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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 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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Micropholis melinoniana Trade Name Grumixava Family Name Sapotaceae Common Names Apixuna, Balata Blanc, Barilla de agua, Caimitillo, Chupon Colorado, Faux Balata, Grumixava, Hacano, Ibira Camby, Koesiri Balatarie, Moraballi, Riemhout, White Balata Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela Common Uses Beams, Bent Parts, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Porch columns, Turnery Environmental Profile Endangered Abundant/Secure Widespread, abundant, and globally secure May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery Data source is Nature Conservancy Distribution Overview The species occurs naturally from Oaxaca, Mexico to Madre de Dios, Peru and Amapá, Brazil. Heartwood Color Brown Red Pink Yellow Orange Purple Green/grey Yellowish-Green hue Pinkish tinge Light yellow brown or pale orange brown, eventually aging into deep golden-brown Brown - grey Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Pink Paler than heartwood Grain Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Fine Medium Uniform Even or uniform Fine to medium Luster Low Medium Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Non-durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Perishable Moderately durable Durable Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to dry-wood termites Moderately resistant to brown-rot fungi Moderately durable Good resistance to marine borers Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Likely to have significant impact on machining Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) Toxicity Some toxic effects Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Slight surface checking Moderate twist/warp Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Air dries rapidly with moderate degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Rapid Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Moderate High to severe Little May be rapid and severe depending on silica amount Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Straight grained wood bores well Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Straight grained wood has low resistance Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Traight grained material is reported to plane easily to produce smooth surfaces Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Turns with moderate ease Finish is generally satisfactory Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Suitable for slicing Veneers moderately easy Steam Bending Poor to Very Poor Results Unsuitable Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Painting Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Varnishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Weight = high Resists denting and marring Hardness (side grain) = very hard Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 11799 18512 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1460 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 5520 9624 psi Stiffness 1997 2891 1000 psi Toughness 125 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.57 Weight 44 36. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 829 1301 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Hardness 662 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 388 676 kg/cm2 Stiffness 140 203 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 144 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.57 Weight 705 576. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Andy Poynter. 1993. Personal Communication Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.