Tigerwood / Goncalo Alves

The clearly defined sapwood up to 4 in. (100mm) wide and is grey or brownish-white. The heartwood is light golden-brown to reddish -brown, with irregular black and brown streaks. The grain is irregular and normally interlocked or wavy, with alternating bands of harder and softer woods. The texture is usually fine, and the wood has a medium to dull lustre. It is a very attractive wood.

Properties:

Goncalo alves is a hard, dense and heavy wood, which is very tough. It is not suitable for steam bending. Cutting normally requires tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blades, and planing can be difficult because of the hard and soft banding. Gluing can be tricky, but less so if a solvent is used to remove extractives. The wood needs pre-boring for nailing and screwing. It turns well and can be easily be brought to good polished finish.

Seasoning:

It is advisable to dry the wood slowly to avoid degrade, otherwise there can be excessive warping and checking.

Durability:

The wood is highly durable, and is resistant both to beetle attack and to preservative treatment.

Typical Uses:

Cabinetmaking, quality turnery, boatbuilding, flooring, jewelry boxes and other ornamental articles, decorative paneling, butts for billiard or pool cues, bobbins, knife handles and veneers.

Astronium fraxinifolium and A.graveolens (Anacardiaceae)

Also called:

zorrowood, zebrawood, tigerwood, mura, bois de zebre,bossana, urunday-para

Grows:

Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

Weight per Board Foot:

2.6 lbs

Typical dry weight:

59lb/ft3 (950kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

.95

Typical Height:

120 ft (37m)

Trunk Diameter:

2-3ft (0.6-1 m)