Balsamo
Balsamo wood (Myroxylon balsamum) is a hardwood weighing about 915 kg/m3.
Balsamo (Myroxylon balsamum), also sold as santos mahogany or cabreuva, is a tree of the pea family, Fabaceae. Kew's Plants of the World Online gives its native range as Mexico to southern tropical America. The Wood Database describes the wood as ranging from light golden brown to darker purplish red or burgundy, with interlocked grain, and gives an average dried weight of 915 kg/m3. Despite the name santos mahogany, it is not related to true mahogany. It is used for flooring, furniture, interior trim and heavy construction.
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Material Type:
Hardwood
Also Called:
Santos Mahogany, Cabreuva, Tolu
Durability Notes:
Rated as very durable regarding decay resistance, with mixed reports on susceptibility to insect attack (The Wood Database). The heartwood is reported to be highly resistant to decay fungi, and both heartwood and sapwood are highly resistant to preservative treatment (Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984)).
Properties:
Average dried weight 915 kg/m3 (12% moisture content); Janka hardness 2,400 lbf (10,680 N); modulus of rupture 21,570 lbf/in2 (148.7 MPa); crushing strength 11,680 lbf/in2 (80.6 MPa). Shrinkage is 3.8% radial, 6.2% tangential and 10.0% volumetric, which Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984) notes is very low for a wood of this density. It blunts cutting edges noticeably and working is rated fair to poor because of its density and interlocked grain; staining and gluing can be difficult, but it finishes well. (Sources: The Wood Database; Chudnoff.)
Typical Uses:
Flooring, furniture, interior trim, heavy construction
Possible Health Risks:
Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, the wood has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation. (Source: The Wood Database.)
Sustainability:
Not listed in the CITES Appendices (The Wood Database). Myroxylon balsamum is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (category read via GBIF).
Interesting Facts:
Trees of the genus Myroxylon are used to make Balsam of Peru, a perfume ingredient (The Wood Database); Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984) notes that the balsam is harvested mainly in El Salvador.
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WooduWeigh is a real time calculator that uses a wood density algorithm that allows you to calculate the weight of any quantity of Balsamo timber. Visit Wooduweigh
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