Wood inspector

Family: Leguminosae

Common names: Angok, Bondu, Broutou, Bubinga, Ekop gomb￿Gomb￿Timba

Distributed in: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zaire (Africa)

Distribution overview: Grows in the wet forests of West Africa, from Liberia and Sierra Leone in the west to Congo and Central African Republic in the east.

Common uses: Bedroom suites, Blockboard, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Mine timbers, Musical instruments , Office furniture, Organ pipes, Parquet flooring, Turnery, Veneer

Product sources: Some material, mainly in the form of logs is exported from the producing countries, especially Cameroon and Ivory Coast, but quantities can be increased substantially if demand increases.

Environment profile: Secure within its range Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare in Cameroon. Its status in the wild is currently listed as unknown in Nigeria because of insufficient information (Source - World Conservation Monitoring Center - 1992 )

Tree size: Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm

Colors: the heart isRed, Whiteand the sapwoodWhite, White to yellow.The grain isStraight, the textureMedium to coarse

Natural durability: Susceptible to pinhole borer attack , Susceptible to termite attack

Odor: May have a slightly disagreeable smell when green

Silica Content: No affect on machining

Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries slowly

Drying Defects: Distortion, Splitting

Ease of Drying: Slowly

Blunting Effect: Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild

Boring: Fairly easy to very easy

Cutting Resistance: Easy to saw

Gluing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Moulding: Very Good to Excellent

Movement in Service: Very Good to Excellent

Nailing: Pre-Boring Recommended, Satisfactory nailing properties

Planing: Very Good to Excellent

Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood

Response to hand tools: Easy to Work

Routing recessing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Sanding: Very Good to Excellent Results

Veneering qualities: Logs are reported to peel without difficulty after steaming at about 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). They also slice rather easily to yield decorative veneers. Drying is rather difficult since veneers are liable to split. They respond readily to gluing either with UF or PF type glues. Mechanical strength of plywood is satisfactory

Screwing: Good screw holding properties ;

Painting: Very Good to Excellent; Polishing: Very Good to Excellent; Varnishing: Very Good to Excellent;