Lacewood

Specs

Common Names

Lacewood, Brazilian Lacewood, South American Lacewood

Scientific Name

Panopsis spp. (P. rubescens and P. sessilifolia)

Origin

Tropical South America

Appearance

Has a very conspicuous flecking that gives this wood its namesake. The wood itself is a reddish brown with grey or light brown rays, which result in a lace pattern when quartersawn. Like other woods that exhibit the strongest figure in quartersawn pieces, (such as Sycamore), Lacewood has the most pronounced figure and displays the largest flecks when perfectly quartersawn; this is due to the wood’s wide medullary rays, whose layout can be seen the clearest when looking at the endgrain. Has a fairly coarse and uneven texture due to the difference in densities between the regular wood tissue and the rays. The grain is usually straight. Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small to medium pores in tangential rows; solitary and tangential multiples of 2-3; deposits in heartwood occasionally present; growth rings indistinct; very wide rays easily visible without lens; parenchyma banded, diffuse-in-aggregates.

Avg. Dried Weight

36.2 lbs/ft3 (580 kg/m3)

Janka Hardness

840 lbf

Modulus of Rupture

No data available

Elastic Modulus

No data available

Crushing Strength

No data available

Shrinkage

No data available

Durability

Lacewood is rated as non-durable and is also susceptible to insect attack.

Workability

Overall a fairly easy wood to work with, taking glues, stains, and finishes well; though there may be some difficulty in planing, with tearout occurring. Some species of lacewood can also have a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges.