Fiddlewood (Vitex gaumeri)
Family: Verbenaceae
Common names: Crucillo, Fiddlewood, Higuerillo, Lizardwood, Nichte, Vitex, Ya-axnic, Yashcabte, Yashnik, Yasnic, Yaxnic, Yaxnik
Distributed in: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama (Central America)
Distribution overview: The genus Vitex is vary large, and is composed of shrubs and trees that are widely distributed throughout the tropics, with a small representation in the temperate regions. V. gaumeri occurs in Central America, and is found in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Common uses: Agricultural implements, Farm vehicles, Flooring, Furniture , General carpentry, Golf club heads, Millwork, Plywood, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative
Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed
Tree size: Tree height is 30-40 m
Colors: the heart isWhite to cream, Yellowand the sapwoodWhite to yellow, Yellow.The grain isStriped figure, the textureMediumand the lusterLustrous
Natural durability: Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera), Susceptible to marine borer attack
Odor: No specific smell or taste
Silica Content: Silica levels of 0.19% to 1.08%
Kiln Schedules: Drying (speed) is fast
Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries quickly
Drying Defects: Slight surface checking, Splitting
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect: Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild
Boring: Easy
Cutting Resistance: Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy
Gluing: Difficult to glue
Mortising: Easy to mortise
Moulding: Good finishing
Movement in Service: Good finishing
Nailing: Easy to nail, Holds nails well
Planing: Planes well, to a good finish
Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood
Resistance to Splitting: Good
Response to hand tools: Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Routing recessing: Routing yields good results
Veneering qualities: Easy to cut, Suitable for peeling
Steam bending: Poor
Turning: Good results
Polishing: Very good; Staining: Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining
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- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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 |
 |
 |
Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
0,55 |
|
|
Density |
|
689 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
628 |
1005 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
54 |
75 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
764 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
110 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
110 |
131 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
7 |
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
4 |
|
% |
Weight |
673 |
544 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
0,7 |
0,77 |
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
161 |
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
425 |
807 |
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 8938 | 14296 | psi | Crushing Strength | 774 | 1078 | psi | Density | | 43 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 1685 | lbs | Maximum Crushing Strength | 4490 | 7654 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 1570 | psi | Static Bending | 6047 | 11486 | psi | Stiffness | 1571 | 1870 | 1000 psi | Toughness | | 140 | inch-lbs | Work to Maximum Load | 10 | 11 | inch-lbs/in3 | Specific Gravity | 0.55 | | | Weight | 42 | 34 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 4 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | | % | Volumetric Shrinkage | 11 | | % | |
Bending strength (MOR) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = low Hardness (side grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Max. crushing strength = very high Hardness (side grain) = hard Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Max. crushing strength = medium Crushing strength = high
Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.Flores Rodriguez, L.J.,1969,Description Caracteristicas y usos de 25 Maderas tropicales,Mexicanas,Camera Nacional de la Industria de la Construccion Serie Maderas de MexicoHess, R.W. F. F. Wangaard and F. E. Dickinson. 1952. Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods, Volume II. Tropical Woods No. 97, Yale University Press, School of Forestry, New Haven Connecticut.Hess, R.W., Wangaard, F.F., Dickinson, F.E.,1950,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 2,Tropical Woods,13(97,pp1-132Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.Lamb, A.F.A., Wangaard, F.F.,1950,The Gluing Properties of certain Tropical American Woods,Yale Univ. School of Forestry Technical Report,4Longwood, F.R.,1961,Puerto Rican Woods - Their Machining Seasoning and Related Characteristics,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.205Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. MexicoRecord, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT.Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University PressSaks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9Wangaard, F.F. and A.F. Muschler.1952. Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods III, Tropical Woods, No. 98,Yale University Press, School of Forestry, New Haven, Connecticut.Wangaard, F.F., Chudnoff, M.,1950,The Steam Bending Properties of Certain Tropical American Woods,Yale Univ. School of Forestry Technical Report No. 6Wangaard, F.F., Muschler, A.F.,1952,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 3,Tropical Woods,14(98, pp1-190Wangaard, F.F.,1951,The Physical Properties of Tropical Woods,F.A.O. For. & For. Prod. Studies Series No.3 Tropical Woods and Ag.,Residues as sources of pulp,pp10-16Wolcott, G.N.,1950,An Index to the Termite Resistance of Woods,Agricultural Experimental Station, University of Puerto Rico Bulletin,No.85
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