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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. Boring Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Drying Defects Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Pentace triptera Trade Name Balong ayam Family Name Tiliaceae Common Names Balong ayam, Janda baik, Kebal ayam, Melunak, Melunak pusat beludu, Pinang baik Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Malaysia Common Uses Agricultural implements, Boat building (general), Cabinetmaking, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Furniture, Joinery, Light construction, Mine timbers, Paneling, Particleboard, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Roofing, Sporting Goods, Toys, Turnery, Vehicle parts Heartwood Color Black Red Brown Green/grey Reddish brown Pale red to pink Pale brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Dark brown Brown Sapwood Color White Yellow White to yellow Paler than heartwood Grain Figure Interlocked Stripe (figure) Rippled (figure) Interlocked Striped figure Rippled figure Texture Medium Fine to medium Medium Medium coarse to coarse Luster Medium Dull Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Moderately durable Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Non durable Durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Resistant to wood staining fungal attack Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects Slight surface checking Slight twist/warp Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Boring Easy Cutting Resistance Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Gluing Easy to glue Mortising Easy to mortise Moulding Easy to mould Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Easy to nail Possible if prebored Planing Planes well, to a good finish Planes to a poor finish Easy to plane Ease of planing is moderate Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is extremely resistant Resistance to Splitting Poor Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Moderate working qualities Screwing Easy to screw Turning Easy to turn Good results Veneering Qualities Easy to cut Polishing Satisfactory results Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 40 lbs/ft3 Weight 39 31 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 5 % Item Green Dry Metric Density 641 kg/m3 Weight 624 496 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % References Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 4 South East Asia,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Desch, H.E.,1954,Manual of Malayan Timbers (2 vols,Malayan Forest Records,no.15 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 Lee, Y.H., et al,1974,Commercial Timbers of Peninsular Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia and,Malaysian Timber Industry Board Lee, Y.H., Lopez, D.T.,1968,The Machining Properties of some Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,3,pp194-210 Menon, P.K.B.,1959,The wood anatomy of Malayan timbers: commercial timbers, 3. Light,hardwoods,Malaysian Forest Research Institute Kepong, Research Pamplet, No. 27. Whitmore, T.C.,1973,Tree Flora of Malaya A Manual for Foresters Volume 2,Forest Department Ministry of Primary Industries Malaysia Wyatt-Smith, J.,1979,Pocket Checklist of Timber Trees,Malayan Forest Records No.17