Afrormosia

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Common names

Afrormosia, African teak

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Scientific Name

Pericopsis elata

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Family

Fabaceae

 

Description

Afrormosia's heartwood darkens upon exposure to deep orange-brown. The straight to interlocked grain produces a “rope” figure when radially cut. The texture is medium fine, (finer than teak without its oiliness). It has a fine texture and small pores. A heavy, dense timber, with high bending and crushing strength, medium stiffness and resistance to shock loads. It is very resistant to decay but must not be used in contact with ferrous metals in wet situations to avoid corrosion. The timber bending classification is moderate as it distorts during steaming and is intolerant of pin knots.

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Density

(H=12%) : 0,77

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Treatability

Not permeable

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Seasoning

The wood air dries slowly and with little degrade; it can be kiln dried under moderate schedules with good results.

 

Stability

moderately stable

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Durability

A very durable timber, highly resistant to termites and extremely resistant to preservative treatment.

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Workability

The wood saws and works well with both hand and machine tools. However, the blunting effect is fairly high and stellite-tipped saw teeth and tungsten-carbide-tipped cutting tools are recommended. The wood has a smooth finish and usually planes well, but sometimes with a slight picking up due to the presence of interlocked grain; a cutting angle of 20° is advised. It polishes satisfactorily, but the use of a filler is recommended. The wood is liable to splitting when nailed, but it holds nails and screws well; pre-boring is recommended. Gluing does not pose problems when it is done carefully to prevent staining.

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End-Uses

• Sliced veneer

• Interior joinery

• Cabinetwork (high class furniture)

• Flooring

• Interior panelling

 

• Stairs (inside)

• Fiber or particle boards

• Current furniture or furniture components

• Turned goods

• Exterior joinery

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Notes: Along with Iroko, Afrormosia is sometimes referred to as “African Teak,” though it is not closely related to genuine Teak (Tectona grandis). Afrormosia does look somewhat similar to Teak, has similar working and mechanical properties, and is extremely durable in outdoor applications; for these reasons, it’s used with a fair degree of success as a substitute for Teak (Tectona grandis).