Rengas
Rengas wood (Melanorrhoea curtisii) is a hardwood weighing about 765 kg/m3.
Rengas is the trade name for timber from Gluta and Melanorrhoea species, trees of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae; the species named here, Melanorrhoea curtisii, is now classified as Gluta curtisii, which Kew's Plants of the World Online lists as native to Peninsular Malaysia. The Wood Database describes the heartwood as a deep red with darker streaks, and gives an average dried weight of 765 kg/m3. Its sap is a strong skin irritant, which has made the timber unpopular despite its looks. It is used for turned objects, cabinetry, furniture and, according to Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984), decorative veneers.
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Material Type:
Hardwood
Also Called:
Borneo Rosewood, Tiger Rengas
Durability Notes:
Rated as moderately durable, but not resistant to termites or other insects (The Wood Database). Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984) also reports the heartwood as only moderately durable and not highly resistant to termites, with the sapwood vulnerable to powder-post beetles.
Seasoning:
Reported to season well with little or no degrade from warping or checking, drying moderately slowly with little shrinkage. No kiln schedule data are available. (Source: Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984).)
Properties:
Average dried weight 765 kg/m3 (12% moisture content); Janka hardness 1,720 lbf (7,650 N). Shrinkage is 2.9% radial, 5.3% tangential and 8.2% volumetric. It has a fine to medium texture with straight or slightly irregular grain. It severely dulls cutting tools because of its silica content, but is otherwise fairly easy to work, and glues and finishes well. (Source: The Wood Database.)
Typical Uses:
Turned objects, cabinetry, furniture, decorative veneers, joinery
More Info:
Rengas is sometimes sold as Borneo rosewood, but it is not a true rosewood. (Source: The Wood Database.)
Possible Health Risks:
Handle with care. The sap contains urushiol, the same allergen found in poison ivy, and is reported to be strongly irritating to the skin, causing blisters, sores and reactions similar to poison ivy, and in some people fever and other whole-body effects. It can still irritate sensitised people after the wood has dried, and can seep through some finishes. (Source: The Wood Database.) Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984) also notes that the bark and wood contain a strongly irritating sap, and that even thoroughly dried wood may still irritate the skin of some people.
Sustainability:
Not listed in the CITES Appendices (The Wood Database). The species named on this page, Gluta curtisii, is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (category read via GBIF).
Interesting Facts:
Striped pieces are sometimes sold as tiger rengas. (Source: The Wood Database.)
No FAQs yet for this timber.
WooduWeigh is a real time calculator that uses a wood density algorithm that allows you to calculate the weight of any quantity of Rengas timber. Visit Wooduweigh
If you would like to buy Rengas or have Rengas ready to sell then please visit the wood trading section powered by Woodutrade, where you can make timber contacts worldwide. Visit Woodutrade
