Wenge Wood |
PHOTO |
 |
| DESCRIPTION |
The clearly defined heartwood is dark brown, with very close, fine, almost black veins. The closely spaced whitish bands of parenchyma give wenge wood a very attractive appearance. It is fairly straight grained with a coarse texture.
Weight is 55 lbs per cu. ft. |
COUNTRY OF
ORIGIN |
Africa (Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, & Tanzania) |
| BOTANICAL NAME |
Milletia Laurentii |
| OTHER NAMES |
Palisandre Du Congo, Dikela, Mibotu, Bokonge, Awong |
| MECHANICAL PROPERTIES |
This heavy, dense wood has a high bending strength and high resistance to shock loads, with medium crushing strength and low stiffness. It has a low steam bending classification. |
| WORKING PROPERTIES |
The material works fairly well with machine tools and with moderate blunting effect on cutters. The presence of resin cells in the wood sometimes interferes with gluing and polishing. Nailing is difficult and requires pre-boring. When filled, it can be brought to a satisfactory finish. |
| DURABILITY |
Durable and resistant to termites. It is extremely resistant to preservative treatment. |
| SEASONING |
The timber seasons slowly and requires care to minimize surface checking tendencies. There is small movement in service. |
| USES |
The high natural resistance to abrasion makes this timber very suitable for flooring strips or blocks. Also used for interior and exterior joinery and general construction work. It is an excellent turning wood. Sliced for decorative and paneling veneers. |
| COMMENTS |
Due to its weight, it is unsuitable for plywood manufacture. |
