Wood inspector

Family: Araucariaceae

Common names: Bunya bunya, Cooks pine, Norfolk island pine, Pin colonnaire, Sapin de montagne

Distributed in: Hawaii [US], New Caledonia, South Africa (Africa, Oceania and S.E. Asia)

Distribution overview: Native to the New Caledonia Islands. Cooks pine has been successfully cultivated in Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and Madagascar.

Common uses: Balusters, Barge fenders, Baskets, Blockboard, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Canoes, Carvings, Casks, Construction, Cutting surfaces, Decorative plywood, Docks, Dockwork, Domestic flooring, Excelsior, Flooring, Food containers, Handles, Harbor work, Hardboards, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Ladders , Lifeboats, Light construction, Marine construction, Matchboxes, Matches, Millwork, Moldings, Naval architecture, Novelties, Packing cases, Parquet flooring, Plywood, Poles, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood

Product sources: The timber is abundant in the countries where it grows, but its availablity on the North American market is rather limited because of very high shipping costs. High shipping costs added to the price of the timber make Parana pine too expensive in comparison to domestic softwood species used for similar applications. It is rated in the moderate price range compared to other imports, but the price is substantially higher than North American softwoods of similar grade.Supplies of Parana pine in long lengths, wide boards, and veneer form are also limited on the European market, with prices, when available, comparable to those of the more expensive softwoods.

Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed

Colors: the heart isLight brown, Redand the sapwoodLighter than heartwood , Red.The grain isStraight, the textureFine

Natural durability: Very little natural resistance to decay in ground contact , Vulnerable to attack by blue-stain fungi

Odor: No specific smell or taste

Drying Defects: Distortion, Stacks should be weighted to prevent distortion

Ease of Drying: Slowly

Cutting Resistance: Wood with hard and dense knots may cause some difficulties

Gluing: Satisfactory gluing properties

Nailing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy, Satisfactory nailing properties

Planing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Resistance to Impregnation: Sapwood is permeable

Steam bending: Good steam bending properties

Screwing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy ;