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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Size

Scientific Name
Shorea acuminatissima

Trade Name
Yellow meranti

Family Name
Dipterocarpaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Yellow meranti, Yellow seraya

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Indonesia, Malaysia

Common Uses
Balusters, Bent Parts, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Construction, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Fine furniture, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Sub-flooring, Utility furniture, Wainscotting, Wardrobes

Environmental Profile
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center

This species is currently classified as Vulnerable within its natural habitat in Kalimantan and the Sabah region in Malaysia

Distribution Overview
The Yellow meranti group in the Shorea genera grows in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The growth range of Shorea genus is rather extensive, from Sri Lanka and India on the west and throughout Burma and several countries in Southeast Asia, up to the Philippines on the east. Species concentration is highest in the forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Yellow
Green
Light yellow, dull yellow, or yellow brown
Greenish tinge
Darkens after exposure

Timber of Yellow meranti from Malaysia and Yellow seraya from Sabah are produced by about a dozen Shorea species. They are generally similar in appearance to Red meranti and Red seraya but their wood lacks the red tint

Sapwood Color
Grey
Paler than heartwood
Grayish tinge


Grain
Interlocked

Shallowly interlocked


Texture
Coarse
Medium
Moderately coarse


Luster
Low
Non-lustrous
Dull


Natural Durability
Perishable
Non-resistant to termites
Susceptible to termite attack
Not resistant to powder-post beetle attack
Non durable
Liable to attack by marine borers


Odor
Has an odor
No distinct odor or taste


Toxicity
Some toxic effects


Kiln Schedules
T10-D5S (4/4); T8-D4S (8/4) US Schedule J (4/4) United Kingdom
T10-D5S (4/4)


Drying Defects
Internal Honeycombing Possible
Distortion
Cupping in thinner material, and honeycombing in thicker material


Ease of Drying
Slowly
Air dries slowly


Tree Size
Tree height is 60-70 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm


The tall trees, which usually have straight, clear and cylindrical stems and large buttresses.

Product Sources
Shorea is a major source of timber in Southeast Asia. Supplies are plentiful, especially in the form of veneers and price is typically in the low range.

Many species in the Shorea genus are also a source of other economically important non-timber products. Seeds of some species yield fat which is used in the manufacture of chocolate. Others produce nuts, the most common of which is the illipe nuts of commerce produced by S. gysbertisiana . The nuts yield a fat which is similar to cocoa-butter in some of its properties. Shorea trees are also tapped for oleo-resin, and typical dammar is obtained from S. wiesneri which grows in Java and Sumatra. The tree of S. robusta produces dammar which is used as a disinfectant and as incense in religious ceremonies in India. Other non-timber products from Shorea are reported to include tannin and fibers.

Comments
Tendency to stain under moist conditions when brought in contact with iron and iron compounds

Blunting Effect
Moderate
Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy
Stock should be supported adequately at tool exits
Easy


Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to carve


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Moderate cutting resistance


Gluing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good gluing properties


Mortising
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Stock should be supported adequately at tool exits
Easy to mortise with ordinary machine tools


Moulding
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Material containing interlocked grain may cause some tearing
Easy to mould


Movement in Service
Excellent Stability - Small Movement
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Retains shape well after manufacture
Good dimensional stability and shows little movement in use


Nailing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good nailing characteristics


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Interlocked grain may cause some tearing, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing
Easy to work in planning and almost all machine operations
Clean, finished surfaces
Can be planed to a smooth finish


Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Permeable sapwood
Moderately resistant to preservative treatment
Heartwood is extremely resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily
Easy to Work
Yields a smooth, clean finish
Responds well to hand tools


Routing & Recessing
Good routing characteristics, except in material containing interlocked grain


Sanding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good sanding properties


Screwing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good screwing properties


Steam Bending
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Steam bend to a moderate radius of curvature


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good polishing properties after filling
Good finishing properties


Staining
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Stains well


Strength Properties
Weight=Medium
Resists denting and marring
Hardness = medium
Density=High
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Bending stength in air-dried condition...is medium


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength77279682psi
Density33lbs/ft3
Hardness725lbs
Impact Strength2019inches
Maximum Crushing Strength37735739psi
Shearing Strength1561psi
Stiffness112212481000 psi
Work to Maximum Load78inch-lbs/in3
Specific Gravity0.430.64
Weight3529lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage3%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
Volumetric Shrinkage10%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength543680kg/cm2
Density528kg/m3
Hardness328kg
Impact Strength5048cm
Maximum Crushing Strength265403kg/cm2
Shearing Strength109kg/cm2
Stiffness78871000 kg/cm2
Work to Maximum Load0.490.56cm-kg/cm3
Specific Gravity0.430.64
Weight560464kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage3%
Tangential Shrinkage8%

References
Arno, J. 1988. Shorea spp. - Luan. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 329-330.

Chowdhury, K.A. and S.S. Ghosh. 1958. Indian Woods - Their Identification, Properties and Uses, Volume I - Dilleniaceae to Elaeocarpaceae. Published by the Manager of Publications, Delhi, India.

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

HMSO. 1972. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

Kaiser, J. Wood of the Month: Meranti - The Hardworking Import. Wood & Wood Products, May 1991. Page 48.

Lavers, G.M. 1967. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Ministry of Technology, Forest Products Research, Bulletin No. 50, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California.

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.