Wood inspector

Family: Sapotaceae

Common names: Belian, Betis, Bitis

Distributed in: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines (Oceania and S.E. Asia)

Distribution overview: Madhuca species are found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia, and the Pacific Islands.

Common uses: Boat building, Bridge construction, Building construction, Construction, Heavy construction, Planks, Posts

Product sources: Timbers produced by species in the genus are often divided into two groups based on hardness and density. The lighter ones are similar to the timber sold commercially as Nyatoh which is produced principally by species of Palaquium and Payena.The heavier group is made up of the Madhuca timbers that are hard to very hard, and heavy to very heavy. They are reported to resemble Bitis (M. utilis) too closely to be separated in ordinary commercial practice, and are therefore mixed and marketed under that trade name. Most of the Bitis timber from Malaysia are produced by M. utilis.

Tree size: Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm

Colors: the heart isPurple, Yellowand the sapwoodGreen, White.The grain isStraight to shallowly interlocked, the textureFine to mediumand the lusterMedium

Natural durability: Durable, Very durable

Odor: No specific smell or taste

Drying Defects: Checking, Distortion

Ease of Drying: Reconditioning Treatement

Boring: Fairly easy to very easy

Carving: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Cutting Resistance: Sawing is very difficult in the heavier timbers, and is usually accompanied by rapid blunting of cutting edges. Saws may also be clogged up by resin

Mortising: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Moulding: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Movement in Service: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Nailing: Difficult to nail

Planing: Poor to Very Poor

Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood

Response to hand tools: Responds Readily

Routing recessing: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Turning: Fairly Easy to Very Easy

Polishing: Very good Madhuca timbers are reported to take a very smooth and silky finish ;