Know your wood: African Rosewood

African Rosewood

This is a pretty good image showing the coloration and complexity of African Rosewood. Lots of color and interesting features in this species.

Trade Names: African Rosewood.

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus: Guibourtia
Species: coleosperma

Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 2090

Description: Grain is anything from straight to highly distinct and rippled. African Rosewood can have some very interesting featuring, depending on the tree and the cut. Generally speaking, however, African Rosewood is less figured than Bubinga.

Location: Southern Africa, namely: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia.

The seed pods and foliage of an African Rosewood are featured on this Namibian stamp. Follow this link if you are fluent in Japanese and collect stamps for presumably much more information.

Common Aliases: Bastermopane, False mopane, M’chibi, Machibi, Mtjibi, Mucibe, Muxibe, Muzauri, Rhodesian copalwood, Rhodesian mahogany, Rhodesian teak.

Performance: African Rosewood generally saws without difficulty. It is a very durable wood, and is better than average in resistance to insects.

Affordability: $$$$ Cheaper in Europe than in the United States. Deals can be had in purchasing African rosewood, but timing is everything with this import.

Common Uses: Tools, agricultural implements, boats, cabinetry, veneers, flooring, fine furnishings, heavy construction, plywood, railroad ties, turnings, wheels.

From: The Wood Explorer:
Common Name(s): African Rosewood
Scientific Name: Guibourtia coleosperma
Distribution: Central and southern Africa
Tree Size: 35-70 ft tall, 1-3 ft trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 46-52 lbs/ft3
Basic Specific Gravity: .66
Hardness: 2,090 lbf
Rupture Strength: 14629 lbf/in2
Elastic Strength: 1,326,000 lbf/in2
Crushing Strength: 7,260 lbf/in2
Shrinkage: Radial: 3%, Tangential: 7%, T/R Ratio: 2.33

Know your wood: Purpleheart

Purpleheart

There is a good pictorial detailing this purpleheart guitar’s construction here. I imagine there might be a candle maker’s tutorial, as well?



Trade Names: Purpleheart , Amaranth

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Liliopsida – Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae - Pea family
Genus: Peltogyne
Species: porphyrocardia, venosa, paniculata, and others.

Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 2390

For all you botanists out there, Peltogyne paniculata, according to Wikipedia.

Description: Purpleheart refers to many of the species from the Genus Peltogyne. When this dense tropical hardwood is sawn, the heartwood appears dull gray/purple-brown, but when exposed a bit, turns into a vibrant hue of purple. Over time, this color can fade, but the striking violets can be somewhat retained using a high-quality UV inhibitor. Purpleheart has generally straight grain, but irregularities are common. Texture is medium, pores are tight.

Location: Central and South America, namely: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Mexico, Venezuela, Suriname

Further information on Purpleheart found here, as seen in the Wood Explorer database.

Common Aliases: Amarante, Amaranth, Barabu, Bois violet, Ellongrypho, Kooroobovelli, Koroborelli, Lastan, Morado, Palo morado, Pao violeta, Pau roxo, Pelo morado, Saka, Sakavalli, Violetwood.

Performance: Purple is very durable against rot and insect infestation. Keep your tools sharp when working purpleheart, as the wood becomes gummy when it becomes too hot. Like I said before, it’s an interesting wood…

Affordability: $$$ Purpleheart is a relatively affordable and widely available specialty wood in the United States.

Common Uses: Audio equipment, billiard cues, bridges, millwork, skis, sporting goods, wharf construction, specialty guitars, veneers, furnishings, cabinetry, small wooden craft items.

From: The Wood Database:
Common Name(s): Purpleheart, Amaranth
Scientific Name: Peltogyne spp.
Distribution: Central and South America (from Mexico down to southern Brazil)
Tree Size: 100-170 ft (30-50 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 61 lbs/ft3 (980 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: .79
Hardness: 2,390 lbf (10,630 N)
Rupture Strength: 22,000 lbf/in2 (151,700 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 2,586,000 lbf/in2 (17,830 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 13,350 lbf/in2 (92.1 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 3.2%, Tangential: 6.1%, Volumetric: 9.9%, T/R Ratio: 1.9

Know your wood: Makore

Makore

A very interesting application of figured, steamed Makore veneer, or so it appears. I should probably let Salk Signature Sound take care of my speaker building in ten or fifteen years.

Trade Names: Makore , Abacu.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Ebenales
Family: Sapotaceae – Sapodilla family
Genus: Tieghemalla
Species: heckelii

Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 1110

A craftsman-style Makore credenza and desk, custom made by Y B Normal Custom Woodworking. There are a lot of interesting custom jobs in their catalogue.

Description: Pinks and red browns are the general colors seen in Makore. One of the features that makes Makore so sought is the unusual figuring common in this species. Makore is finely textured with tight pores. Grain patterns, as noted above, are absolutely all over the place.

Why just get an Aston-Martin when you can get an Aston-Martin with custom Makore interior details? Rau Automotive Details is happy to answer just this type of question.

Location: Africa, namely: Burkina faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone.

Further information on Mimusops heckelli found here, as seen in the Wood Explorer database.

Common Aliases: Other species marketed or known locally as Makore include: Tieghemella Africana (Abacu), and Mimusops heckelli. Other variations of Makore include: Abako, African cherry, Agamokive, Asaka, Babou, Babu, Bako, Baku, Cherry mahogany, Dimori, Douka, Dumore, Edumoi, Hochioo, Makarou, Makori, Makwe, Nduka, Okola, Opepe, Rubber tree, Ukola, and many others.

Performance: The heartwood of Makore is very durable, and is resistant to insect attack. Makore will cause some tool blunting, but is generally easy to work. It has a low luster due to a high silica content, but it shapes well, and is relatively easy to glue. Finishes pretty well.

Affordability: $$$$ Makore tends to run on the upper end of the price spectrum in the United States.

Common Uses: Audio equipment, specialty guitars, veneers, furnishings, cabinetry, boatbuilding, small wooden craft items.

From: The Wood Database:
Common Name(s): Makore
Scientific Name: Tieghemella heckelii, Tieghemella africana
Distribution: Western and Middle Africa (from Sierra Leone to Gabon)
Tree Size: 180-200 ft (55-60 m) tall, 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 43 lbs/ft3 (690 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: .55
Hardness: 1,110 lbf (4,940 N)
Rupture Strength: 16,030 lbf/in2 (110,570 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,520,000 lbf/in2 (10,480 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,510 lbf/in2 (58.7 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.5%, Tangential: 7.4%, Volumetric: 10.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.3