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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 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 Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing 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 Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Afzelia bipindensis Trade Name Afzelia Family Name Leguminosae Common Names Afzelia, Aligna, Apa, Azza, Beyo, Bolengo, Doussie, Kpendei, Lingue, M'banga, Meli, Mkola, Mussacosa, N'kokongo, Papao, Pauconta, Uvala, Yellow afzelia Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cameroon Common Uses Boat building, Building materials, Canoes, Chemical containers, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Excelsior, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Fine furniture, Fixtures, Flooring, Framing, Furniture , Interior construction, Joinery, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Shakes, Sheathing, Shingles, Shipbuilding, Siding, Sills, Stair rails, Stairworks, Stringers, Sub-flooring, Tables , Utility furniture, Windows Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions. Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Status rated as rare in Uganda and vulnerable in Cameroon Distribution Overview A. bipindensis is found mostly in the Guineo-Congolian regional centre of endemism, but also extends into the Zambezian region. This species occurs in Angola, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, Uganda and Zaire. It is a rainforest species. Heartwood Color Brown Red Reddish brown Distinct in color from sapwood Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Pale straw Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Even Figure Irregular Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Irregular Texture Coarse Medium Moderately coarse Luster Medium Medium Natural Durability Durable Naturally resistant to attack by decay fungi and other wood destroying organisms Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Sawdust can cause irritation in some individuals Kiln Schedules Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom 6 - D2 (4/4); T3 - D1 (8/4) US Drying Defects Distortion Checking Extension of Existing Shakes Ring Shakes Slight checking and cracking Shakes may become extended Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Ease of Drying Slowly Fairly Easy Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Radial and tangential shrinkage from 1-2% Dries slowly with little degrade Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Butresses usually 1 m. highClear of branches to about 65 feet (20 m) Certified Source Certified Source Comments Afzelia bipindensis is also somewhat resinous The wood contains a yellow dye-stuff (afzelin) which can stain textile materials under moist conditions. Blunting Effect Moderate Medium effect from irregular grain Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Difficult to saw Cutting edges are dulled rapidly Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to glue Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to mould (due to rapid dulling of cutters) Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Small movement in use Dimensionally stable Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Pre-boring recommended Holds nails well Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results May produce some torn grain Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is moderately treatable Heartwood is extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Responds Poorly Difficult to machine Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy The material works to a smooth finish. Screwing Pre-boring recommended Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Not suited for plywood manufacture Difficult to glue Dense wood Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory Polishing Fair to Good Results Surface Preparation Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Surface treatment advised Satisfactory results Good results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Yellow or white deposits in pores can make staining especially difficult. Varnishing Surface Preparation Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Pre-treatment needed or recommended Good results Strength Properties Weight = high Resists denting and marring Density = high Crushing strength = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 16170 psi Density 50 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1774 lbs Impact Strength 30 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 10809 psi Shearing Strength 2078 psi Stiffness 1877 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.62 Weight 66 49 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1136 kg/cm2 Density 801 kg/m3 Hardness 804 kg Impact Strength 76 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 759 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 146 kg/cm2 Stiffness 131 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.59 0.62 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. HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods. 2nd Edition. Revised by R. H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. 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. Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 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.