THE KEY TO HIGH QUALITY FURNITURE IN INDONESIA

Common Name(s): Merbau, Kwila, Ipil Scientific Name: Intsia spp. (I. bijuga, I. palembanica)

Distribution: From East Africa to Southeast Asia and Australia;
(primarily New Guinea)

Tree Size: 130-200 ft (40-60 m) tall, 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 51 lbs/ft³ (815 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .68, .82

Janka Hardness: 1,840 lb_f (7,620 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 21,060 lb_f/in² (145.2 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 2,310,000 lb_f/in² (15.93 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 10,650 lb_f/in² (73.4 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.9%, Tangential: 4.8%, Volumetric: 8.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

Color/Appearance: Has an orangish-brown color when freshly cut, which ages to a darker reddish-brown. Color between boards can be highly variable. There are also small yellow mineral deposits found throughout the wood, making it easier to separate from other lookalikes. (These yellow deposits are water-soluble and can cause staining.)

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight to interlocked. Texture is coarse, with a moderate natural luster.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large to very large pores, very few; solitary and radial multiples; mineral deposits occasionally present, including conspicuous yellow deposits; narrow rays, normal spacing; parenchyma banded (marginal), paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric, aliform (winged or lozenge), and confluent.

Rot Resistance: Merbau is reported to be very durable, and resists both rotting and insect attack.

Workability: Glues and finishes well, though it can be difficult to saw due to gumming and dulling of teeth.

Odor: Has a unique smell when being sawed or sanded: which can also cause irritation and sneezing.

Allergies/Toxicity: Merbau has been associated with mild allergic reactions: most common is skin irritation and a runny nose. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Offered sporadically, lumber is usually sold in ample widths and lengths when available. Prices should be moderate for an imported hardwood.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Flooring, furniture, musical instruments, turned objects, and other specialty wood items.

Comments: This wood has excellent strength characteristics, along with excellent stability, making it ideally suited for use as wood flooring and other applications where strength is important.

source: http://www.wood-database.com/merbau/#pics

• Density: 785 kg/m3
• Hardness: 3600 N
• Volumetric Shrinkage: 17.4

Description:
Mahogany wood grows on many places in the world. The mahogany we use is Toona Sureni, which is native to Indonesia. The mahogany tree can grow up to 50 meter tall. The stems in Indonesia usually have a diameter of max 60cm.

The leaves of the mahogany tree are pinnate with a length of approximately 40cm. Mahogany trees have small fruits of about 3cm that contain seeds and can't be eaten.

Mahogany is originally colored red. Since this color is not desirable the wood is mostly finished in a darker color. There's also the option to bleach the mahogany and then finish it in a teak-like color.

Origin:
The mahogany wood comes, like the teak wood, from government protected plantations.

Uses:
Mahogany wood can be used with clear or colored finishing. With clear finishing you will still see the red glow that mahogany still has. A solution for this is to finish it with a dark brown stain. For colored finishing mahogany is our first choice because of its strength.

Common Name(s): Teak, Burmese Teak

Scientific Name: Tectona grandis

Distribution: Native to southern Asia;

Widely grown on plantations throughout tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 41 lbs/ft³ (655 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .66

Janka Hardness: 1,070 lb_f (4,740 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 14,080 lb_f/in² (97.1 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,781,000 lb_f/in² (12.28 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,940 lb_f/in² (54.8 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.6%, Tangential: 5.3%, Volumetric: 7.2%, T/R Ratio: 2.0


Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be a golden or medium brown, with color darkening with age.

Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, though it can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. Coarse, uneven texture and moderate to low natural luster. Raw, unfinished wood surfaces have a slightly oily or greasy feel due to natural oils.

Endgrain: Ring-porous or semi-ring-porous; large to very large solitary earlywood pores, medium to large latewood pores, few; solitary and in radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses and other heartwood deposits (light-colored) common; medium rays visible without lens, spacing normal; parenchyma vasicentric, and banded (marginal), with bands sometimes wide enough to enclose entire earlywood pores.

Rot Resistance: Teak has been considered by many to be the gold standard for decay resistance, and its heartwood is rated as very durable. Teak is also resistant to termites, though it is only moderately resistant to marine borers and powder post beetles.

Workability: Easy to work in nearly all regards, with the only caveat being that Teak contains a high level of silica (up to 1.4%) which has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges. Despite its natural oils, Teak usually glues and finishes well, though in some instances it may be necessary to wipe the surface of the wood with a solvent prior to gluing/finishing to reduce the natural oils on the surface of the wood.

Odor: Teak can have a leather-like scent when freshly milled.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Teak has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, as well as other health effects, such as pink eye, rash, nausea, asthma-like symptoms, and vision effects. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Despite its widespread cultivation on plantations worldwide, Teak is very expensive. It is perhaps one of the most expensive lumbers on the market, at least for large-sized, non-figured wood. Other woods are more expensive, but are typically only available in small pieces, (i.e., Gaboon Ebony or Snakewood), or they are valued solely for the figure of their grain (i.e., burl woods, Pommele Sapele, or Waterfall Bubinga).

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Ship and boatbuilding, veneer, furniture, exterior construction, carving, turnings, and other small wood objects.

Comments: Sometimes called Burmese Teak, this name is used to differentiate natural-grown trees (typically from Myanmar, aka Burma) from Teak grown on plantations. Used extensively in India and within its natural range for centuries, Teak has grown into a worldwide favorite. With its superb stability, good strength properties, easy workability—and most of all, its outstanding resistance to decay and rot—it's no wonder that Teak ranks among the most desired lumbers in the world.

Much like the many names and knockoffs of Mahogany, the moniker "Teak" has been affixed and assigned to a number of different woods seeking acclaim. The usual procedure is to take a wood bearing any degree of resemblance to Teak and insert a geographical location in front of the name. For instance, Cumaru is sometimes referred to as Brazilian Teak, while Rhodesian Teak bears little botanical relation to real Teak—Tectona grandis. The name Burmese Teak, however, does refer to genuine Teak.

Common Name(s): East Indian Rosewood, Indian Rosewood, sonokeling

Scientific Name: Dalbergia latifolia

Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia

Tree Size: 100 ft (30 m) tall, 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 52 lbs/ft³ (830 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .70, .83

Janka Hardness: 2,440 lb_f (10,870 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 16,590 lb_f/in² (114.4 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,668,000 lb_f/in² (11.50 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,660 lb_f/in² (59.7 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.7%, Tangential: 5.9%, Volumetric: 8.5%, T/R Ratio: 2.2


Color/Appearance: Heartwood of East Indian Rosewood can vary from a golden brown to a deep purplish brown, with darker brown streaks. The wood darkens with age, usually becoming a deep brown.

Grain/Texture: Has a medium texture and fairly small pores. The grain is usually narrowly interlocked.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium to large pores in no specific arrangement, very few to few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; heartwood deposits (dark brown) occasionally present; narrow rays not visible without lens, normal to fairly close spacing; parenchyma banded, vasicentric, lozenge, winged, and confluent.

Rot Resistance: Rated as very durable and resistant to termite attack.

Workability: East Indian Rosewood can be difficult to work with tools because of its interlocked grain and density. The wood can sometimes contain chalky deposits that will rapidly dull cutting edges. Glues and finishes well, though color from the wood's natural resins can inadvertently bleed onto surrounding surfaces when applying a finish, so care must be taken on the initial seal coats.

Odor: Has a distinct, rose-like scent when being worked; some find its scent less pleasant than other Dalbergia rosewoods.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are somewhat uncommon, East Indian Rosewood has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually the most common reaction is skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Generally good availability in both board and turning blank form. Expect prices to be high for an imported hardwood, though not as prohibitively high as some of the scarcer rosewoods.

Sustainability: East Indian Rosewood is listed on CITES appendix II under the genus-wide restriction on all Dalbergia species—which also includes finished products made of the wood. It is also listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Fine furniture, musical instruments, veneer, turned and other specialty wood objects.

Comments: East Indian Rosewood has been used extensively on acoustic guitars since the mid 1960s as a substitute for the now-endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

Common Name(s): Camphor, Camphor Laurel

Scientific Name: Cinnamomum camphora

Distribution: Native to southeast Asia, widely planted throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 33 lbs/ft³ (520 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .43, .52

Janka Hardness: 950 lb_f (4,440 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 11,670 lb_f/in² (80.5 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,676,000 lb_f/in² (11.56 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 5,820 lb_f/in² (40.1 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.1%, Tangential: 5.4%, Volumetric: 8.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

Color/Appearance: Color can be highly variable depending on species and growing conditions;
generally a light brown, frequently with shades of gray, red, or olive green. Occasionally contains darker streaks. Paler sapwood isn't always clearly differentiated from the heartwood. Burls are also commonly seen, and are considered highly decorative.

Grain/Texture: Grain can be straight, interlocked, and/or wavy. Uniform medium texture with a high natural luster and a slightly greasy feel.

Endgrain: Semi-ring porous or diffuse-porous; solitary and radial multiples; medium to large pores (two distinct sizes in semi-ring-porous samples) in no specific arrangement, few; tyloses occasionally present; parenchyma vasicentric, confluent; medium-width rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance: Rated as durable, with mixed resistance to various insect attacks.

Workability: Camphor's moderate density makes it easy to shape and machine with minimal effort. Areas of interlocked grain may cause tearout issues, but complications are usually minimal. Glues and finishes well.

Odor: Camphor has a very characteristic odor, for which the tree is named. The most recognizable product that contains the extracts of camphor are medicated chest rubs, which have the same distinct scent.

Allergies/Toxicity: Camphor has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation, as well as a number of other effects, such as headaches, giddiness, and asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Rarely, if ever exported, in lumber form, most Camphor is exported from Asia as burl veneer. Lumber, turning blanks, and log sections are sometimes seen for sale from domestic sources where the tree has been introduced and harvested locally. Prices for such "domestic" exotics are usually in the moderate range when compared to other imported hardwoods. Solid burls and veneer sheets are much more expensive.

Sustainability: Camphor is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, although a few related species, (Cinnamomum balansae from Vietnam, C. mercadoi from the Philippines, and C. osmophloeum from Taiwan), are listed as vulnerable/endangered due to a population reduction of over 20% to 50% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Veneer, turned objects, chests, cabinetry, and furniture.

Comments: Perhaps known more famously for its beautiful burls, Camphor is also cultivated for its aromatic oils, which are used in a variety of culinary and medicinal applications. In addition to its medicinal values, the lingering scent of Camphor is also reported to inhibit silver from tarnishing and ward off moths, and the wood is sometimes used in trunks and chests where valuables are stored.

Common Name(s): Red Palm, Coconut Palm

Scientific Name: Cocos nucifera

Distribution: Throughout the tropics worldwide

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 1-1.3 ft (.3-.4 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 51 lbs/ft³ (820 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .68, .82

Janka Hardness: 1,900 lb_f (8,430 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 12,970 lb_f/in² (89.4 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,654,000 lb_f/in² (11.41 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 9,590 lb_f/in² (66.2 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: ~5.5%, Tangential: ~5.5%, Volumetric: ~11.0%, T/R Ratio: ~1.0(Weight and
hardness is for the higher-grade outer material, not the inner material.)

Color/Appearance: Reddish brown fibers embedded in a lighter tan or light brown colored body. Fibers are more densely packed toward the outside of the tree trunk, becoming more and more sparse toward the center of the tree. The center core of the tree is soft and contains none of the darker vascular bundles that give the wood its characteristic look and hardness. (This is nearly opposite of the typical outer sapwood/inner heartwood combination found in dicot hardwoods.)

Grain/Texture: Red Palm has a medium to fine texture, though it is by no means even or uniform on account of the contrast between the dense, darker fibers, and the soft, lighter cellulose structure of the wood. Grain is very straight, and contains no growth rings, knots, or defects.

Endgrain: Being a monocot, endgrain characteristics are non-typical when compared to more familiar hardwood dicots. Red Palm has a uniform distribution of reddish brown fibers embedded in a softer yellow/brown body of parenchyma. Growth rings, sapwood, and rays are completely absent. Endgrain exhibits a dotted pattern unique to palm trees.

Rot Resistance: Red Palm is reported to be durable regarding decay resistance, though it is susceptible to insect attacks.

Workability: Tends to be quite difficult to work with both machine and hand tools. The hard fibers contrast with the soft body of the wood, and can be brittle and splinter or pull out. Very sharp tools and correct cutting angles are required to get clean results. Applying a hardener or sanding sealer prior to final sanding/machining may help give a more homogenous density and reduce tearout. The lighter colored body of the wood tends to absorb larger quantities of finish, so care must be taken during finishing; a sanding sealer is recommended.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Palms in the Arecaceae family have been reported to cause skin irritation, and general constitutional effects. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Although Red Palm trees can get up to one foot across, the center of the trunk is filled with a soft, unfigured portion, with only the outer areas of the trunk containing the characteristic colored fibers, so only narrow boards and spindle-stock are normally available. Prices for most sizes of Red Palm should be in the moderate range for an imported tropical wood.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Flooring, canoes, rafts, walking sticks, knife and tool handles, carvings, rafters, furniture, and turned objects.

Comments: Red Palm is more commonly known outside of the woodworking community as Coconut Palm, where it is cultivated and grown throughout the tropics worldwide for its fruit. Nearly every part of the tree is said to have a use or value, and older trees are typically only harvested for wood after they have passed their time of fruit-bearing—usually after 50-70 years.

Technically neither a softwood nor a hardwood, palm falls into the category of monocots, which also includes bamboo, grass, banana, rice, wheat, corn, etc. (Monocot is short for monocotyledon, which simply means that the seed of the plant contains one leaf, rather than two as found in dicots.) Palm woods have no growth rings, and as a result, the shrinkage rate for drying the wood is more or less uniform between the radial and tangential surfaces, resulting in a T/R ratio of 1.0 and good dimensional stability.

Red Palm is highly variable in weight, strength, and hardness properties because the wood is so non-homogenous: the trunk is a gradient between the strong fibrovascular bundles, and the softer cellulose structure. Toward the outer wall of the trunk, the density of the wood is the greatest, and gradually becomes lighter, softer, and weaker towards the soft core. Because of this great variability, the density of Red Palm can range from less than 25 lbs/ft³ (400 kg/m³), to nearly 62 lbs/ft³ (1000 kg/m³). A quick visual inspection of prospective wood blanks can help screen out undesired pieces: darker wood usually has a denser packing of fibers, and tends to produce heavier, stronger, and harder material.

Botanical Name: Eusideroxylon zwageri

Source Location: Indonesia

Stability: Very Stable

Durability in Ground: Durable

Durability Above Ground: Very Durable

Density: Approx 1000 kg/m3 (approx at 15% MC)

Dimensions: Belian is currently imported into New Zealand as decking 90x20.

Appearance: Heartwood is light brown to almost bright yellow when freshly cut, darkening on exposure to a deep reddish brown or almost black with age.

Uses: Heavy & high grade construction, marine piling, wharf construction, industrial flooring, ship building and decks.

Tips: Very similar to Kwila, but significantly harder, more durable and does not bleed like Kwila does.

Sungkai wood (phenomena cancascen jack ) has been well known in the woodworking industry since many years ago. It is quite available a lot in Indonesia. The sungkai tree are available in big amount in Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan. The wood has very attractive appearance. It has a light base color of white to light yellow with beautiful grain. It has wood strong grain character, but with the small and shallow of pores and grain texture. Some people call this wood is as the Indonesian oak because his beauty grain.
This wood has medium strength and hardness and quite easy to processed in the machinery. It is can be cut, drilled, glued and sanded without any problem. The wood is not suitable to make the products that require maximum strength. It is also considered not strong enough to withstand the outdoor weather. The uses wood for outdoor uses still can be done but with proper finish. With its beautiful grain, the sungkai wood is more suitable to make any wooden products that need the beauty looked such as: furniture, veneer, plywood, door, architectural design, etc.

The sungkai wood should be dried slowly. The too fast drying will risk to get cracked and hairline problem. The wood is also susceptible to the attacking insects. The chemical treatment with the insect repellent is recommended to increase the durability of the wood.

Bangkirai (or sometimes named Balau) is a highly rated timber that is frequently used for trusses and structural wood members in areas where termites habitat. Bangkirai is not susceptible to the attacks of the ants.

Untreated Bangkirai can be left in the open for more than 20 years. When Bangkirai is treated on a at least a 2-year recurrent basis the life time is in fact indefinite.

Appearance

The wood texture of Bangkirai ranges from fine to rather coarse. The grain is straight or interlocked. The wood surface is smooth or alternately smooth and rough owing to the interlocked grain. Wood surface is glossy. Yellowish heartwood and yellowish pale light brown sapwood. Bangkirai when kiln dried may show some minor cracks after the process. These cracks will open and close as the surrounding humidity changes.

Physical properties

Bangkirai has a high strength and durability, is hard and heavy with high stiffness and shock resistance. Excellent decay resistance and dimensional stability.

Use

Exterior and interior doors, roof structures, construction members, railway sleepers, electric poles, parquet

Common Name(s): Dark Red Meranti, Lauan, Philippine Mahogany
Scientific Name: Shorea spp.
Distribution: Southeast Asia
Tree Size: 65-130 ft (20-40 m) tall, 3-6 ft (1-2 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 42 lbs/ft³ (675 kg/m³)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .68
Janka Hardness: 800 lb_f (3,570 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 12,710 lb_f/in² (87.7 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,743,000 lb_f/in² (12.02 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 7,070 lb_f/in² (48.8 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 3.9%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 12.5%, T/R Ratio: 2.0
Color/Appearance: Typically a dark reddish or purplish brown; commonly with white resin streaks present.

Grain/Texture: Grain can be straight or interlocked. With a coarse texture and low natural luster.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large to very large pores in no specific arrangement, few to very few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses occasionally present; parenchyma vasicentric, winged, and banded with embedded resin canals; narrow to medium rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance: Reported as moderately-durable to non-durable in regard to decay resistance, but is susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Typically easy to work, though any interlocked grain can present problems during planing, and Dark Red Meranti is reported to have very poor steam-bending properties. Some species may have a slight blunting effect on tools due to small levels of silica present in the wood. Glues, stains, and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Meranti in the Shorea genus has been reported to cause eye, throat, and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Meranti is widely harvested and available worldwide. It should be moderately priced despite the fact that it is imported.

Sustainability: Meranti is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but many species in the Shorea genus are on the IUCN Red List. The majority of Shorea species are listed as being critically endangered due to a population reduction of over 80% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation. Sustainable/certified sources of Meranti are also available.

Common Uses: Plywood, interior furniture, general construction, concrete forms, veneer, and boatbuilding.

Comments: Dark Red Meranti is sometimes referred to as Red Lauan, wood in the Shorea genus is very commonly used in southeast Asia, and there is an abundance of variety between the difference species: each with different working properties, appearances, and mechanical strength values.

Main groupings for Shorea spp. are: Light Red Meranti, Dark Red Meranti, White Meranti, Yellow Meranti, and Balau. The strength and mechanical values listed at the top of this page represent the average of a handful of species within the corresponding group.

Also called Philippine Mahogany, Meranti bears no relation to what is considered to be "true" mahogany in the Swietenia and Khaya genera.