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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 Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Planchonella euphlebia Trade Name Planchonella Family Name Common Names Ereru, Hickory boxwood, Kete, Mumu, Northern yellow boxwood, Nyatoh, Planchonella, Red planchonella, Sarosaro, Tadiri, Tala, White planchonella Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Solomon Islands Common Uses Boat building, Boxes and crates, Carvings, Dowell pins, Dowells, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Interior construction, Interior trim, Moldings, Sporting Goods, Veneer Environmental Profile Environmental status not officially assessed Distribution Overview Various species in the genus Planchonella are reported to occur in Southeast Asia, and are found in Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Australia. Heartwood Color Brown Red Red and White Pinkish to pinkish-brown with dark line markings Fine pale brown lines Tyloses in the wood cause glistening on longitudinal surfaces, particularly in the Red variety. Sapwood Color White Very little color difference from heartwood Grain Even Closed Straight, sometimes wavy Texture Fine Medium Resinous and oily Moderately fine Even textured Luster Medium High Slightly lustrous Natural Durability Very durable Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Some Planchonella timbers are siliceous Drying Defects Checking Distortion Ease of Drying Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Moderately Difficult to Difficult Dries at a moderate rate with little degrade. Conditions should be controlled to prevent sap stain Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources Comments Color grouping counteracts some differences Vary significantly in physical and mechanical properties Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Some species are slightly siliceous and thus do not interfere with conversion operations Saws well Convert easily Gluing Glues well Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Nailing Good nailing characteristics Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Yields a smooth, clean finish Works easily with ordinary machine tools Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Screws without splitting Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Veneering Qualities Suitable for veneer manufacturing Planchonella timbers are reported to have freedom from felling shakes, ability to peel smoothly, little or no checking, and good drying and gluing properties Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Material takes a high polish Strength Properties Very hard High in density Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high May require special tools to process. The species has exceptionally high bending strength properties in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content). It is far stronger, for example, than Hard maple, White oak, or Teak. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 13524 25774 psi Crushing Strength 1715 psi Density 65 lbs/ft3 Hardness 3224 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 6125 12348 psi Shearing Strength 3170 psi Static Bending 6076 13230 psi Stiffness 2381 3489 1000 psi Toughness 190 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.89 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 950 1812 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 120 kg/cm2 Density 1041 kg/m3 Hardness 1462 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 430 868 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 222 kg/cm2 Static Bending 427 930 kg/cm2 Stiffness 167 245 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 218 cm-kg References Bolza, E. and N.H. Kloot. 1963. The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 25. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia. Eddowes, P. J. 1961. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Forest Products Research Center, Papua New Guinea Kloot, N.H. and E. Bolza. 1961. Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 12. Commonwealth scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia