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.
