortion Slight twist/warp Slight surface checking Slight spring/bow Slight cupping The timber may warp and end-check slightly during air-seasoning. Ease of Drying Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Fairly Easy Requires special attention Easy May degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is not buttressed Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced in limited quantities, and is exclusively for local consumption. Certified Source Certified Source Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Standing Gommier trees are often tapped for a fragrant resin exudate which is used for the manufacture of candle and also for medicinal purposes. The timber polishes well. Blunting Effect High to severe Blunting effect on sawing green wood is moderate Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate Blunting effect on sawing green wood is severe Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe Blunting effect on cutting edges may be rather severe because of high levels of silica Boring Moderately easy Difficult Cutting Resistance Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy But silica tends to dull saw-teeth rapidly. Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to glue Mortising Finishes well Moulding Good finishing results Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Holds nails well Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planes well, to a good finish Machined surfaces are fairly smooth Generally easy to use hand tools Easy to use machine tools Resistance to Impregnation Sapwood is resistant Resistant Heartwood is very resistant Heartwood is resistant Both heartwood and sapwood respond very poorly to preservative treatment Resistance to Splitting Good Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to machine Moderate working qualities Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Sanding Good sanding finish Screwing Pre-boring recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Easy to turn Good results Finish is generally satisfactory Steam Bending Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Finish is generally good Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Max. crushing strength = medium Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9959 14761 psi Density 40 lbs/ft3 Hardness 882 lbs Impact Strength 37 63 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4263 6839 psi Stiffness 1206 1470 1000 psi Toughness 158 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.48 Weight 39 31 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 5 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 700 1037 kg/cm2 Density 641 kg/m3 Hardness 400 kg Impact Strength 93 159 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 299 480 kg/cm2 Stiffness 84 103 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 182 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.48 Weight 624 496 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 5 % References Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 9 Central America and the Caribbean,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant, and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. Prepared for International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) by Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, Division of CIRAD, 45bis, 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. Little, E.L., Wadsworth, F.H.,1964,Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.249 Longwood, F.R.,1961,Puerto Rican Woods - Their Machining Seasoning and Related Characteristics,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.205 Takahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4 WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.