Wengé

The sapwood is whitish or pale yellow and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood, which is dark brown with fine, close, near-black veins and white lines. This patterning give the wood a very attractive appearance. The grain is fairly straight, with a medium to coarse texture and a low lustre.

Properties:

Wengé is a heavy and dense wood which is highly resistant to abrasion. It has a high resistance to shock loads and a high bending strength, low stiffness, medium crushing strength and a low steam-bending rating. The wood works well with both machine and hand tools, and has a moderate to medium blunting effect on cutting edges. Pre-boring is required for nailing, and gluing and polishing can be difficult because of the resin cells in the wood. Sawing is slow, but it planes fairly easily. It is a good wood for turning, and sands satisfactorily. Once the grain has been filled, a satisfactory surface finish can be achieved.

Seasoning:

Zebrano is difficult to dry. There can be problems with splitting, distortion and surface checking if insufficient care is taken. It exhibits small movement in use.

Durability:

The heartwood is not durable and is subject to insect attack; it is resistant to preservative treatment, but the sapwood is permeable.

Typical Uses:

The principal use for zebrano is as a decorative veneer, which is usually sliced form quartersawn stock to minimize buckling. This is used in cabinetwork, as inlay, crossbandings, panelling and marquetry. The wood is also used for furniture, decorative turnery, sculpture, brush backs, handles, boatbuilding and decorative plywood.

Millettia laurentii (Leguminosae)

Also called:

awoung, bokonge, dikela, mibotu, mson-so, palissandre du Congo, tshikalakala

Grows:

West Africa, particularly Cameroon, Congo and Gabon

Weight per Board Foot:

4.6 lbs

Typical dry weight:

55lb/ft3 (880kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

.88

Typical Height:

150ft (45m)

Trunk Diameter:

4-5ft (1.2m-1.5m)