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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
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
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Myristica hypargyraea

Trade Name
Kaudamu

Family Name
Juglandaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Darah darah, Duguan, Kaudamu, Kumpang, Mutwinda, Penarahan, Tambolau

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Fiji

Common Uses
Balusters, Bedroom suites, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hardboards, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Plywood, Turnery, Veneer

Environmental Profile
Vulnerable
Rare
Abundant/Secure
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Various species in the Myristica genus are distributed in the Indo-Malayan region, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Western Pacific Islands.

Heartwood Color
Red
Brown
Purple
Pink
Light brown


Sapwood Color
Pink
Brown
Red
Darkens with exposure
Cream/Pale brown


Grain
Even
Straight

Straight

Plain and figureless in appearance

Texture
Fine
Medium
Even or uniform
Uniform
Resinous and oily
Medium
Even textured


Luster
Medium


Natural Durability
Susceptible to insect attack
Resistant to termites
Durable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Moderately durable
Very durable
Resistant to powder post beetles
Non-resistant to marine borers
Highly susceptible to attack by subterr. and dry wood termites
Highly susceptible to attack by pinhole borers
Highly susceptible to attack by marine borers

Logs should be removed quickly from the forest after felling to prevent degrade from blue- and yellow-stain.

Odor
No specific smell or taste


Kiln Schedules
T10 - D4S (4/4) U


Drying Defects
Splitting
Distortion
Internal Honeycombing Possible
Collapse
Case Hardening
Checking
Surface checking and slight collapse are common


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Slowly
Special care required to prevent defects
Requires care to minimize degrade
Mild kiln schedules recommended to minimize drying defects
Might require reconditioning treatment

The timber requires carefully controlled drying conditions to prevent degrade. Mild kiln schedules are recommended, and a short reconditioning treatment may be necessary to remove collapse

Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries slowly
Naturally dries at a moderate speed


Tree Size
Tree height is 30-40 m
Bole length is 10-20 m
Tree height is 20-30 m
Sapwood width is 5-10 cm
Bole length is 20-30 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Sapwood width is 0-5 cm
Tree height is 10-20 m
Tree height is 40-50 m
Bole length is 30-40 m
Sapwood width is 10-15 cm
Tree height is 50-60 m
Sapwood width is 15-20 cm
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm


They often develop well-formed and straight stems

Product Sources
Kaudamu is the trade name of timber produced by four Myristica species that grow in Fiji. The species are difficult to separate and are often mixed and marketed together under one name.

Certified Source
Certified Source


Blunting Effect
Moderate
High to severe


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy
Fair to good results
Easy

Bored surfaces are generally clean, except around knots

Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Responds well to carving if tools are kept very sharp


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Low cutting resistance
Easy to saw


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Mortising
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good mortising properties


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Yields clean surfaces
Material responds well to moulding operations

Material around knots may be fuzzy

Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement


Nailing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Pre-Boring Recommended
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Tends to split during nailing
Poor nailing properties


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Yields smooth surfaces
Responds well to ordinary tools in mortising

There may be some pick-up around knots

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Permeable sapwood
Moderately permeable to preservative treatment


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Responds Readily
Good


Routing & Recessing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Routs easily with ordinary hand tools


Sanding
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fairly good sanding characteristics


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Pre-boring recommended
Very Good to Excellent Results


Turning
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Yields clean surfaces
Easy to turn

Both green and seasoned wood are reported to turn easily to yield relatively clean surfaces

Veneering Qualities
Suitable for peeling
Veneers easily
Veneers moderately easy
No drying degrade


Steam Bending
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Painting
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Surface Preparation
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Polishes to a high finish


Staining
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Varnishing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Strength Properties
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high

Bending strength in the air-dried condition (about 12% moisture content) is medium, but lower than Mahogany, and much lower than White oak. Some familiar species with high crushing strength parallel to grain include Hard maple, Teak, and White oak. It is moderately hard and resistant to wearing and marring. The density is average, or medium.

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength576710403psi
Crushing Strength485617psi
Density26lbs/ft3
Hardness727lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength29796625psi
Shearing Strength1426psi
Static Bending41166468psi
Stiffness131313821000 psi
Toughness67inch-lbs
Specific Gravity0.380.44
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength405731kg/cm2
Crushing Strength3443kg/cm2
Density416kg/m3
Hardness329kg
Maximum Crushing Strength209465kg/cm2
Shearing Strength100kg/cm2
Static Bending289454kg/cm2
Stiffness92971000 kg/cm2
Toughness77cm-kg

References
Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1972,The Mechanical Properties of 56 Fijian Timbers,Australia C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper,No.,62

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









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