PINK BIRCH  Schizomeria brassii  

USES

Flooring; light traffic, solid strip and overlay. Furniture; including custom made, cabinet work, cabinet doors. Speciality uses; including sliced/decorative veneer, cooperage, coffin boards. Interior; V.J wall linings (feature), panels, mouldings, doors.

● A light to medium hardwood with consistent colouring and very attractive figure when cut on the full quarter. It is a highly decorative wood suitable for niche marketing. An attractive and appealing timber for architects, furniture designers and furniture manufacturers.

● The timber is pinkish-brown in colour, lustrous and with a straight grain. Exhibits a fine ribbon or striped figure on quarter-sawn faces and a fine zig-zag tracery on back sawn material. Excellent machining and finishing properties. Good strength to weight ratio.

● The timber seasons readily; 25mm quarter sawn boards can be kilndried from green with little degrade. Back sawn material is subject to twist and cupping. 38mm and 50mm stock should undergo preliminary air drying. Material should be quarter sawn for optimum drying and for aesthetic reasons. Drying stacks should be well stickered (450mm intervals) and tops of stacks heavily weighted. Wood should be treated as soon as possible after felling and milling, to avoid blue stain and pinhole borer attack. Low shrinkage and stable in-service.

● Pink birch fits well into specialised markets due to its attractive figure, fine texture and ease of working. Suitable for a range of high quality end-uses including furniture and cabinet work, joinery, sliced decorative veneer, feature panels and cupboard doors. Also suitable for cooperage, coffin boards and for flooring in light traffic conditions.

P RO P E R T I E S

Density 550-650 kg/m3 @ 12% m.c Colour Pinkish brown. Texture Fine and uniform; lustrous. Grain Usually straight. Figure Fine, decorative ribbon figure on quarter sawn faces. Fine tracery pattern on back-sawn faces. Durability Non-durable. Permeability Heartwood is non-permeable to pressure impregnation. Lyctid susceptibility Sapwood is susceptible.

WO R K A B I L I T Y

General Excellent working and finishing properties. Sawing Saws well; some slight furring on face of green material. Planing Excellent characteristics; clean, smooth finish. Blunting Minimal. Boring Good characteristics. Turning Very good characteristics; sharp arrises. Nailing Nails well, good holding ability. Gluing Glues well with all adhesives. Finishing Takes stain and polish very well; finishes with a high polish and satin lustre.

M E C H A N I C A L P R O P E R T I E S

Strength SD4 Structural Grade F17 (select grade). Toughness (Izod) 10J (seasoned), 9.5J (unseasoned). Hardness (Janka) 5.0kN (seasoned), 4.0kN (unseasoned). Max. Crushing Strength 55MPa (seasoned), 32MPa (unseasoned). Modulus of Elasticity 16GPa (seasoned), 14GPa (unseasoned). Modulus of Rupture 95MPa (seasoned), 65MPa (unseasoned).

S E A S O N I N G

General Very good drying characteristics. Movement Low. Shrinkage Low.