Blackbean (Castanospermum australe)
Family: Leguminosae
Common names: Bean tree, Beantree, Black bean, Blackbean, Moreton Bay bean, Moreton Bay chestnut
Distributed in: Australia, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu (Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Distribution overview: This Australian species is distributed sparsely in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. It lives in forests with very high annual rainfall.
Common uses: Bedroom suites, Bent Parts, Blockboard, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Cutting surfaces, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Inlay work, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Musical instruments, Office furniture, Ornamental work , Paneling, Plywood, Poles, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Sporting Goods, Stools, Tables , Toys, Turnery, Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Walking sticks, Wardrobes
Product sources: Lumber is available from sources in Australia, and veneers can be purchased at very expensive prices.
Environment profile: The environmental status of this species within its geographical boundaries has not been officially determined
Tree size: Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Colors: the heart isPurple, Redand the sapwoodWhite to yellow, Yellow.The grain isVery fine, the textureUnevenand the lusterMedium
Natural durability: Very durable, Very durable
Odor: No specific smell or taste
LightInduced Color Change: Darker
Kiln Schedules: Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rapid
Kiln Drying Rate: Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm)
Drying Defects: Slight twist/warp, Splitting
Ease of Drying: Requires care and special attention
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good The species is described as an ornamental as well as a valuable source of timber. The green seeds are poisonous to livestock.
Blunting Effect: Little
Boring: Easy
Carving: Good carving qualities
Cutting Resistance:
The timber saws well, but mineral content is reported to make it somewhat difficult to cut with ordinary tools
Gluing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Mortising: Good mortising properties
Moulding: Good moulding properties
Movement in Service: Good moulding properties
Nailing: Satisfactory nailing properties, Very Good to Excellent
Planing: Very Good to Excellent
Resistance to Impregnation: Sapwood is moderately resistant
Response to hand tools: Variable qualities
Routing recessing: Good in both routing and recessing.
Sanding: Fair sanding qualities
Veneering qualities: Veneers easily, Veneers moderately easy
Steam bending: Poor
Screwing: Good screw holding properties, Very Good to Excellent Results; Turning: Very good
Polishing: Very Good to Excellent; Staining: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
|
|
|
|
Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
|
0,64 |
|
Density |
|
721 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
654 |
1024 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
485 |
699 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
752 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
109 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
134 |
155 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
7 |
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
3 |
|
% |
Weight |
705 |
560 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
|
|
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
|
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
| | | | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 9310 | 14566 | psi | Density | | 45 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 1658 | lbs | Maximum Crushing Strength | 6899 | 9945 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 1560 | psi | Stiffness | 1916 | 2208 | 1000 psi | Specific Gravity | | 0.64 | | Weight | 44 | 35 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 3 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | | % | Volumetric Shrinkage | 15 | | % | |
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Radial = very small Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Max. crushing strength = high Hardness (side grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Weight = heavy Shrinkage, Volumetric = large Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Radial = large Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high
The wood is high in density
Anderson, R.H.,1947,The Trees of New South Wales,New South Wales Department of AgricultureAudas, J.W.,Native Trees of Australia,Whitcombe & Tombs PTY. LtdAustralia - Forest Products Newsletter,1961,Properties of Australian timbers - Blackbean,Australia C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Newsletter 279Australia - N.S.W. Forestry Commission,1988,Furniture Timbers of New South Wales,Forest Commission, N.S.W., Aust. Tech. Publication No.1Boas, I.H.,1947,The Commercial Timbers of Australia - Their Properties and Uses,Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, MelbourneBolza, E.,1976,Timber and Health,Div. Building Res. C.S.I.R.O. AustraliaCause, M.L.; Rudder, E.J. and Kynaston, W.T.,1989,Queensland Timbers Their Nomenclature, Density, and Lyctid Susceptability,Queensland Department of Forestry, Technical Pamplet No.2Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.Corner, E.J.H.,1941,Further notes on Moreton Bay chestnut,M.A.H.A. Magazine 11(4) pp151-4Eddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea.Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSOFrancis, W.D.,1951,Australian Rain-forest Trees,Commonwealth of Australia - Forestry and Timber BureauGay, F.J., Et al,1955,Standard laboratory colonies of termites for evaluating the resistance of,timber, timber preservatives and other materials to termite attack.,C.S.I.R.O., Australia Bulletin,No.277Harrar, E.S.,1942,Some Physical Properties of Modern Cabinet Woods 3. Directional and Volume,Shrinkage,Tropical Woods,9(71, pp26-32Hearne, D.A.,1975,Trees for Darwin and Northern Australia,Australian Government Publishing Service, CanberraI.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer CuttingJackson, A. and D. Day.1991.Good Wood Handbook - The Woodworker's Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood.Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.Jane, F.W.,1954,The Structure of World Timbers 27 Iroko - Fustic - Black Bean,Timber Technology,62(2186, pp603-5Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1Kingston, R.S.T., Risdon, C.J.E.,1961,Shrinkage and Density of Australian and other South-West Pacific Woods,C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No.13Kline, M. 1983. Castanospermum australe - Blackbean. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 94-95.Limaye, V.D. and B.R. Sen. 1956. Weights and Specific Gravities of Indian Woods. Indian Forest Records (New Series). Timber Mechanics. Volume 1 No. 4. Manager of Publications (Publisher, Delhi.Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.Monsalud, M.R., Tamolang, F.N.,1969,General Information on Philippine hardwoods,Philippine Lumberman 15(6) pp14-38, 15(7) pp46-72Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical PressRendle, B.J.,1969,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Ernest Benn Ltd. LondonSarlin,1950,Le foret le sol du Nord de Santo (Nouvelles Hebrides,Bois et Forets des Tropiques,13Sekhar, A.C., Bhatia, D.N.,1957,Physical and Mechanical Properties of Woods Tested at Forest Research,Institute. Report VIII,Indian Forest Records (n.s) Timber Mechanics 1(9) pp155-62Timber Development Association Ltd.,1955,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Timber Development Association Ltd.Williams, E.,1958,Timbers of New South Wales - Black Bean,New South Wales Forestry Commission, Division of Wood Technology Technical,Notes 11(1-2)Wood, B., Calnan, D.,1976,Toxic Woods,British Journal of Dermat 94 Suppl. 13
|