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Blunting Effect Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Cutting Resistance Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Olea welwitschii Trade Name Elgon olive Family Name Oleaceae Synonyms Osmanthus welwitschii, Steganthus welwitschii, Linociera welwitschii, Mayepea welwitschii Common Names Elgon olive, Elgon teak, Gibengeyi, Loliondo, Mchihio, Murguiwet, Musodo, Musoko, Musuga, Mutukuyu, Muukuro, Muukuru, Omugando, Omusoke, Omusoko, Pekeriaondet Common Uses Boat building (general), Cabinetmaking, Decks, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Mine timbers, Musical instruments, Paneling, Piling, Poles, Railroad ties, Turnery, Vehicle parts Environmental Profile Vulnerable Heartwood Color Purple Brown Pale brown Pale red to pink Yellow to golden-yellow to orange White to cream Reddish brown Brown Sapwood Color Yellow White to yellow Well defined Grain Interlocked Straight Variable (figure) Figure Even Interlocked Straight Variable figure Texture Even or uniform Uniform Medium Coarse Fine Medium Fine to medium Luster Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Moderately durable Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) often present in the standing tree Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) may be present in the felled log Very durable Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Non durable Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack Moderately resistant to marine borer attack Odor Has an odor Silica Content Siliceous Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules UK=C US=T3C2/T3C1 Fr=3 Dry at a slow speed Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rather slow Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Slight end splitting Moderate surface checking Moderate collapse and honeycombing No end splitting Slight surface checking Moderate twist/warp Moderate cupping Ease of Drying Slowly Fairly Easy Easy Kiln Drying Rate Slow (18-28 days for boards < 32 mm, to 52-84 days for boards >= 63 mm) Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Bole/stem form is cylindrical Blunting Effect High to severe Blunting effect on machining is slight Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good finishing results Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Small Stable Nailing Difficult to nail Easy to nail Possible if prebored Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Difficult to machine Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Good sanding finish Screwing Possible if prebored Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to turn Good results Veneering Qualities Easy to cut Suitable for slicing Suitable for peeling Polishing Fair to Good Results Satisfactory results Staining Finish is generally satisfactory Strength Properties Max. crushing strength = high Hardness (side grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Bending strength (MOR) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = large Max. crushing strength = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10376 16137 psi Density 47 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1658 lbs Impact Strength 28 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 7140 10225 psi Shearing Strength 2205 psi Stiffness 1358 1568 1000 psi Weight 46 37 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 729 1134 kg/cm2 Density 753 kg/m3 Hardness 752 kg Impact Strength 71 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 502 718 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 155 kg/cm2 Stiffness 95 110 1000 kg/cm2 Weight 737 592 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % References Bois, P.J.,1966,The Strength Properties of Tanzania Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Tech. Note, No.35 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 Brenan, J.P.M., Greenway, P.J.,1949,Check-lists of the Forest Trees and Shrubs of the British Empire,Imperial Forestry Institute, Oxford No.5 Tanganyika Territories Part 2 Bryce, J. and Kitambi, G.,1960,The Air-drying Properties of some Tanganyika Timbers Technical Note No 23,Tanganyika Forest Department Utilisation Division Technical Note Bryce, J.M.,1967,Commercial Timbers of Tanzania,Tanzanian Forestry Division Util. Sec. Moshi Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1954,Hardwoods for Industrial Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Leaflet, No.48 Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1957,Timbers for Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Bulletin, No.40 Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1969,The Movement of Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Technical Note,No.38 Grant, D.K.S.,1934,Some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Department Jane, F.W.,1954,The Structure of World Timbers - Loliondo and Muhuhu,Timber Technology,62(2184, pp493-5 Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 - 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi. Patterson, D.N.,1963,The strength of Kenya timbers, their derivation and application,Kenya Forestry Department Research Bulletin,No.23 Tack, C.H.,1953,Plywood and veneer species,Forest Department, Uganda. Technical Note 5/1953 Tack, C.H.,1969,Uganda Timbers,Govt. Printer Uganda Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7 Tanzania - Timber Marketing Co. Ltd.,1978,Timber from Tanzania 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,1965,Olea welwitschii (Loliondo,Tanzania Forest Div. Utll. Sec. Moshi - Timbers of Tanganyika Tanzania Forest Division,1966,Kiln Drying Schedules for Tanzania Timbers Technical Note no.38,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Tanzania Forest Division,1967,The Weights and Shrinkage of some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sect. Technical Note,No.25 Timber Development Association Ltd.,1955,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Timber Development Association Ltd. Uganda Forest Department,1954,The Mechanical Properties of some Ugandan Timbers,Uganda Forest Department Timber Leaflet,No.1 Uganda Forest Department,1955,Elgon Olive (Olea welwitschii,Uganda Forestry Department Timber Leaflet,No.23 Uganda Forest Department,1969,The Shrinkage of Some Ugandan Timbers,Uganda Forestry Department Timber Leaflet,No.47 Wimbush, S.H.,1950,Catalogue of Kenya Timbers,Govt. Printer Nairobi Kenya