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Blunting Effect
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 Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Mimusops heckelii

Trade Name
Makore

Family Name
Sapotaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Aganokwe, Baku, Makore

Regions of Distribution
Africa

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Benin, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo

Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Boat building, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wardrobes

Environmental Profile
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
The species occurs in Africa, from Sierra Leone to Cameroon, Gabon, and south to Cabinda. It is widely distributed in the high rain forests.

Heartwood Color
White
Yellow
Red
Purple
Pink
Orange
Reddish brown
Pale red to pink
Greyish tinge


Sapwood Color
Yellow
White
Well defined
Pale pink


Grain
Even
Interlocked
Figure
Mottle

Occasionally interlocked, but not always
Mottled or streaked figure sometimes
Generally interlocked

Wood with interlocked grain displays an attractive mottled figure, with occasional dark streaks.

Texture
Fine
Medium
Very fine
Fine


Luster
Lustrous


Natural Durability
Susceptible to insect attack
Moderately durable
Perishable
Non-durable
Resistant to powder post beetles
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-resistant to termites
Resistant to termites
Susceptible to pin hole borer and longhorn beetle
Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles
Resistant to Anobium borers and termites
May devolop stains in contact with iron
Heartwood resistant to decay


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Silica Content
Contains high levels of silica


Toxicity
Respiratory effects
Dermatitic effects


Kiln Schedules
T8 - D3 (8/4) US
T10 - D4 (4/4) US
Kiln Schedule H; United Kingdom


Drying Defects
Expect slight degrade due to knots, splits, and loosening
Distortion (twist/warp) is likely


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Air dries easily and uniformly
Air dries at a moderate rate


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries quickly


Tree Size
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Sapwood width is 10-15 cm
Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm
Tree height is 30-40 m
Sapwood width is 0-5 cm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Sapwood width is 5-10 cm


Comments
Logs may shatter upon felling

Blunting Effect
Severe and rapid due to silica


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Tungsten carbibe cutters are recommended
Difficult due to hardness, density, and high silica


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Glues well


Movement in Service
Stable
Retains shape well after manufacture


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Possible if prebored


Planing
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


20 degree cutting angle is necessary to avoid tearing of quartersawn stock. High amounts of silica tend to blunt cutting edges rapidly

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Sapwood is moderately resistant
Heartwood is extremely resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work


Sanding
Good sanding properties


Screwing
Possible if prebored
High tendency to split


Turning
Poor to Very Poor Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Tungsten-Tipped cutters recommended
Good results
Cutting edges tend to dull rapidly due to high gum and mineral content


Veneering Qualities
Veneers easily
Veneers moderately easy
Suitable for peeling


Steam Bending
Sapwood is unsuitable for steam bending
Heartwood bends well


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Good results


Strength Properties
Weight = high
Resists denting and marring
Hardness (side grain) = hard
Density = high
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high
Bending strength (MOR) = high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1014812466psi
Crushing Strength1352psi
Density42lbs/ft3
Hardness960lbs
Impact Strength2926inches
Maximum Crushing Strength49867213psi
Shearing Strength1578psi
Static Bending8761psi
Stiffness124813781000 psi
Toughness118inch-lbs
Work to Maximum Load1013inch-lbs/in3
Specific Gravity0.390.55
Weight5135lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage6%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength713876kg/cm2
Crushing Strength95kg/cm2
Density673kg/m3
Hardness435kg
Impact Strength7365cm
Maximum Crushing Strength350507kg/cm2
Shearing Strength110kg/cm2
Static Bending615kg/cm2
Stiffness87961000 kg/cm2
Toughness135cm-kg
Work to Maximum Load0.700.91cm-kg/cm3
Specific Gravity0.390.55
Weight817560kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage6%

References
Banks, C.H. and J.P. Schoeman. 1963. Railway Sleeper and Crossing Timbers. Bulletin No. 41, Republic of South Africa. The Government Printer, Pretoria, South Africa.

Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research

HMSO. 1972. 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. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France.

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

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