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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Common Names
Common Uses
Cutting Resistance
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Kiln Schedules
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
References
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Staining
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Turning
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Olea welwitschii

Trade Name
Elgon olive

Family Name
Oleaceae

Synonyms
Osmanthus welwitschii, Steganthus welwitschii, Linociera welwitschii, Mayepea welwitschii


Wood Image 1

Common Names
Elgon olive, Elgon teak, Gibengeyi, Loliondo, Mchihio, Murguiwet, Musodo, Musoko, Musuga, Mutukuyu, Muukuro, Muukuru, Omugando, Omusoke, Omusoko, Pekeriaondet

Common Uses
Boat building (general), Cabinetmaking, Decks, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Mine timbers, Musical instruments, Paneling, Piling, Poles, Railroad ties, Turnery, Vehicle parts

Environmental Profile
Vulnerable


Heartwood Color
Purple
Brown
Pale brown
Pale red to pink
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
White to cream
Reddish brown
Brown


Sapwood Color
Yellow
White to yellow
Well defined


Grain
Interlocked
Straight
Variable (figure)
Figure
Even

Interlocked
Straight
Variable figure


Texture
Even or uniform
Uniform
Medium
Coarse
Fine
Medium
Fine to medium


Luster
Lustrous


Natural Durability
Durable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Moderately durable
Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) often present in the standing tree
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) may be present in the felled log
Very durable
Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Non durable
Moderately resistant to termite (Isoptera) attack
Moderately resistant to marine borer attack


Odor
Has an odor


Silica Content
Siliceous


Toxicity
Some toxic effects


Kiln Schedules
UK=C US=T3C2/T3C1 Fr=3
Dry at a slow speed
Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rather slow
Dry at a moderate speed


Drying Defects
Splitting
Distortion
Slight end splitting
Moderate surface checking
Moderate collapse and honeycombing
No end splitting
Slight surface checking
Moderate twist/warp
Moderate cupping


Ease of Drying
Slowly
Fairly Easy
Easy


Kiln Drying Rate
Slow (18-28 days for boards < 32 mm, to 52-84 days for boards >= 63 mm)


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is buttressed
Bole/stem form is cylindrical


Blunting Effect
High to severe
Blunting effect on machining is slight


Boring
Fairly difficult to very difficult


Carving
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Cutting Resistance
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult


Mortising
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Moulding
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Good finishing results


Movement in Service
Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement
Small
Stable


Nailing
Difficult to nail
Easy to nail
Possible if prebored


Planing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Difficult to plane


Resistance to Impregnation
Permeable sapwood
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Heartwood is moderately resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Difficult to machine
Easy to machine


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Sanding
Good sanding finish


Screwing
Possible if prebored


Turning
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Easy to turn
Good results


Veneering Qualities
Easy to cut
Suitable for slicing
Suitable for peeling


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Satisfactory results


Staining
Finish is generally satisfactory


Strength Properties
Max. crushing strength = high
Hardness (side grain) = medium
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft.
Shrinkage, Tangential = very small
Shrinkage, Radial = very small
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Shrinkage, Radial = large
Max. crushing strength = very high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1037616137psi
Density47lbs/ft3
Hardness1658lbs
Impact Strength28inches
Maximum Crushing Strength714010225psi
Shearing Strength2205psi
Stiffness135815681000 psi
Weight4637lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage2%
Tangential Shrinkage4%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength7291134kg/cm2
Density753kg/m3
Hardness752kg
Impact Strength71cm
Maximum Crushing Strength502718kg/cm2
Shearing Strength155kg/cm2
Stiffness951101000 kg/cm2
Weight737592kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage2%

References
Bois, P.J.,1966,The Strength Properties of Tanzania Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi Tech. Note, No.35

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

Brenan, J.P.M., Greenway, P.J.,1949,Check-lists of the Forest Trees and Shrubs of the British Empire,Imperial Forestry Institute, Oxford No.5 Tanganyika Territories Part 2

Bryce, J. and Kitambi, G.,1960,The Air-drying Properties of some Tanganyika Timbers Technical Note No 23,Tanganyika Forest Department Utilisation Division Technical Note

Bryce, J.M.,1967,Commercial Timbers of Tanzania,Tanzanian Forestry Division Util. Sec. Moshi

Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1954,Hardwoods for Industrial Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Leaflet, No.48

Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1957,Timbers for Flooring,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Bulletin, No.40

Forest Products Research Laboratory, U.K.,1969,The Movement of Timbers,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Technical Note,No.38

Grant, D.K.S.,1934,Some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Department

Jane, F.W.,1954,The Structure of World Timbers - Loliondo and Muhuhu,Timber Technology,62(2184, pp493-5

Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 - 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi.

Patterson, D.N.,1963,The strength of Kenya timbers, their derivation and application,Kenya Forestry Department Research Bulletin,No.23

Tack, C.H.,1953,Plywood and veneer species,Forest Department, Uganda. Technical Note 5/1953

Tack, C.H.,1969,Uganda Timbers,Govt. Printer Uganda

Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7

Tanzania - Timber Marketing Co. Ltd.,1978,Timber from Tanzania

Tanzania Forest Department,1960,The Natural Durability of Local Timbers,Tanzanian Forest Dept. Tech. Note,No.14

Tanzania Forest Department,1966,Flooring Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi - Timbers of Tanganyika

Tanzania Forest Division,1965,Olea welwitschii (Loliondo,Tanzania Forest Div. Utll. Sec. Moshi - Timbers of Tanganyika

Tanzania Forest Division,1966,Kiln Drying Schedules for Tanzania Timbers Technical Note no.38,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi

Tanzania Forest Division,1967,The Weights and Shrinkage of some Local Timbers,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sect. Technical Note,No.25

Timber Development Association Ltd.,1955,World Timbers (3 Vols.,Timber Development Association Ltd.

Uganda Forest Department,1954,The Mechanical Properties of some Ugandan Timbers,Uganda Forest Department Timber Leaflet,No.1

Uganda Forest Department,1955,Elgon Olive (Olea welwitschii,Uganda Forestry Department Timber Leaflet,No.23

Uganda Forest Department,1969,The Shrinkage of Some Ugandan Timbers,Uganda Forestry Department Timber Leaflet,No.47

Wimbush, S.H.,1950,Catalogue of Kenya Timbers,Govt. Printer Nairobi Kenya