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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 Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resin Content
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning

Scientific Name
Agathis moorei

Trade Name
Kauri

Family Name
Araucariaceae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Agathis, Almaciga, Bindang, Dakua makadre, Damar minyak, Kauri, Kauri pine, Menghilan, Red kaori, Tolong, White kaori

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea

Common Uses
Bobbins, Building materials, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Flooring, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Millwork, Moldings, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Picker sticks, Plain veneer, Plywood, Shade rollers, Shuttles, Specialty items, Spindles, Spools, Stencil & chisel blocks, Structural plywood, Sub-flooring, Sucker rods, Trimming, Umbrella handles , Utility plywood, Veneer, Wainscotting

Environmental Profile
Rare
Endangered
The future survival of this species is at risk
Likely rare in many parts of its natural habitat
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center

Scattered populations are found throughout the northern half of New Caledonia island, mostly on non-ultramafic substrates. Substantial declines have occurred through overexploitation of the timber in recent years.

Distribution Overview
Grows primarily in New Caledonia. It is a species of tropical, lowland, moist, open forest occurring on shales, sandstones, and schists up to 1000m.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Yellow
Red
Highly variable
Pink
Orange
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Pale red to pink
Dark brown
Color varies considerably
Brown

It is sometimes mottled or streaked

Sapwood Color
Brown
Yellow
Color not distinct from heartwood


Grain
Even
Crossed
Irregular
Figure
Spiral
Straight
Mottle

Straight
Spiral grain occasionally
Mottled or streaked figure sometimes
Irregular or uneven grain occasionally


Texture
Fine
Fine


Luster
High
Medium
Often lustrous


Natural Durability
Durable


Medium to high resistance

Odor
No specific smell or taste


Resin Content
Contains resin
Contains dammar (used in making of paint, varnish, linoleum, and turpentine)


Kiln Schedules
10 - D5S (4/4) U


Drying Defects
Seasons well without degrade

Ease of Drying
Reconditioning Treatement
Rapidly
Fairly Easy
Little degrade
Little or no degrade
Easy
Dries at a fairly rapid rate


Tree Size
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm


The trees are capable of reaching a height of 200 feet (60 m)

Boring
Fair to good results
Fairly easy to very easy
Fair results


Carving
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly difficult to carve


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Easy to saw


Gluing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Very good gluing properties


Mortising
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to mortise


Moulding
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Excellent moulding properties


Nailing
Pre-Boring Recommended
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Satisfactory nailing properties
Pre-boring recommended


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Reported to plane well, but cross grain may produce woolly surfaces.

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant sapwood
Resistant heartwood


Response to preservative treatment if rated as fair to poor.

Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily
Easy to Work
Works well with hand tools


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Routing is easy
Good in both routing and recessing.


Sanding
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


The wood is fairly difficult to sand due to its resin content.

Screwing
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good screwing properties
Good screw holding properties


Turning
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Interlocked or cross grain
Difficult to turn


Painting
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Little or no surface prep required


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Good results


Staining
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Stains well


Strength Properties
Resists denting and marring
Hardness = medium
Density = high
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength736012328psi
Density32lbs/ft3
Hardness769lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength32955920psi
Shearing Strength2136psi
Stiffness141318301000 psi
Specific Gravity0.37
Weight3125.lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage3%
Tangential Shrinkage5%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength517866kg/cm2
Density512kg/m3
Hardness348kg
Maximum Crushing Strength231416kg/cm2
Shearing Strength150kg/cm2
Stiffness991281000 kg/cm2
Specific Gravity0.37
Weight496400.kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage3%

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

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

Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.