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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
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
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Turning

Scientific Name
Homalium foetidum

Trade Name
Malas

Family Name
Flacourtiaceae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Aranga, Bansisian, Batu bagelang, Burma lancewood, Gia, Hate besi, Hate fina, Hia, Ied, Kalat-kalat, Karondang rante, Keruing rengkas, Kolaka, Malas, Malasata, Matandauw, Melmas, Merhai, Molaba, Momala, Mustigawe, Ngersaum, Padang, Petaling, Petaling padang, Puyut, Ropir, Samar, Sclimbar, Selimbar, Takaliu

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines

Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Boat building (general), Boat building, Bridge construction, Construction, Decks, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture, Handles: general, Heavy construction, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Ladders, Light construction, Marine construction, Mine timbers, Paneling, Piling, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Sporting Goods, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Wharf construction

Environmental Profile
Endangered
Extinct
Status unknown in many of its growth areas
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center


Distribution Overview
Burma to Indomalesia.

Heartwood Color
Yellow
Brown
Reddish brown
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Brown
Purple


Sapwood Color
Brown
Yellow
Same as heartwood
Pale


Grain
Straight
Interlocked
Even

Straight
Interlocked
Straight to deeply interlocked
Generally straight, but not always

The wood is rather plain in appearance, without any figure.

Texture
Medium
Fine
Even or uniform
Uniform
Fine
Even textured


Luster
Low


Natural Durability
Durable
Moderately durable
Resistant to termites
Moderately durable
Durable
Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Very durable
Resistant to decay
Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Resistant to attack from marine borers
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present
Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack
Moderately resistant to marine borer attack


Odor
Sour odor
No specific taste


Kiln Schedules
Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rapid
UK=D US=T3D2/T3C1
Table 500 (J11-12) (4/4) US
Dry at a slow speed


Drying Defects
Splitting
Checking
Distortion
Moderate surface checking
Slight twist/warp
Quartersawn lumber may develop shallow end checks
Moderate end spitting
Flat sawn material may develop surface checks


Ease of Drying
Slowly
Thick Stock Requires Care
Little degrade
Seasons well, especially the quartersawn material
Moderate


Kiln Drying Rate
Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm)


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is buttressed


Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Blunting Effect
Little
Blunting effect on sawing green wood is moderate
Slight
Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate
Blunting effect on machining is moderate


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


Carving
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy


Gluing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Moderate gluing properties


Mortising
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moderately easy to mortise
Finishes well
Finishes satisfactorily


Moulding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moulding ease is moderate


Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Large


Nailing
Pre-boring required
Tends to split during nailing
Pre-boring recommended


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Planes well, to a good finish
Good planing properties
Easy to plane
Ease of planing is moderate


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable sapwood
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is permeable
Heartwood is moderately resistant
Sapwood is permeable
Heartwood is resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily
Easy to Work
Moderate working qualities
Easy to machine


Routing & Recessing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Sanding
Fair to Good Results
Good sanding finish


Turning
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good results
Finish is generally satisfactory


Polishing
Fair to Good Results


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft.
Max. crushing strength = high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high
Bending strength (MOR) = high
Shrinkage, Radial = moderate
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Shrinkage, Tangential = large
Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Hardness (side grain) = medium
Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft.
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium
Density = high
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high
Bending strength (MOR) = very high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1292620692psi
Density51lbs/ft3
Hardness1658lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength652010074psi
Shearing Strength2200psi
Stiffness211925311000 psi
Weight5141lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength9081454kg/cm2
Density817kg/m3
Hardness752kg
Maximum Crushing Strength458708kg/cm2
Shearing Strength154kg/cm2
Stiffness1481771000 kg/cm2
Weight817657kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage4%

References
Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1976,The Mechanical Properties of 81 New Guinea Timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Res. Tec.Paper (2nd series) 11

Bolza, E.,1975,Properties and Uses of 175 Timber Species from Papua New Guinea and West,Irian,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Research Report,no.34

Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 8 Australasia,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

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

Da Costa, E.W.B., Osborne, L.D.,1967,Comparative decay resistance of 26 New Guinea timber species in,accelerated laboratory tests,Comm. Forestry Review 46(1) pp63-74

Eddowes, P. J. 1961. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Forest Products Research Center, Papua New Guinea.

Eddowes, P.J.,1977,Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea: Their Properties and Uses,Hebano Press, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Griffioen, K.,1967,Colloque sur le role des recherches techniques dans le developpement de,l'emploi des bois tropicaux en Europe,C.T.F.T.

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

Papua New Guinea Department of Forests,1972,New Horizons,Forestry in Papua New Guinea,Jacaranda Press PTY Ltd, Brisbane

Papua New Guinea,1982,Papua New Guinea timbers - technical data,Forest Industries Council P.N.G.

Tamolang, F.N., Martawijaya, A., Kartasujana, I., Kadir, K., Parwira, S.,1992,Indonesian Wood Atlas Volume II,Department of Forestry, Agency for Forestry Research and Development,,Bogor-Indonesia

Tsumoto, T., Karasawa, H.,1975,The Properties of Tropical Woods 21,Government of Japan Forest Experimental Station Bulletin,No.227

Wallis, N.K. 1956. Australian Timber Handbook. Sponsored by The Timber Development Association of Australia. Angus & Robertson, Ltd., 89 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, Australia.

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.