BROWN TERMINALIA  Terminalia spp.  

USES

Building construction (F14); including light framing. Speciality; including carving, sliced veneer (plantation grown). Furniture; custom made, cabinet work (plantation grown). Interior; including mouldings.

● Both Japan and South Korea have imported large volumes of the timber from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands mainly for rotary peeling and plywood manufacture. However, it also produces general purpose, lightweight, utility sawn wood for light construction and mouldings.

● Native forest timber is a pale brown with a pale yellowish caste. Chains of traumatic gum canals are often evident on sawn faces. The timber has similar properties and end uses to that of the paler coloured meranti group of timbers (Shorea spp.) at the lower end of their density range for which it could be considered as a suitable substitute. Brown Terminalia is also a suitable substitute for Afara & Limba.

● Material should be quarter-sawn to alleviate twist, cupping and surface checking. 25mm boards can be readily kiln dried from green. 38mm and 50mm thick material needs to be air-dried first to avoid degrade. Drying stacks need to be well stickered at 450mm intervals and stacks should be heavily weighted. Treatment is required at the point of felling and immediately after sawing to prevent blue stain and pinhole borer attack.

● Plantation grown material produces a much denser and more attractive heartwood with an irregular banded pattern and marked with fine black lines closely resembling walnut in appearance. It is suitable for decorative work including, furniture, cabinet work and sliced veneer.

P RO P E R T I E S

Density 450-550 kg/m3 @ 12% m.c Colour Pale brown with pale yellowish caste (natural growth). Texture Coarse and somewhat uneven. Grain Interlocked; sometimes wavy. Spiral or cross-grain may be present. Figure Ribbon or banded figure on quarter-sawn face. Durability Non-durable. Permeability Heartwood, untreatable. Lyctid susceptibility Susceptible.

WO R K A B I L I T Y

General Satisfactory; care required due to grain irregularities. Sawing Saws well with little difficulty; sawn surface often woolly. Planing Grain can chip or tear. Blunting Low. Boring Fibrous. Turning Satisfactory, but rather woolly and soft. Nailing Nails easily and well. Gluing Glues well with all adhesives. Finishing Timber needs to be well seasoned to achieve good quality finish. Very sharp tools essential.

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

Strength SD6 Structural Grade F14 (select grade). Toughness (Izod) 8.3J (seasoned), 8.9J (unseasoned). Hardness (Janka) 2.8kN (seasoned), 2.5kN (unseasoned). Max. Crushing Strength 37MPa (seasoned), 21MPa (unseasoned). Modulus of Elasticity 9.9GPa (seasoned), 8.3GPa (unseasoned). Modulus of Rupture 68MPa (seasoned), 44MPa (unseasoned).

S E A S O N I N G

 General All material should be quarter-sawn. Movement Medium. Shrinkage Low.