Wood of the month.

WOOD OF THE MONTH

It was hard to decide on a name for this beautiful African wood because it is known by so many different and seemingly unrelated labels. Said Werner Lorenz, president and owner of Indiana Veneers Corp., "Amazaque is a perfectly correct name for the wood, and is the preferred name in Europe, Africa and the Far East. But in North America the term Mozambique also |caught on' at some point."

But wait, that is not all. Guibourtia ehie of the Family Leguminosae, is also known as amazoue, ovenkol, hyeduanini, ovangkol, kolima, anokye, ehie, amazahoue, and shedua. The wood is found most often in rain forest and traditional forest areas in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Southern Nigeria and Gabon.

Lorenz calls it a "cross between walnut and teak - a wonderful looking wood, brown with a striped decorative look perfect for interior design uses. It is not a widely known species in the United States but it is quite attractive and readily available."

Lorenz purchases his supplies of veneer from Europe or directly from Africa where it grows abundantly. He describes ideal uses as architectural ones - doors, paneling and bookshelves, for example.

Larry Frye, executive director of the Fine Hardwoods/American Walnut Assn., features the wood in his publication "Fine Hardwood Selectorama." Frye notes additional uses include veneer for furniture, plywood and architectural installations. The lumber also is used to make beautiful, hard-wearing flooring. Other uses include shop fitting, turnery high-class joinery and interior decorative fittings.

Characteristics of the wood

According to Frye, it is readily available plain and quarter sliced at average prices. Amazaque ranges in height from 100 to 150 feet with a straight cylindrical bole. Trunk diameters range from 2 to 3 feet over buttresses.

Amazaque timber dries quickly and "reasonably well" according to the experts but may show a slight tendency to distort. Kiln drying thick stock requires special care or a problem can result: The stock will collapse.

Amazaque's heartwood ranges from yellow-brown to dark brown with grayish-black stripes. It has an interlocked grain and a moderately coarse texture. Lorenz calls it a "fine pored wood." The older stems of some trees often have slightly raised horizontal rings which will change the figure of the log.

Seasoned wood has an average weight of 50 pounds per cubic foot. The wood has medium bending and crushing strengths and shock resistance. It is not recommended for steam bending.

Amazaque will have a moderate blunting effect on cutting tools because of the silica content of the wood. Experts recommend keeping cutting edges thin and sharp. The wood will saw slowly but well. Fresh cut logs have an exceedingly unpleasant odor, however. For best results cutting angles should be reduced. Also, to avoid tearing of the interlocked grain, cutting angles should be reduced 20 degrees.

Good results are derived from nailing, screwing and gluing. The wood stains and finishes very well.

Amazaque is highly resistant to the termites plaguing West Africa. Its heartwood is moderately durable but the sapwood is permeable. The tree yields a gum copal which is used for medicines and also as a base for varnish.

Frye's research on the tree known as amazaque indicates that it is closely related botanically to bubinga (also from the Guibourtia species) but the two do not share many similarities. Amazaque looks somewhat like walnut except it has a regular stripe making it more akin to Queensland walnut that European walnut.

The mutenye connection

Lorenz said a closely related wood is Guibourtia arnoldiana also of the Family Leguminosae. The common names for this wood from West Central Africa include mutenye and benge.

Mutenye looks very similar to amazaque but it is a heavier wood. Mutenye has a finer texture than amazaque and can be more decorative in figure because of its wavy grain. This wood's uses include turnery, flooring, furniture components and decorative veneer.

Mutenye differs from amazaque in looks in that its heartwood is pale yellowish brown to medium brown with a reddish cast and grey-black stripes. The sapwood is dull gray-yellow with a moderately fine and even texture. Its grain varies from straight to interlocked and occasionally it has gum pockets.

Mutenye's average height is 75 to 100 feet with irregular bole and trunk diameters averaging 3 feet in diameter. The working properties vary. While the wood is both hard and heavy, it is reported to work well with hand and machine tools.

Mutenye will season well under controlled conditions. Problems such as warping and checking will result when seasoned improperly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, recommends the following kiln schedule for mutenye: T3-C2 for 4/4 stock and T3-C1 for 8/4 stock. Movement in service is considered medium.

While amazaque, mozanbigue, ovangkol, mutenye and all the rest have earned a far-flung reputation around the world as a superior cabinetry wood that is similar to walnut, the wood is a "relative newcomer" to the United States market. Lorenz said he was one of the first to introduce it in the United States some 10 years ago, but adds that it has yet to become popular.