Botanical name:
Khaya spp
Growth area:
Khaya grows in a very expansive area in
Africa, from Guinee in West Africa to Northern Zaire, South Sudan and Uganda in
the East. The Khaya wood from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroun often consists of
a mix of different Khaya species. The Khaya grandifoliola from Zaire is
exported as a pure species without mixing under the name Zaire Khaya.
Quality:
FAS
Colour of heartwood:
Khaya, when freshly sawn, has a
pink colour, maturing from pink-red to red brown.
Colour of sapwood:
Yellowish to light pink
Mass density:
1. (490-) 520 -530(-650) kg/m³ at 12% humidity rate. Fresh 700-850 kg/m³
2. (450-) 500 (-550) kg/m³ at 12% humidity, fresh 650
- 700 kg/m³
3. (450-) 670 (-800) kg/m³ at 12% humidity rate
4. (560-) 620-650-720(-800) kg/m³ at 12% humidity
rate.
5. (650-)740 (-950) kg/m³ at 12% humidity rate.
Grain:
Cross-grain or spiral grain
Fissure:
In order to prevent head-side fissure during
the drying process, it is sensible to seal the freshly sawn head ends of the
wet wood with a suitable product.
Warping:
When tension wood is present, there is a high
warping risk during the drying process.
Bio-substances:
The dust of Khaya anthotheca (WELW.) C.DC
may cause skin irritation to sensitive persons.
Mould and insects:
Mould soil contact 3; above soil
level 3. Termites G
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Durability grade:
Probably 2
Gluing:
Good
Machining:
In general, Khaya is easy to machine or
process manually, and does not have a blunting effect on the tools. The wood is
easy to saw, although the tension wood strips may cause some hairiness. The
presence of cross-grain generally does not stand in the way of obtaining a nice
smooth surface. Tear-out may arise on the radial surface sometimes. The
frequent growth tensions in the trunk may cause warping of timber cuts during
the processing.
KVT:
Khaya is listed in the KVT/'95, Quality of wooden
wall elements. This means that Khaya may serve to manufacture window and door frames
covered by a KOMO product certificate.
Dekker range:
Standard window and door frame sizes in
finger-jointed form.
General applications:
The wood is easy to process, with
attractive shades and allowing for fine finishing; it is quite similar to swietena
mahogany and may serve as its replacement in many cases. It is particularly
suitable for furniture, interior panelling and a wide range of fine carpenting,
sculpture and wood turning. It may also be applied in front wall panelling.
Furthermore, it is often used for the construction and panelling of light boats
such as luxury yachts. This wood is popular in the veneer and plywood board
industry, with the exception of Zaire Khaya, which is not suitable for peeled
veneer due to its unfavourable cutting and peeling properties. The attractively
veined or dappled pieces from nodules are processed into sliced veneer. The
wood is generally too soft for parquet floors. |
