top

Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position.

Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data.

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
Nailing
Natural Durability
Natural Growth Defects
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Substitutes
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing

Scientific Name
Vochysia hondurensis

Trade Name
Yemeri

Family Name
Vochysiaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Chambo caspi, Corpus, Emeri, Emery, Emory, Flor amarillo, Palo de agua, Palo de chancho, Quaruba, San Juan, White mahogany, White yemeri, Yemeri

Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama

Common Uses
Boxes and crates, Building materials, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Crossties, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, General carpentry, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Plywood corestock, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stools, Tables , Trimming, Utility furniture, Wainscotting, Wardrobes

Environmental Profile
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Various species in the Vochysia genus are widely distributed in tropical America, from southern Mexico to Peru, and are most plentiful in the Guianas and Brazil. They are reported to thrive best on coastal plains and alongside waterways, and are often found in nearly pure stands on abandoned farmlands.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Purple
Red
Pink
Pale red to pink
Pale brown
Reddish brown
Golden brown with a reddish cast


Sapwood Color
Brown
White to yellow
Paler than heartwood
Different than heartwood
Color not distinct from heartwood


Grain
Figure
Interlocked
Straight
Even
Stripe (figure)
Rays (figure)
Weak (figure)

Interlocked
Straight
Striped figure
Weak figure
Rays figure

May be suitable for the manufacture of less expensive grade furniture

Texture
Fine
Medium to coarse
Moderately coarse
Coarse


Luster
Medium
Lustrous
High
Golden luster


Natural Growth Defects
Brittleheart = rare or absent

Natural Durability
Durable
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Non durable
Moderately durable
Susceptible to attack by fungi and termites
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) are commonly present
Heartwood resistant to decay


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Kiln Schedules
Drying (speed) is fast
T2 - D4 (4/4); T2 - D3 (8/4) US
Schedule A (4/4) United Kingdom


Drying Defects
Moderate twist/warp
Slight surface checking
Moderate cupping
Slight collapse and honeycomb
No end splitting
No defects are common
No defects are common
Moderate spring/bow

The wood has a high tendency to twist and cup. Some collapse may also occur in thicker stock.

Ease of Drying
Moderate
Dries slowly
Dries at a fairly rapid rate

Quartersawn material is less prone to drying degrade

Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Bole/stem form is cylindrical


Tree Size
Tree height is 10-20 m
Sapwood width is 0-5 cm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm


Product Sources
The ITTO reports that the species is an important source of timber for export.

Timber produced by species in the genus are used for the same purposes as Qualea timbers, and the two genera are often referred to by the same vernacular name in some localities.

Substitutes
Spanish cedar

Comments
Durable and is easier to work, and can be used for utility plywood, drawer bottoms, and panels

General finishing qualities are rated as good

Blunting Effect
Blunting effect on sawing green wood is mild
Slight effect
Medium effect
Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild
Blunting effect on machining is slight


Boring
Moderately easy
Bores readily with ordinary machine tools


Carving
Good results


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


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to glue
Moderate gluing properties
Good properties


Mortising
Moderately easy to mortise
Good mortising properties
Finishes satisfactorily
Easy to mortise


Moulding
Satisfactory moulding results
Moulding ease is moderate
Good moulding properties
Easy to mould


Nailing
Easy to nail
Holds nails well


Planing
Easy to plane
Ease of planing is moderate
Planes to a satisfactory finish


Resistance to Impregnation
Sapwood is permeable
Heartwood is permeable

Preservative absorption and retention is more than adequate in both heartwood and sapwood

Resistance to Splitting
Good


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Works readily with handtools
Variable qualities
Easy to machine
Difficult to machine


Routing & Recessing
Routing is easy


Sanding
Satisfactory sanding results
Fairly good sanding characteristics


Turning
Poor results
Turns with moderate ease
Responds well


Steam Bending
Poor


Painting
Responds well to painting
Good results


Polishing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results
Good results


Staining
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Stains well
Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining

Water-Based stains should be avoided since they tend to raise the grain

Varnishing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft.
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Work to Maximum Load = very low
Shrinkage, Radial = very small
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Bending strength (MOR) = high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength706211140psi
Density32lbs/ft3
Hardness686lbs
Impact Strength2025inches
Maximum Crushing Strength30855055psi
Shearing Strength1009psi
Stiffness105412481000 psi
Toughness133inch-lbs
Work to Maximum Load48inch-lbs/in3
Specific Gravity0.460.52
Weight2924lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
Volumetric Shrinkage13%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength496783kg/cm2
Density512kg/m3
Hardness311kg
Impact Strength5063cm
Maximum Crushing Strength216355kg/cm2
Shearing Strength70kg/cm2
Stiffness74871000 kg/cm2
Toughness153cm-kg
Work to Maximum Load0.280.56cm-kg/cm3
Specific Gravity0.460.52
Weight464384kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage8%

References
Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA., Forest Service, Preliminary Copy, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 9 Central America and the Caribbean,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France.

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

Constantine, Jr., A. J. 1959. Know Your Woods - A Complete Guide to Trees, Woods, and Veneers. Revised Edition. Revised by H.J. Hobbs. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.

Davis, E.M.,1949,Exploratory tests in machining and related properties of 15 Tropical,American Hardwoods,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,Report,No.1744

HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R. H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

ITTO. 1991. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. Association Internationale Technique des Bois Tropicaux, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical Division of CIRAD, 45 bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-marne, CEDEX, France

Kukachka, B.F.,1970,Properties of Imported Tropical Woods,Forest Research Paper FPL 125

Lavers, G.M. 1966. The Strength Properties of Timbers. Forest Products Research Bulletin, No. 50. Ministry of Technology, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.

Lavers, G.M.,1983,The Strength Properties of Timber (3rd ed. revised Moore G.L.,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Building Research,Establishment Report (formerly Bulletin No.50)

Longwood, F.R.,1962,Commercial Timbers of the Caribbean,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.207

Perpetua Hardwoods. Sea Star Trading Co. - Purveyors of Fine Wood. Newport, Oregon. Personal Communication, 1993.

Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT.

Stevenson, D., Stevenson, N.S.,1925,Some Secondary Timbers of British Honduras,Tropical Woods 1(4) pp 12-16

Takahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4

Woods, R.P.,1949,Timbers of South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series