Guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum)
Family: Leguminosae
Common names: Acacia franc, Algarrobo carretera, Algarrobo de orejas, Anjera, Arbol de las orejas, Arbol de orejas, Bois tanni, Cabellos de venus, Carita, Carito, Caro, Caro hembra, Carocaro, Cascabel sonaja, Central American walnut, Conacaste, Conocaste, Coratu, Corotu, Cuanacaztle, Cuau-nacaztli, Devils ear, Earpod, Genisero, Genizero, Guanacaste, Guanacaste negro, Harina, Huanacaxtle, Huinecaztle, Jarina, Jenezero, Jenisero, Jenizero, Juana costa mahogany, Kelobra, Kolobra, Mexican walnut, Nacaxtle, Nacazle, Oreja, Oreja de judio, Orejas, Orejero, Orejo, Oriera, Parota, Perota, Piche, Pichwood, South American walnut, Tamboril, Timbauba, Timbo, Timbo Color, Tubroos
Distributed in: Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (Central America, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Distribution overview: Mexico and southward through Central America to Trinidad, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil (including Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia); often planted as an ornamental.
Common uses: Bent Parts, Blockboard, Boat building (general), Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concrete formwork, Core Stock, Cutting surfaces, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Drawer sides, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Fishnet floats, Floats, Food containers, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Paneling , Paneling, Particleboard, Plain veneer, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Structural work, Trimming, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes
Product sources: The ITTO reports that the species is a fairly important source of timber. Export potential is rated as fair. Guanacaste is available in the lumber form at a medium price, but quartered veneer, crotches and swirls are rather scarce. Although the wood is described as useful and attractive, it is not classed as a high grade furniture wood.
Environment profile: Secure in many areas of its range
Tree size: Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm
Colors: the heart isReddish brown, Yellowand the sapwoodWhite to yellow, Yellow.The grain isStriped figure, the textureMedium to coarseand the lusterPronounced
Natural durability: Very durable, Very resistant to termite attack.
Odor: Sawdust is pungent and may cause irritation in some individuals.
Kiln Schedules: Drying (speed) is fast
Kiln Drying Rate: Naturally dries slowly
Drying Defects: Slight twist/warp, Splitting
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is cylindrical
Comments: Abnormal Wood TissueGeneral finishing qualities are rated as good Tension wood is rather common.
Blunting Effect: Moderate
Boring: Fairly easy to very easy
Cutting Resistance: Low resistance
Gluing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Nailing: Holds nails well, Pre-Boring Recommended
Planing: Very Good to Excellent
Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood
Response to hand tools: Variable qualities
Sanding: Very Good to Excellent Results
Veneering qualities: Suitable for slicing, Suitable for slicing
Screwing: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult, Pre-boring recommended; Turning: Yields smooth, clean surface.
Painting: Fair to Good; Polishing: Very Good to Excellent; Varnishing: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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 |
 |
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| Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
| Specific Gravity |
0,3 |
0,46 |
|
| Density |
|
416 |
kg/m3 |
| Bending Strength |
359 |
581 |
kg/cm2 |
| Crushing Strength |
261 |
384 |
kg/cm2 |
| Hardness |
|
191 |
kg |
| Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
| Shearing Strength |
|
62 |
kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness |
64 |
86 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
| Tangential Shrinkage |
5 |
|
% |
| Radial Shrinkage |
2 |
|
% |
| Weight |
400 |
352 |
kg/m3 |
| Maximum Load |
|
|
cm-kg/cm3 |
| Toughness |
|
|
cm-kg |
| Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | | Item | Green | Dry | English | | Bending Strength | 5108 | 8273 | psi | | Density | | 26 | lbs/ft3 | | Hardness | | 422 | lbs | | Maximum Crushing Strength | 3726 | 5473 | psi | | Shearing Strength | | 882 | psi | | Stiffness | 911 | 1230 | 1000 psi | | Specific Gravity | 0.3 | 0.46 | | | Weight | 25 | 22 | lbs/ft3 | | Radial Shrinkage | 2 | | % | | Tangential Shrinkage | 5 | | % | | Volumetric Shrinkage | 6 | | % | |
Shrinkage, Radial = very small 0 Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = small Bending strength (MOR) = low Shrinkage, Volumetric = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Hardness (side grain) = very soft Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft. Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = low Bending strength (MOR) = very low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Max. crushing strength = high
Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1Berni, C.A., Bolza, E., Christensen, F.J.,1979,South American Timbers - The Characteristics, Properties and Uses of 190,Species,C.S.I.R.O Div. Building ResearchBoone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.Brazier, J.D., Franklin, G.L.,1967,An Appraisal of the Wood Characteristics and Potential Uses of some,Nicaraguan Timbers,FAO for Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes RisboroughBrown, W.H.,1969,Properties and uses of Tropical hardwoods in the United Kingdom. Part 1,Nonstructural properties and uses.,Conference on Tropical hardwoods SC-5/TN-5, Syracuse UniversityChichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme.1990.Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America.International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France.Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. LondonConstantine, Jr., A. J. 1959.Know Your Woods - A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers.Revised Edition.Revised by H.J. Hobbs.Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.Davis, E.M.,1949,Exploratory tests in machining and related properties of 15 Tropical,American Hardwoods,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,Report,No.1744Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood B. Wood Species from S. American Tropical,Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry DepartmentFalla Ramirez, A.,1971,Resultados de Estudios Fisico-Mechanicos de Algunas Maderas de la Serrania,de San Lucas. (Some timbers of the San Lucas mountain range.,Plegable Divulgativo, Div. Forestal, Inderena Colombia,pp6Flores Rodriguez, L.J.,1969,Description Caracteristicas y usos de 25 Maderas tropicales,Mexicanas,Camera Nacional de la Industria de la Construccion Serie Maderas de MexicoFors, A.J.,1965,Maderas Cubanas,Inst. Nac. Ref. Agraria La HabaraHoheisel, H., Karstedt, P.,1967,Identification of Ecuadorian Wood Sp. for possibilities of Utilization on,the basis of Technological Results,Institito Forestal Latino-Americana Merida VenezualaHoheisel, H.,1968,Identification of some Colombian wood Sp. and their possible use on the,basis of physical and mechanical properties,Latin American Forest Research and Training Institute, Merida VenezualaHoward, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.Kline, M. 1986. Enterolobium cyclocarpum - Guanacaste. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. Page 154.Kribs, D.A.,1950,Commercial and Foreign Woods on the American Market (a manual to their,structure, identification, uses and distribution,U.S.A. Penn. State College, Tropical Woods LaboratoryKukachka, B.F.,1970,Properties of Imported Tropical Woods,Forest Research Paper FPL 125Lincoln, W.A. 1986.World Woods in Color.Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. MexicoPerpetua Hardwoods.Sea Star Trading Co. - Purveyors of Fine Wood.Newport, Oregon.Personal Communication, 1993.Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University PressRecord, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. PressRecord, S.J.,1927,Trees of Honduras,Tropical Woods,10, pp10-47Saks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9Streets, R.J.,1962,Exotic Forest Trees in the British Commonwealth,Clarendon Press OxfordTakahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4Wong, W.C.,1976,Particleboard from Enterolobium cyclocarpum,Malaysian Forester,39(1,PP18-21
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