TRANCIATI ASIATICI

AMARA

Trade Names:	Amara, Macassar.
Similar Woods:	Ziricote.
Origin:	Asia, Southeast Asia.
Range:	Indonesia , especially on the Moluccas. Amara is the same species like Macassar, however, it grows on other Indonesian Islands. Consequently, the look is different.
Uses:	As the original Macassar has become rarer and rarer and also more narrow, Indonesian suppliers switched to this type of Macassar which offers much better dimensions but has reddish colour shades instead of white and grey shades instead of black. Today, far more Amara is used than Macassar.
Properties:	The wood is dark grey to black with regular or irregular reddish streaks. The wood has a distinct sheen and is most decorative.
Machining:	Despite its extreme hardness Amara is not particularly difficult to work. Very smooth surfaces are given when planed. Sawdust should be efficiently extracted because of the risk of infiammation of the eyes and skin.
Seasoning:	Since Amara is prone to checking it should be dried very slowly and carefully. It should definitely be kept out of the sun.
Finishing:	Due to its decorative marking, silky luster or polished surfaces are to be recommended and these finishes stake without any great difficulty.
Jointing:	Glue joints are easy to produce and hold well. Nail joints are very difficult to produce and screw joints must be pre-drilled.

AMARA

CITRONNIER – SATINWOOD

Trade Names:	Citron, Satinwood.
Similar Woods:	Movingui, West Indian Satinwood (zanthoxylum flavum).
Origin:	Sri Lanka, India.
Range:	Especially Mysore and Haiderabad; subject to high export duties in countries of origin, therefore extremely expensive.
Uses:	High quality architectural purposes, more in North America and Australia than in Europe.
Properties:	The wood is yellowish to cream in colour. Generally sliced as true quarters which have a beautiful striped pattern. Since Satinwood also often has a bee’s wing mottle. It is an extremely decorative wood which has been used for centuries in making high quality furniture.
Machining:	The wood is very difficult to saw and plane , interlocked grain and other grain irregularities can lead to imperfect surfaces. Tools become blunt because of the crystalline contents and the great hardness of this wood.
Seasoning:	The wood dries slowly and must not be subjected to direct contact with the sun or air draughts. There is a tendency to checking and warping. Good results can only be achieved by very careful drying.
Finishing:	Surface finishing presents no difficulties, nitro varnishes and polishes are taken readily. Grinding dust can cause inflammation of the skin.
Jointing:	Screw and nail joints must be pre-drilled. Glue joints hold firmly.

citronnier

EBANO MAKASSAR - MAKASSAR EBONY

Trade Names:	Makassar, Ebony, Marble Wood.
Similar Woods:	Ziricote.
Origin:	Celebes Islands (East Indies).
Range:	Celebes Islands, possibly also Maluku, Borneo, very rare as veneer wood because it only grows with small dimensions.
Uses:	Highest quality architectural wood work, inlays and musical instruments.
Properties:	The wood is black with brown regular or irregular reddish-brown to green-brown streaks. The wood has a distinct sheen and is most decorative.
Machining:	Despite its extreme hardness Makassar Ebony is not particularly difficult to work. Very smooth surfaces are given when planed. Sawdust should be efficiently extracted because of the risk of inflammation of the eyes and skin.
Seasoning:	Since Macassar Ebony is prone to checking it should be dried very slowly and carefully. It should definitely be kept out of the sun.
Finishing:	Due to its decorative marking, silky luster or polished surfaces are to be recommended and these finishes take without any great difficulty.
Jointing:	Glue joints are easy to produce and hold well. Nail joints are very difficult to produce and screw joints must be pre-drilled.

ebano-makassar

EUCALIPTO - EUCALYPTUS

Trade Names:	Eucalyptus
Similar Woods:	Coigue , Aniegre’
Origin:	Australia , New Zealand .
Range:	This specie is also cultivated today in plantations situated in northern parts of Spain , East Africa and South America. Of economic importance there, also as veneer wood. In Australia , Eucalyptus trees can reach 110 m in height and are considered to be the tallest trees in the world . Extremely quick growth when cultivated in plantations .
Uses:	Plain Eucalyptus – Like Eucalyptus Pommele and Figured Eucalyptus – is rarely used as face veneer , but mostly for sides and for interior veneers as the wood is not very expressive. Besides fro veneers , Eucalyptus is used for railroad ties and in ship and vehicle construction . As plantation wood mostly used for paper production .
Properties:	Colour ranges from a light grey to yellow , up to a light brown . Colour variations within one single log are normal.
Machining:	Sometimes problematic. Tools tend to become dull. When planed , fibers may tear. Screw and nail joints should be pre-drilled .
Seasoning:	Difficult. Highly prone to warp. Danger of cell collapse.
Finishing:	Problem-free. Takes varnishes well.
Jointing:	All methods can be applied without any problem.

EUCALIPTO

FIGURED EUCALIPTO – FIGURED EUCALYPTUS

Trade Names:	Figured Eucalyptus
Similar Woods:	Figured Aniegre’
Origin:	Australia , New Zealand .
Range:	Today, most of the Figured Eucalyptus comes from Spain where this species occurs in the northern part. Also found I Australia and South America, however, for unknown reasons, the figure itself is much less distinct compared to that of the Spanish Eucalyptus. Figured Eucalyptus did not reach economic significance as veneers until the mid-nineties of the last century.
Uses:	In those countries where figured wood is very popular –such as in North America, Asia, Middle East , Great Britain – the Figured Eucalyptus species is used for interior architectural woodwork, exclusive furniture and in ship building for interior design. Since the end of the nineties, this species is also being used for automotive dashboards .
Properties:	The figure can vary . From a light, not very intensive figure in regular 90-degree-angles, or in patterns resembling stairs or bricks up to a strong and very marked figure. In case of a strong figure, checks can occur in the veneer surface, which may lead to difficulties in the final processing. Colour, too, varies greatly and ranges from a light yellow or a light green, up to a medium brown.
Machining:	Difficult at times . Tools tend to become dull. Fibers may tear when planed.
Seasoning:	Difficult, as this wood is extremely prone to warping.
Finishing:	Causes no problems.
Jointing:	No difficulty to produce any type of jointing.

FIGURED EUCALIPTO

EUCALIPTO POMELE’ – EUCALYPTUS POMELE’

Trade Names:	Eucalyptus Pomele’
Similar Woods:	Elm Burl
Origin:	Australia , New Zealand and also in Spain today.
Range:	Due to current plantation cultivation of Eucalyptus in North Western Spain and Portugal, Eucalyptus veneers are being produced for the domestic market there. Burl growth in Eucalyptus is very seldom , also in Australia and New Zealand . That is why this wood cannot be used for mass production but only for architectural woodwork.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork.
Properties:	The varieties extend from the pomele type to the distinct burl. Unlike other burl woods this does not occur through fine branch growth but is a pure growth characteristic of this tree, getting its burly appearance from the wavy course of the grain.
Machining:	Due to the very dense and wavy grain it is not easy to machine . The wood splits very easily at the edges and when planning fibre pick-up occurs on the surface.
Seasoning:	Drying is very difficult and extremely slow. When drying wood shrinkage is very high which leads to inner tension and surface checking. There is a strong tendency for the wood to warp.
Finishing:	Clear varnishes or polished surfaces are suitable to highlight the burly texture. These finishes are applied in the normal way.
Jointing:	Joints with glue , screws and nails are easy to produce and hold firmly.

EUCALIPTO POMELE’

LOURO FARIA – LACEWOOD

Trade Names:	Silky Oak, Lacewood
Similar Woods:	Plane.
Origin:	Australia.
Range:	Grows in the more subtropical mountainous coastal forests of Northern Queensland, Australia, Further Silky Oak genera are the Grevillea robusta (Southern Silky Oak) and Ortis excelsia (from Eastern Australia)
Uses:	Distinctly decorative veneer wood; particularly beautiful surfaces achieved by quarter cutting through the regular large rays. (Flake effect similar to Oak) Used also for architectural woodwork and parquet flooring.
Properties:	Silky Oak features distinct broad rays. The wood is beautifully patterned and grained and has a silky gloss surface. It is one of the most beautiful and versatile woods native in Australia.
Machining:	Silky Oak can be worked with all the usual tools which are only subject to slight dulling. Due to the special cut to produce the silvery sheen there is a tendency towards flaking.
Seasoning:	To avoid deformation, drying should be carried out slowly and carefully. However, there is no particular tendency to check and warp.
Finishing:	The light silvery sheen is highlighted best by polishing or by using high gloss surface finishes. Filler should be used when these treatments are applied.
Jointing:	Glue joints are very frim and easy to produce. Screw and nail joints have high tensile strength.

louro faria

Malaysian tigerwood

Trade Names:	Simpor, Katmon.
Similar Woods:	Australian Silky Walnut.
Origin:	Asia, South-East Asia.
Range:	Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam,Cambodia. The trees reach heights of up to 35 meters and grow in evergreen tropical rain forests.
Uses:	In its indigenous regions, Dillenia is used primarily as construction wood and lumber for cabinets. As veneer, it is used only seldom outside its countries of origin yet, however, since veneer qualities in this wood species are quite rare, large quantities can certainly not be provided anyway.
Properties:	The wood is reddish with clearly set-off black and hightly decorative stripes. Due to deposits in their pores, the stripes show fine, white sposts which are evenly distributed over the surface. After surface treatment, the wood shines very decoratively .
Machining:	Machining presents no problem, the fine sawdust tends to agglutinate the saw blade.
Seasoning:	Seasoning needs to be done gently , slowly and carefully.
Finishing:	All surface treatments can be applied without difficulty.
Jointing:	Gluing requires great care and screw joints only hold poorly.

Malaysian tigerwood

PALISSANDRO INDIA – EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD

Trade Names:	Rosewood , East Indian Rosewood.
Similar Woods:	Cocobolo, Rio Rosewood , Honduras Rosewood, Santos Rosewood.
Origin:	Asia.
Range:	Southern Asia , East India , Sri Lanka , in lower and damp tropical rain forests , good veneer logs are rare.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork or furniture.
Properties:	The heartwood is tobacco-coloured , gold-brown to purple –brown with dark brown to purple –brown lines. The dark streaks demarcate to growth zones and give the wood its typical attractive pattern, especially apparent when flat cut.
Machining:	Generally good and easy working with all tools.Calcareous and gum deposits can negatively influence the service life of tools. Very smooth surfaces can be produced by planning.
Seasoning:	There is a risk of end checking with the necessary relatively fast drying. There is no great tendency to warp but logs with calcareous deposits are more prone to checking.
Finishing:	Rosewood is most excellently suited for polishing. It must be noted than the coloured deposits in the pores dissolve when solvents containing alcohol are used and, as a result, this can lead to stains.
Jointing:	Glue, screw and nail joints hold well and are very durable.

palissandro india

PALISSANDRO INDIA RIGATO – Quarter EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD

Trade Names:	Quarter EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD
Similar Woods:	Cocobolo, Rio Rosewood , Honduras Rosewood, Santos Rosewood.
Origin:	Asia.
Range:	Southern Asia , East India , Sri Lanka , in lower and damp tropical rain forests , good veneer logs are rare.
Uses:	High quality architectural woodwork or furniture.
Properties:	The heartwood is tobacco-coloured , gold-brown to purple –brown with dark brown to purple –brown lines. The dark streaks demarcate to growth zones and give the wood its typical attractive pattern, especially apparent when flat cut.
Machining:	Generally good and easy working with all tools.Calcareous and gum deposits can negatively influence the service life of tools. Very smooth surfaces can be produced by planning.
Seasoning:	There is a risk of end checking with the necessary relatively fast drying. There is no great tendency to warp but logs with calcareous deposits are more prone to checking.
Finishing:	Rosewood is most excellently suited for polishing. It must be noted than the coloured deposits in the pores dissolve when solvents containing alcohol are used and, as a result, this can lead to stains.
Jointing:	Glue, screw and nail joints hold well and are very durable.

PALISSANDRO INDIA RIGATO

tamo

Trade Names:	Damo, Tamo Yachidamo, Japanese Ash.
Similar Woods:	Curly Maple.
Origin:	East Asia.
Range:	Southern Asia, especially in Japan, Korea, Manchuria and Sachalin. However, the occurrences of this wood being of importance for the European market are those of Japan, especially on Honshu and Hokkaido.
Uses:	High quality interior construction lumber, highly decorative with Burls or fiddleback mottle; construction lumber (only in Japan).
Properties:	The colour is a slightly darker than of the European Ash but when machined Japanese Ash is more comparable with European Oak . Colourful Tamo and Tamo burls are excellently suited for the production of very decorative veneers.
Machining:	Tamo can be worked with all tools without difficulty. Edges and profiles can split should the tools not be perfectly sharp.
Seasoning:	Due to the already low moisture content of the log Tamo can be dried well and quickly. As a general rule it is not prone to checking or warping.
Finishing:	All the usual surface finishes, such as stains and varnishes, can be used without difficulty.
Jointing:	Tamo glues well. Screw and nail joints should be pre-drilled but then hold well.

tamo

teak

Trade Names:	Teak.
Similar Woods:	Afromosia.
Origin:	Southeast Asia.
Range:	Occurs in India through Burma to Thailand and Vietnam. Best known countries for high quality logs are Burma and Thailand . Due to the heavy demand in the sixties , seventies and eighties the forest stands were heavily exploited which has had a strong negative effect on the quality today. Exact sorting as a result of state-controlled selling possible , especially in Burma. Today often grown in plantations although of questionable quality.
Uses:	Teak numbers amongst the oldest commercial lumbers. Due to its resistance to fungi and insect infestation ideal for shipbuilding. High quality wood for architectural woodwork and mass–produced furniture which went out of fashion, however, in Central Europe in the eighties and nineties. Now as before a popular wood for furniture in Scandinavia though.
Properties:	In the veneer trade a difference is made between Golden Teak and Streaked Teak. The wood has a slightly oily surface.
Machining:	As a general rule machining Teakwood presents no problems. Mineral deposits in the wood have a severe dulling effect on tools. Very smooth surfaces can be achieved by using carbide-tipped tools.
Seasoning:	The wood has to be dried slowly and carefully but no particular problems are involved. There is no tendency to check or warp.
Finishing:	Special surface finishes should be used for the treatment of Teak. The surface, which needs to be thoroughly brushed down, should be treated with oil for interior work and with varnishes for external applications.
Jointing:	Gluing is more difficult due to the iol content , however, screw and nail joints hold well.

teak

white ebony

Trade Names:	Black Pearl, Pale Moon Ebony.
Similar Woods:	African Ebony.
Origin:	Indochina.
Range:	Most likely to be found in Laos, but not so often in Cambodia and Vietnam. Occurrences are very limited. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to obtain veneer qualities in decent lengths. If obtainable, these are very expensive, Nearly all logs have small worm holes, the yield is almost always diminished due to checking.
Uses:	Due to the small dimensions, it is mostly used for turnery objects or knife handles in the exclusive sector. Due to its considerably high price, it is used exclusively for high-grade interior fittings, but lengths over 250 cm are very seldom.
Properties:	Highly decorative wood with a very individual black and white marking. The latter differs from log to log and can go from highly white to predominantly black. When book-matched, furniture made of White Ebony is marvellous and unique ,as beautiful patterns develop then.
Machining:	Worm holes can be filled up and machining presents no problem then.
Seasoning:	Very difficult as the wood has a strong tendency to warp and check.
Finishing:	White Ebony takes lacquer very well, therefore there are no great problems with regard to surface treatment.
Jointing:	Glued joints hold well. Caution: Problems can occur with checks.

white ebony