Zebrawood Turning Blanks
Zebrawood Turning Blanks
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- Scientific Name
- Microberlinia brazzavillensis
- Common Name(s)
- Zebrawood, Zebrano
- Distribution
- West Africa
- Average Dried Weight
- 50 lbs/ft3 (805 kg/m3)
- Specific Gravity
- Basic: .67, 12% MC: .81
- Janka Hardness
- 1,830 lbf (8,160 N)
- Modulus of Rupture
- 17,800 lbf/in2 (122.8 MPa)
- Elastic Modulus
- 2,374,000 lbf/in2 (16.37 GPa)
- Crushing Strength
- 9,210 lbf/in2 (63.5 MPa)
- Shrinkage
- Radial: 7.6%, Tangential: 10.8%, Volumetric: 17.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.4
- Appearance
- Heartwood is a light brown or cream color with dark blackish brown streaks vaguely resembling a zebra’s stripes. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy (flatsawn), or somewhat uniform (quartersawn).
- Texture
- Has a fairly coarse texture and open pores. Grain is usually wavy or interlocked. Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large to very large pores in no specific arrangement, few to very few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; heartwood deposits (brown) occasionally present; narrow rays not visible without lens, spacing fairly close; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, unilateral, vasicentric, winged, lozenge, and confluent, and banded (marginal).
- Rot Resistance
- Heartwood is rated as durable and is also resistant to insect damage.
- Workability
- The wood saws well, but can be very difficult to plane or surface due to the prevalence of interlocking grain. Tearout is common. Zebrawood glues and finishes well, though a transparent pore filler may be necessary for the large open pores which occur on both dark and light surfaces.
- Odor
- Has a characteristic, unpleasant smell when being worked.
- Allergies/Toxicity
- Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Zebrawood has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation.
- Pricing/Availability
- Zebrawood tends to be fairly expensive, though usually not as prohibitively expensive as other exotics such as Ebony or Rosewood.
- Sustainability
- This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range. (A closely-related, lesser-used species in Cameroon, Microberlinia bisulcata, is also listed as critically endangered.)
- Common Uses
- Zebrawood is frequently quartersawn and used as veneer. Other uses include: tool handles, furniture, boatbuilding, and skis.
- Comments
- Sometimes called Zebrano, the wood is strong and stiff, with a fairly high density. However, the wood is much more frequently used for its bold and unique striping.
Zebrawood Turning Blank Prices
Zebrawood Pen Turning Blank
$0.84
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3″ x 5″ x 5″ Zebrawood Turning Blank
$17.20
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3″ x 6″ x 6″ Zebrawood Turning Blank
$24.76
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3″ x 8″ x 8″ Zebrawood Turning Blank
$43.99
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3″ x 3″ x 12″ Zebrawood Turning Blank
$24.76
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