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Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Luster
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Vateria indica

Trade Name
Ajakarna

Family Name
Dipterocarpaceae

Synonyms
Vateria malabarica


Wood Image 1

Common Names
Ajakarna, Bilidupa, Damar blanche, Damar tree, Damar white, Dhup maram, Dhup white, Dhupa, Dhupa paini, Dhupa-paini, Dhupada, Dupa-mara, Gugle, Hal, Illupathla, Illupothla, Indian copal, Indian copal tree, Kondricam, Maddi dhupa, Maddi-dhupa, Malabar whie piney, Munda dupa, Munda-dhupa, Paini, Paini mara, Payani, Payin, Perum piney, Piney du malabar, Piney maram, Piney varnish tree, Piney-maram, Sal-dhupa, The piney varnish, Vallay-kungiliam, Valley kungiliam, Velapiney, Vella kondrikam, Vella-hondrikam, Vella-paine, Vella-payin, Vellai kandrikan, Vellapine, Vellapiney, Vellei kundrikam, Vellei-kuntrikam, Velthapaini, White damar tree, White dammer of Southern India, White dhup

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
India

Common Uses
Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Chemical derivatives, Flooring, Heavy construction, Joinery, Ladders, Light construction, Matches, Millwork, Mine timbers, Plywood, Plywood: veneer (marine), Toys

Heartwood Color
Brown
White
Red
Pale brown
Greenish to greyish
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Pale red to pink


Sapwood Color
Red
White
Pink
White to yellow


Grain
Interlocked
Even
Straight

Interlocked
Straight


Texture
Medium
Fine
Coarse
Medium to coarse


Luster
High
Lustrous


Natural Durability
Susceptible to insect attack
Non-durable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Perishable
Non-resistant to termites
Non durable
Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Heartwood susceptible to attack by decay fungi


Drying Defects
Distortion
Splitting
Checking


Ease of Drying
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Slowly
Easy
Difficult


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries quickly
Naturally dries at a moderate speed


Tree Size
Bole length is 20-30 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Bole length is 10-20 m
Bark width is 5-10 mm
Bark width is 20-25 mm
Bark width is 15-20 mm
Bark width is 0-5 mm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Bark width is 10-15 mm
Tree height is 40-50 m
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm


Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fair to Good Results


Movement in Service
Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Planing
Fair to Good Results


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable heartwood
Permeable sapwood
Heartwood is highly resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Easy to machine


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Veneering Qualities
Suitable for peeling
Veneers easily
Veneers moderately easy
Difficult to veneer
Suitable for slicing


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results


Staining
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results


Varnishing
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium
Max. crushing strength = medium
Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft.
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = very low
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low
Shrinkage, Tangential = large
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = low


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength771112078psi
Density35lbs/ft3
Impact Strength22inches
Maximum Crushing Strength33245570psi
Stiffness166519231000 psi
Weight3427lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage3%
Tangential Shrinkage10%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength542849kg/cm2
Density560kg/m3
Impact Strength55cm
Maximum Crushing Strength233391kg/cm2
Stiffness1171351000 kg/cm2
Weight544432kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage3%

References
Bourdillon, T.F.,1908,The Forest Trees of Travancore,Travancore Government Press

Fundter, J.M.,1982,Names for Dipterocarp timbers and trees from Asia,Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands

Gamble, J.S.,1902,A Manual of Indian Timbers,Sampson Low, Marston & Co. London

Kadambi, K.,1957,Vateria indica Lina,Indian Forester 83(5) pp317-23

Nazma,1981,A handbook of Kerala Timbers,Kerala Forest Research Institute Research Report, No.9

Pearson, R.S., Brown, H.P.,1932,Commercial Timbers of India,Govt. Printer Calcutta,2 vols

Sekhar, A.C.,1967,Some Indian Timbers Equivalent to Foreign Timbers,Van Vigyan 5(1&2,pp18-24

Sweet, C.V.,1922,Further experiments in the air-seasoning of Indian timbers and general,recommendations as to seasoning methods.,Indian Forest Records IX part V, Delhi, India

Tewari, M.C., Jain, J.C.,1980,Utilization of Secondary Species,Journal of the National Building Organization 25(2) pp1-6