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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 Carving 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 Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Piptadenia pittieri Trade Name Carbonero Family Name Mimosaceae Common Names Bocachico, Carabali, Carbonero, Hediondo, Huilca, Rabo de iguana, Tarahuilca Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Columbia, Peru, Venezuela Common Uses Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Crossties, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Foundation posts, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Mine timbers, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Posts, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stakes, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Questionable Environmental status not officially assessed Distribution Overview This species occurs in large quantities throughout tropical South America. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Orange Black Pink Brown, yellowish brown, or reddish brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Not always distinct from heartwood Light brown to whitish Grain Even Figure Straight Irregular May be straight, irregular, or wavy Texture Medium Coarse Fine Medium Fine Fine to medium Luster Medium Highly lustrous Natural Durability Durable Resistant to termites Very durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Moderately durable Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to attack by decay fungi and insects Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Drying Defects Distortion Checking Splitting Prone to severe checking Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Fairly Easy Reconditioning Treatement Slowly Should be air-dried with care to minimize degrade Dries slowly Kiln Drying Rate Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Naturally dries slowly Rapid Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Poor to very poor results Fair results Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to good in mortising operations Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair moulding results (50+ % of pieces will yield good to excellent results) Planing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Poor to Very Poor Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Irregular grain may cause grain tearing in planning Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Fairly treatable with preservatives Fair to good treatability Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Responds Readily Fair response to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory resistance to decay above ground Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Easily sanded Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor to Very Poor Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly easy to turn Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Very heavy Resists wearing and marring Resists denting and marring High in density Exceptionally high bending strength in air-dry condition (about 12% moisture content) Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high It is stronger than Hard maple, White oak, or Teak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 19306 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1583 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 9036 psi Stiffness 2430 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 44 36. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1357 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Hardness 718 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 635 kg/cm2 Stiffness 170 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 705 576. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.