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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 Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Drying Defects Ease of Drying Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Varnishing Scientific Name Amblygonocarpus andongensis Trade Name Banga wanga Family Name Leguminosae Synonyms Tetrapleura nilotica, Tetrapleura obtusangula, Amblygonocarpus obtusangulus, Amblygonocarpus schweinfurthii Common Names Banga wanga, Bangawanga, Mecuria, Metindire, Mjerigwe, Mubaimbai, Mubayibayi, Mululwe, Munjoujota, Munyenye, Mutiria, Muwaka, Muyu, Scotsmans rattle, Umnonjwana Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Angola, Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe Common Uses Agricultural implements, Boat building (general), Carvings, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Poles, Railroad ties, Sporting Goods, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts, Veneer: decorative Heartwood Color Brown Red Purple Reddish brown Dark brown Brown Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Grain Interlocked Figure Weak (figure) Other (figure) Straight Even Closed Wavy Distinct (figure) Interlocked Weak figure Other figure Generally straight, but not always Wavy Distinct figure Texture Fine Medium Coarse Fine Fine to medium Coarse Luster Medium Lustrous Natural Durability Very durable Resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Very durable Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack Marine borer attack = moderately resistant Toxicity Some toxic effects Unspecified toxicity Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Uk=B US=T2C2/T2C1 Fr=2 Drying Defects Checking Moderate surface checking Ease of Drying Slowly Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is not buttressed Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 0-10 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources The timber is commercially available on the South-western pacific region market, but it appears to be traded in rather small quantities on a world-wide basis. A limited amount of White cheesewood has been salvaged from the Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Florida after the 1993 hurricane 'Andrew' destruction. White cheesewood is often sold in mixed consignments with another very similar species in the Alstonia genus, A. spatulata . The timber has been formerly used for boxes to ship bulk tea from Sri-lanka. Blunting Effect High to severe Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to glue Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Small Stable Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Pre-boring recommended Difficult to nail Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Difficult to plane Planes well, to a good finish Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is resistant Sapwood has low permeability Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to Work Difficult to machine Variable qualities Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Good results Varnishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Strength Properties Density (dry Weight) = >50 lbs/cu. ft Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Max. crushing strength = high Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high Modulus of Elasticity = moderate Hardness (side grain) = Hard Bending strength (MOR) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 11442 17761 psi Density 61 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2940 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 6899 9945 psi Shearing Strength 2525 psi Stiffness 1916 2208 1000 psi Weight 60 50 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % Volumetric Shrinkage 6 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 804 1248 kg/cm2 Density 977 kg/m3 Hardness 1333 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 485 699 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 177 kg/cm2 Stiffness 134 155 1000 kg/cm2 Weight 961 801 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % References Banks, C.H. and J.P. Schoeman. 1963. Railway Sleeper and Crossing Timbers. Bulletin No. 41, Republic of South Africa. The Government Printer, Pretoria, South Africa. Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48 Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research Bryce, J.M.,1967,Commercial Timbers of Tanzania,Tanzanian Forestry Division Util. Sec. Moshi Dalziel, J.M.,1937,The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa,Crown Agents for the Colonies Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda Fanshawe, D.B.,1962,Fifty Common Trees of Northern Rhodesia,Natural Resources Board and Forestry Department, Ndola Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO Ferreirinha, M.P.,1955,Catalogo des Madeiras de Mocambique (pt 1,Min. do Ultramar Junta Invest. do Ultranar Memorias Serie Botanica, 2 Ferreirinha, M.P.,1956,Madeiras do Ultramar Portugues,Garcia de Orta Revista da Junta Missoes Geog...,4(1,pp95-6 Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1954,Hardwoods for Industrial Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Leaflet, No.48 Fortin, Y., Poliquin, J.,1976,Natural Durability and Preservation of 100 Tropical African Woods,International Development Research Centre, Canada France - C.T.F.T.,1962,Banga-Wanga,C.T.F.T.,Information Technique,No.167 Goldsmith, B., Carter, D.T.,1981,The Indigenous Timbers of Zimbabwe,Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Research Bulletin No.9 Irvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. London Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 - 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi. Pardy, A.A.,1954,Notes on Indigenous Trees and Shrubs of S. Rhodesia - Androstachys,johnsonii (Prain,Ministry of Agriculture and Lands S. Rhodesia Bulletin,No.1751 Pardy, A.A.,1956,Notes on Indigenous Trees and Shrubs of S. Rhodesia,Ministry of Agriculture and Lands S. Rhodesia Bulletin,No.1897 Storrs, A.E.G.,1979,Know your Trees - Some of the Common Trees found in Zambia,Zambia Forestry Department, Ndola Tanzania Forest Department,1960,The Natural Durability of Local Timbers,Tanzanian Forest Dept. Tech. Note,No.14 Tanzania Forest Department,1966,Flooring Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi - Timbers of Tanganyika Tanzania Forest Division,1967,The Weights and Shrinkage of some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sect. Technical Note,No.25 White, F.,1962,Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia,O.U.P. London Zambia Forest Department,1979,Timbers of Zambia Adina microcephala and Amblygonocarpus andongensis,Zambia Forest Department, Division of Forest Products Research, Timbers of,Zambia Technical Note no.5/79