Abale (Blighia sapida)
Family: Sapindaceae
Distributed in: Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, India, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo (Africa, Central America, Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Common uses: Boxes and crates, Carvings, Chairs, Charcoal, Furniture, Light construction, Turnery
Tree size: Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Colors: the heart isYellow, Yellow to golden-yellow to orangeand the sapwoodWhite to yellow, Yellow.The grain isWavy, the textureMedium to coarseand the lusterMedium
Natural durability: Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera), Very durable
LightInduced Color Change: Darker
Drying Defects: Moderate surface checking, Moderate twist/warp
Ease of Drying: Fairly Easy
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Cutting Resistance: Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy
Nailing: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult, Pre-Boring Recommended
Planing: Planes well, to a good finish
Response to hand tools: Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Screwing: Pre-boring recommended
; Turning: Very Good to Excellent Results
Polishing: Very Good to Excellent;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
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Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
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Density |
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881 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
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kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
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kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
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kg |
Impact Strength |
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cm |
Shearing Strength |
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kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
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1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
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% |
Radial Shrinkage |
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% |
Weight |
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kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
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cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
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cm-kg |
Static Bending |
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kg/cm2 |
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| | | | Item | Green | Dry | English | Density | | 55 | lbs/ft3 | Weight | 54 | 43 | lbs/ft3 | |
Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft
Boas, I.H.,1947,The Commercial Timbers of Australia - Their Properties and Uses,Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, MelbourneCooper, G.P., Record, S.J.,1931,The Evergreen Forests of Liberia,Yale School Forestry Bulletin,31,pp1-153Hedin, L.,1930,Etude sur la Foret et les Bois du Cameroun,Haut-Commissaire de la CamerounIrvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. LondonKeay, R.W.J.,1964,Nigerian Trees Vol.2,Nigeria Federal Department of Forest Research, IbadanKennedy, J.D.,1936,Forest Flora of Southern Nigeria,Government Printer LagosSwabey, C.,1941,The Principal Timbers of Jamaica,Department of Science and Agriculture Jamaica Bulletin No.29Taylor, C.J.,1960,Synecology and Silviculture in Ghana,University College of Ghana Thomas Nelson and SonsUnwin, A.H.,1920,West African Forests and Forestry,T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. London
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