Rosewood

Scientific name:
Pterocarpus indicus

Other Common Names:
Malabar
Shisham
Sitsal
Sonokeling

It is a major commercial species of the Solomon Islands. Small to medium sized trees found throughout the lowland forests of the South West Pacific region, it attains large commercial proportions in the Solomon Islands and has been heavily exploited in the past. One of the finest furniture and cabinet woods on world markets due to its excellent working and finishing properties. The wood, when left lying in water, turns the water an iridescent blue. The wood can vary in density and hardness.

Weight:
density 525-625 kg/m (12% m.c)

Uses:
flooring, finely turned articles, gun stocks, rifle butts anddecorative sliced veneer. It is prized for carving local artefacts and in making ceremonial hand drums. It has good acoustic and tonal qualities, making it suitable for musical instruments.

General Characteristics:
The colors are golden-brown, yellow-brown, red-brown to blood red. The texture moderately coarse and uneven.. The timber variesin colour from yellowish-brown to golden-brown through to red-brown or sometimes a blood red colour. The grain is usually interlocked but not severely so; sometimes wavy. Produces a ribbon or banded figure on quarter-sawn faces and a cathedral-likefigure on back-sawn faces. It has a pleasant, persistent, fragrant odour.

Working Properties:
Readily sawn and excellent planning; some care required where grain irregularities occur. It nails well, also Glues well with all adhesives. Excellent Finishing; sands to a very fine finish and produces a high polish with golden luster.

Drying and Shrinkage:
in General, it has Excellent drying properties. The denser (redder) timbers take longer to dry than the pale-coloured yellowish timbers. Very low in movement and shrinkage.

Durability:
Highly durable and resistant to pressure impregnation.

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