Specs
- Common Names
- Chechen, black poisonwood, Caribbean rosewood
- Scientific Name
- Metopium brownei
- Origin
- Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Guatemala, Belize, and southeastern Mexico
- Appearance
- Heartwood color is highly varied, with red, orange, and brown contrasted with darker stripes of blackish brown. Color tends to shift to a darker reddish brown with age. Well defined sapwood is a pale yellow Grain is usually straight, but may be wild or interlocked. With a uniform medium to fine texture and good natural luster.
- Avg. Dried Weight
- 55.0 lbs/ft3 (880 kg/m3)
- Janka Hardness
- 2400 lbf
- Modulus of Rupture
- 13,490 lbf/in2 (93.0 MPa)
- Elastic Modulus
- 2,253,000 lbf/in2 (15.53 GPa)
- Crushing Strength
- 8,270 lbf/in2 (57.0 MPa)
- Shrinkage
- Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 6.8%
- Durability
- Rated as being very durable, and moderately resistant to most insect attacks.
- Workability
- Fairly easy to work, but tearout may occur when machining pieces with interlocked grain. Glues and finishes well, though because of its density and tendency to split, nails and screws should be pre-bored.
