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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
Light-Induced Color Change
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
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Staining
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities
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Common Names
Acacu, Acau, Acuapa, Acuapar, Arbol del diablo, Arbre au diable, Areeiro, Arenillero, Arerillo, Asniakara, Assacu, Bois du diable, Castana, Castaneto, Catahua, Cataua, Ceiba amarilla, Ceiba bla, Ceiba blanca, Ceiba de leche, Ceiba habilla, Ceiba habillo, Ceiba mil pesos, Cuatatachi, Haba, Haba de indio, Habillo, Hura, Hura wood, Jabillo, Javillo, Molinillo, Monkeys dinner bell, Nune, Ochoho, Ochoo, Ovillo, Pet du diable, Possentrie, Possum, Possumwood, Quauhayohuatli, Quauhtlat-latzin, Racuada, Rakuda, Rakudar, Sablier, Salvadera, Sandbox, Seda blanca, Solimanche, Tetereta, Tronador, Uacacu
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico [US], Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
Common Uses
Blockboard, Boxes and crates, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fiberboard, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Food containers, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, General carpentry, Hatracks, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Matchboxes, Matches, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Pallets, Particleboard, Plain veneer, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Sporting Goods, Stools, Structural plywood, Veneer
Environmental Profile
| Vulnerable |
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| Abundant/Secure |
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| Rare |
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| Rather rare in parts of its range expecially at periphery |
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| Globally secure |
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| Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare within its range |
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| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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| Abundant |
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Distribution Overview
Throughout the West Indies and from Central America to northern Brazil and Bolivia. Often occurs in nearly pure stands in Surinam on moist sandy loam. Frequently cultivated for shade. In Bolivia, found in the transition from humid tropical forest to humid sub-tropical forest in the provinces of Santa Cruz, Beni, Cochabamba and La Paz y Pando.
Heartwood Color
| White |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| White to cream |
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| Pale brown |
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| Greenish to greyish |
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| Dark brown |
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| Brown |
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| Yellowish white |
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| Grayish-white |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| White to yellow |
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| Same as heartwood |
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| Grayish white |
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Grain
| Straight |
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| Interlocked |
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| Figure |
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| Distinct (figure) |
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| Even |
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| Weak (figure) |
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| Rippled (figure) |
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| Stripe (figure) |
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| Variable (figure) |
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| Straight |
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| Interlocked |
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| Distinct figure |
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| Weak figure |
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| Striped figure |
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| Rippled figure |
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| Occasionally interlocked, but not always |
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| Irregular color |
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| Generally straight, but not always |
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Texture
| Fine |
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| Medium |
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| Fine to medium |
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| Fine |
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| Medium coarse to coarse |
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| Even textured |
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Luster
Natural Growth Defects
| Brittleheart is often frequent and extensive |
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Natural Durability
| Perishable |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
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| Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack |
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| Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack |
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| Non durable |
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| Susceptible to marine borer attack |
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| Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Resistant to wood staining fungal attack |
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| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles |
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| Heartwood has very little natural resistance |
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Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
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Silica Content
Light-Induced Color Change
Toxicity
Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
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| UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5 |
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| T6-D2 (4/4) US |
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| T3 - D1 (8/4) US |
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| Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom |
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| Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rapid |
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| Dry at a slow speed |
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Drying Defects
| Discoloration |
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| Distortion |
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| Moderate twist/warp |
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| Slight twist/warp |
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| Slight surface checking |
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| Moderate surface checking |
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| Slight spring/bow |
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| Slight end splitting |
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| Severe twisting/warping |
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| Severe surface checking |
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| Severe spring/bow |
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| No cupping, generally |
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| Moderate spring/bow |
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| Generally free from spring and bow |
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Ease of Drying
| Rapidly |
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| Difficult |
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| Moderate |
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| Easy |
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| Control drying yields best results |
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Kiln Drying Rate
| Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm) |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
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| Bole/stem form is straight |
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| Bole/stem form is cylindrical |
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| Bole/stem form is not buttressed |
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Tree Size
Product Sources
The ITTO reports that small quantities of timber from this lesser-known-species is exported at a regular rate from Brazil to the United States, Venezuela, and Germany.
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Tension wood is common
Blunting Effect
| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
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| Slight |
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| Blunting effect on sawing green wood is moderate |
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| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate |
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Boring
| Fairly difficult to very difficult |
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| Difficult |
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| Areas of tension wood affect results |
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Carving
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Fairly difficult to carve |
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Cutting Resistance
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is variable |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy |
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| Cutting resistance with dry wood is variable |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult |
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Gluing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Easy to glue |
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| Glues well |
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Mortising
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Moderately easy to mortise |
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Moulding
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Difficult to mould |
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Movement in Service
| Small |
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| Seasoned wood is stable |
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| Medium |
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Nailing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Easy to nail |
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| Holds nails well |
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Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Tension & interlocked grain may cause woolly surfaces |
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| Planes to a poor finish |
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| Difficult to plane |
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Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable sapwood |
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| Permeable heartwood |
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| Heartwood is permeable |
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Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to machine |
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| Variable qualities |
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| Tension wood & interlocked grain may cause difficulties |
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| Moderate working qualities |
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Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Routing is difficult |
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Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Poor results |
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| Difficult to sand |
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Screwing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Screwing yields satisfactory results |
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| Good screwing properties |
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Turning
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
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| Tension wood may cause surfaces to be woolly |
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Veneering Qualities
| There is slight to moderate drying degrade and the potential for buckles and splits |
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| Moderately easy to veneer |
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| Drying degrade is often moderate to severe, with collapse, buckles, and splilts |
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| Diifficult to veneer |
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Polishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Requires care |
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| Good results |
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Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Finish is generally satisfactory |
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| Finish is generally good |
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Strength Properties
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small |
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| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low |
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| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = very small |
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| Hardness (side grain) = very soft |
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| Bending strength (MOR) = low |
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| Max. crushing strength = low |
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