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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 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 Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Texture Trade Name Tree Size Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Garcinia cowa Trade Name Kandis Family Name Guttiferae Common Names Binukau, Cowa, Gatasan, Haras, Kandis, Laubu, Lobak, Sikop, Taungthale Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brunei, Burma, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Beams, Boat building, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Handles, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Joists, Light construction, Poles, Tool handles, Turnery, Vehicle parts Environmental Profile Likely rare in many parts of its natural habitat Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center This species is rare (occurs in very small numbers) in the Orissa region of India Distribution Overview Garcinia cowa grows in Assam at elevations of about 2950 feet (900 m). It is also found in Chittagong in Pakistan, the Andaman islands, Vietnam and Burma. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Purple Black Green/grey Orange Yellowish brown Pale brown Greenish to greyish Heartwood is described as grayish to brownish yellow, and turns to a pale brown color with age Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Green/Grey Pink Straw Pale brown Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Closed Straight Straight Texture Medium Coarse Fine Medium Fine to medium Even textured Luster Non-lustrous Dull Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Durable Moderately durable Very durable Resistant to powder post beetles Resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to termites Resistant to marine borers Susceptible to attack by pinhole borers Susceptible to attack by marine borers Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Moderately durable Little natural resistance Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Silica content is variable Garcinia timbers are siliceous and silica levels of 0.03% to 1.62% have been reported. Silica content of 0.05% is usually considered to be high enough to affect the machining properties of wood. Kiln Schedules T2 - C2 (4/4) US/T2 - C2 (4/4) US Drying Defects Checking Splitting Distortion Warping can be expected Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Checking Quartersawn material are less inclined to degrade. A high-humidity reconditioning treatment after drying is recommended to relieve stresses Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Quartersawn material is easier to dry than backsawn lumber. Seasoning requires care to minimize degrade. Radial - 2.3% Shrinkage from Green to 12% MC Tangential - 5.2% Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Slow Drying rate is slow Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Bark width is 10-15 mm Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bole length is 0-10 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 40-50 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources Although the species is rated as Rare in some parts in India, it is known to be available from environmentally responsible sources in Papua New Guinea. Species in the Garcinia genus are reported to produce timber that have very similar properties, and are mixed and marketed together under the trade name Kandis. Apart from timber, the genus is also well known for its edible fruit, mangosteen. Blunting Effect Moderate Cutting edges are dulled rapidly and severely Boring Fairly easy to very easy Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Moderate to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Silica in the wood may cause rapid blunting of cutting edges Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Seasoned wood is difficult to nail Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Poor planing properties Most woodworking properties of Garcinia timbers, including planing, turning, boring, moulding, and mortising, are rather poor because the woods are usually siliceous, hard and tough. Response to most ordinary tools Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is fairly difficult to treat Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Poor response to hand tools Timbers respond poorly to hand tools because they are siliceous, hard, and tough Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to sand (expect < 50 out of 100 good to excellent results) Timbers of Garcinia are hard and tough and are generally difficult to work in most operations Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Pre-boring recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Painting Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10202 16170 psi Density 54 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 5067 8820 psi Shearing Strength 2131 psi Stiffness 1733 2019 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.67 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 717 1136 kg/cm2 Density 865 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 356 620 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 149 kg/cm2 Stiffness 121 141 1000 kg/cm2 References Chowdhury, K.A. and S.S. Ghosh. 1958. Indian Woods - Their Identification, Properties and Uses, Volume I - Dilleniaceae to Elaeocarpaceae. Published by the Manager of Publications, Delhi, India. Chowdhury, K.A., Ghosh, S.S.,1958,Indian Woods: Their identification, properties and uses Vol. I,Dilleruaceae to Elaeocarpaceae,Manager of Publications, Delhi, India Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Eddowes, P. J. 1961. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea: Their Properties and Uses. Office of Forests, Papua New Guinea 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 Whitmore, T.C.,1973,Tree Flora of Malaya A Manual for Foresters Volume 2,Forest Department Ministry of Primary Industries Malaysia