Wood inspector

Family: Dipterocarpaceae

Common names: Balau, Balau merah, Membatu, Red balau, Red selangan batu

Distributed in: Philippines (Oceania and S.E. Asia)

Distribution overview: The Balau group of Shorea grows in Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia, and is often found in pure stands. The natural growth range of Shorea genus is rather extensive, from India and Sri Lanka in the west and throughout Burma and several countries in Southeast Asia, and up to the Philippines in the east. The forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula are reported to contain the highest concentration of species in the genus.

Common uses: Baskets, Bent Parts, Boat building, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Cooperages, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Flooring, Food containers, Framing, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Pallets, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Plain veneer, Tables , Veneer, Woodenware

Product sources: Shorea is the major source of timber in Southeast Asia. They are plentiful, and supplies are universally available, especially in the form of veneers. This popular wood is typically priced in the inexpensive range. Many species in the Shorea genus are also a source of other economically important non-timber products. Seeds of some species yield fat which is used in the manufacture of chocolate. Others produce nuts, the most common of which is the illipe nuts of commerce produced by S. gysbertisiana . The nuts yield a fat which is similar to cocoa-butter in some of its properties. Shorea trees are also tapped for oleo-resin, and typical dammar is obtained from S. wiesneri which grows in Java and Sumatra. The tree of S. robusta produces dammar which is used as a disinfectant and as incense in religious ceremonies in India. Other non-timber products from Shorea are reported to include tannin and fibers.

Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed

Tree size: Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm They often develop straight cylindrical boles with adequate merchantable lengths

Colors: the heart isBrown, Light deep red brown or yellow-brown to brown or dark reddish-brown and the sapwoodLighter than heartwood , Not differentiated from heartwood .The grain isInterlocked, the textureUniformand the lusterNon-lustrous

Natural durability: Varied durability from non-durable to very durable , Vulnerable to attack by powder-post beetles

Odor: No distinct odor or taste

Kiln Schedules: T6-D4 (4/4)

Drying Defects: Warping is common but variable , Wood may end split and check

Ease of Drying: Reconditioning Treatement

Blunting Effect: Medium dulling effect on cutting edges

Boring: Fairly difficult to very difficult

Carving: Responds poorly to carving operations

Cutting Resistance: Saws cleanly with moderate blutning of cutting edges

Gluing: Variable gluing properties

Mortising: May prosuce some torn surface in material containing interlocked grain

Moulding: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult

Movement in Service: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult

Nailing: Splits severely and readily , Unsuitable for Nailing

Planing: Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing

Resistance to Impregnation: Sapwood is permeable

Response to hand tools: Fairly difficult to work with hand tools because of its high density and interlocked grain

Routing recessing: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult

Sanding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Veneering qualities: Suitable for peeling

Steam bending: Requires support on outer surface

Screwing: Poor screwing qualities , Pre-boring recommended; Turning: Some tearing of grain

Polishing: Surface Preparation; Staining: Rarely stained ;