MEDIUM HARDWOOD

KAPUR (Dryobalanops spp.)      

Weight: 753 kgs. per cu. metre    Strength Group: B      

General Description: Sapwood is well defined and pale coloured. The heartwood is red-brown when freshly cut, weathering to a light red-brown. It has no lustre or figure. Ripple marks are often distinct. The grain is slightly interlocked or spiral and texture is coarse and even. Resin canals usually without contents occur characteristically in concentric lines on the end surface but the wood is not resinous. It often has a camphor-like odour.    

Principal Uses: House posts, beams, posts, joists, door and window frames, flooring, stair treads and stringers, keels, keelson ribs and framework of boats, carriages and wagon frames, lorry and truck frames, floor boards, etc. However, in domestic flooring and internal fittings where finished appearance is important, care should be taken in fixing because of a tendency to develop an unsightly black stain in contact with iron nails, screws or other fittings.

Veneering: The timber is considered as potentially acceptable for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: Indonesia (Kapur), Sabah (Kapur), Sarawak (Kapur) 

KERUING (Dipterocarpus spp.)      

Weight: 801 kgs. per cu. metre     Strength Group: B    

General Description: Sapwood is well defined and grey-brown in colour. The heartwood is red-brown or purple-red, weathering to a dark red-brown. Surface dull and often tacky. Grain almost straight: texture moderately coarse and even. It has a faint resinous odour. Resin exudation may occur in inadequately seasoned wood of some species.    

Principal Uses: Heavy construction, posts, beams, joists, rafters, staircase stringers, wharf and bridge decking, keels and framework of boats, framework of carriages and wagons, wagon flooring, truck body work, fence posts, flooring etc. It is one of the preferred timbers in England for gymnasium equipment. Treated with preservatives preferably with creosote, it is an excellent wood for salt water piling, harbour works, bridges, railway sleepers, telegraph poles and power-line poles. Abundant supply is one of the best features of this wood.

Veneering: A trial on D. cornutus shows that is potentially acceptable for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: Burma (In, Kayin), India (Eng, Gurjun, Hollong), Indochina (Cho-nau, Dau), Indonesia (Keruing), Philippines (Apitong), Sabah (Keruing), Sarawak (Keruing), Sri Lanka (Hora), Thailand (Pluang, Yang, Heng, Hieng)

Kiln Drying Schedule: D

KELAT (Eugenia spp.)      

Weight: 801 kgs. per cu. metre   Strength Group: B    

General Description: Sapwood is slightly lighter coloured than heartwood but not well defined. Heartwood is grey-brown or red-brown when fresh, weathering to a darker shade. Surface is dull and it has no figure. The grain is interlocked and texture moderately fine and even.    

Principal Uses: Posts, beams, joists, rafters and medium heavy structures, sleepers for tramways and light railways, framework of trucks and lorries, fence posts, etc. It is a popular timber in the Philippines where it is used for ship-building, bridges, wharves, piles, posts, beams, rafters, flooring, door and window frames and sills, agricultural implements, tool handles, musical instruments such as the bases of harps and necks of guitars, etc. In Malaysia, it is used mostly in pole sizes for house posts.

Veneering: The timber of E. Syzygioides is considered potentially acceptable for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: Burma (Thabye), Sri Lanka (Batadomba, Madan), India (Jaman), Indochina (Sang, Tram), Philippines (Binolan, Makassim, Marlig), Sabah (Obah), Sarawak (Obah), Thailand (Dangkhao, Mao, Wa)

Kiln Drying Schedule: E 

KELEDANG (Artocarpus spp.)     

Weight: 801 kgs. per cu. metre Strength Group: B      General Description: Sapwood is straw-coloured and well defined. Heartwood is orange-brown or olive-brown, weathering to a walnut brown. Surface moderately lustrous. The grain is very interlocked giving rise to stripe figure. The texture is moderately coarse and even.      Principal Uses: Beams, posts, joists, rafters, door and window frames and sills, stair treads and stringers, decorative work, parquet flooring, panelling, joinery, cabinet-making, hulls, decking, masts, spars, cabin fittings, and framework of boats, bowls, platters, trays, wine casks, butter churns, cooked food containers, T-squares, straight edges, set squares, tripods, rulers, fancy boxes and chests, police batons, wheel hubs, spools, bobbing, veneers, plywood and expensive hewn coffins. Veneering: Not suitable with A. LancelfoliusOther Equivalents: Burma (Myauklok, Taungpeinne), India (Chaplash, Lakooch), Indochina (Mit), Indonesia (Keledang), Philippines (Anubing), Sabah (Anjaburi, Buruni), Sarawak (Selangking), Sri Lanka (Del, Jak kanangonna), Thailand (Ma-hat, kha-num pan) 

KEMPAS (Koompassia Malaccensis)      

Weight: 881 kgs. per cu. metre Strength Group: A     General Description: Sapwood is well defined and yellow in colour. Heartwood is brick-red streaked with yellow-brown lines, weathering to an orange-red colour. Surface is moderately lustrous, and ripple marks are mostly present. The grain is interlocked giving rise to faint stripe figure. The texture is coarse and even.     Principal Uses:Treated with preservatives, Kempas is suitable for all heavy construction, railway sleepers, telegraph and power line poles, fence posts, etc. The untreated timber is suitable for all structures under cover where termites are not a hazard, including posts, beams, joists, rafters, etc. It is a very attractive timber for parquet flooring but some manufacturers consider it too hard to machine. It makes good walking sticks and is a favourite wood for charcoal manufacture. Veneering: Not generally suitable because of its hardness and conversion difficulties unless preheating is employed.Other Equivalents: Indonesia (Kempas), Sabah (Impas), Sarawak (Impas, Kempas, Mengris) 

KASAI (Pometia spp.)     

Weight: 801 kgs. per cu. metre     Strength Group: C    

General Description: Sapwood is well defined in P. pinnata but not so well defined in others. Heartwood is light red-brown in colour when fresh, weathering to a darker shade. Surface is moderately lustrous. The grain is interlocked giving rise to vague ribbon figure. The texture is moderately coarse and even.     

Principal Uses: Beams, posts, joists, rafters, door and window frames and sills, kitchen furniture, boat framing, masts, spars, police batons, spools, bobbins, tripods, gymnasium equipment, minor tool handles, plywood, etc, athletic goods and bentwood work.

Veneering: na

Other Equivalents: Indochina (Truong), Indonesia (Kesai), Philippines (Malugai), Sabah (Kasai), Sarawak (Kasai) 

KULIM (Scorodacarpus borneensis)     

Weight: 833 kgs. per cu. metre     Strength Group: B    

General Description: Sapwood light coloured and only moderately sharply defined. The heartwood is purple-brown, weathering to dark brown in colour. The surface is dull. The grain is interlocked occasionally producing a strip figure. The texture is moderately fine and even. It has a very strong, garlic-like odour when freshly cut but this fades during seasoning.     

Principal Uses: Posts, beams, joists, rafters, door and window frames and sills, bridges, salt water piling, keels and framework of boats, railway sleepers, fence posts, etc.

Veneering: Has not been tried.

Other Equivalents: Sabah (Bawang hutan), Sarawak (Bawang hutan), Thailand (Kulim) 

MATA ULAT (Kokoona littoralis)     

Weight: 880 kgs. per cu. metre     Strength Group: A    

General Description: Sapwood is not well defined. Colour of heartwood yellow-brown with a pink tinge (some individuals with a distinctly defined, rose coloured core). Planed surface fairly lustrous. Fine streaks on radial surface and decorative zig-zag markings on tangential surface. Texture very fine and even. Grain shallowly interlocked.    

Principal Uses: Beams, joists, posts, rafters, door and window frames, panelling and flooring.

Veneering: Preliminary trials indicate that this timber cannot be recommended as a source of material for plywood production.

Other Equivalents: Indonesia (Perupok), Sabah (Perupok), Sarawak (Perupok)

Kiln Drying Schedule: C 

MENGKULANG (Tarrietia spp.)     

Weight: 753 kgs. per cu. metre    Strength Group: B    

General Description: Sapwood is well defined. The heartwood is red-brown, weathering to a darker colour. Surface is moderately lustrous. The grain is almost straight or only shallowly interlocked and texture is coarse and even.    

Principal Uses: Decorative work, superior joinery, furniture, panelling, parquet flooring, show cases, counter tops, office fittings, door and window frames, stair treads and stringers, ship and boat framing, planking, decking, railings, coach work, sliced veneers, rotary-cut veneer, plywood etc.

Veneering: This timber peels very well and glues satisfactorily and is highly suitable for veneer and plywood making. It is an established species for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: West Africa (Nkom, Niangon, Nyankom), Burma (Kanzo), Indochina (Huynh), Indonesia (Mengkulang), Philippines (Lumbayan), Sabah (Kembang), Sarawak (Mengkulang), Thailand (Chumprak)

Kiln Drying Schedule: D 

RENGAS (Gluta spp, Melanochyla spp.)    

Weight: 833 kgs. per cu. metre     Strength Group: B    

General Description: Sapwood is well defined and often very wide. Heartwood is of blood-red colour and attractively streaked. The surface is lustrous. The grain is interlocked and texture is moderately coarse and even.    

Principal Uses: Decorative work, superior joinery, panelling, cabinet-making, wardrobes, fancy boxes, picture frames, trays, fancy handles, joiners' wood planes, walking sticks paper sticks, paper weights, turnery, rotary veneer, etc. It is the favourite wood for weighing scales (dachings). Rengas contains a sap which is poisonous to some people and, therefore, it is not safe to use it for articles that come in constant contact with the human body.

Veneering: The timber of Melanorrhoen spp. is considered potentially acceptable for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: Burma (Burma gluta, Chay, Thitsi, Thayat thitsi), India (Gluta, Thitsi), Indochina (Son), Indonesia (Rengas), Phlippines (Lingas), Sabah (Rengas), Sarawak (Rengas), Sri Lanka (Badulla), Thailand (Rak) 

SIMPOH (Dillenia spp.)     

Weight: 737 kgs. per cu. metre   Strength Group: C    

General Description: Sapwood is not well defined. Heartwood is red-brown or purple-brown. The surface when freshly planed is fairly lustrous and radial surfaces have a faint silver figure. The grain is twisted or interlocked or rarely straight and texture moderately coarse and even.    

Principal Uses: Posts, beams, joins, rafters, door and window frames and sills, stair treads and stringers, flooring, ceilings, frames and bottom boards of boats, oars, sliced veneers, etc. If quarter-sawn, Simpoh has an attractive silver figure and is very suitable for panelling, furniture, parquet flooring, fancy boxes and other decorative work.

Veneering: Peels easily and considered potentially acceptable for plywood manufacture.

Other Equivalents: Burma (Thabyu), India (Dillenia), Indochina (So), Philippines (Katmon), Sabah (Simpor, Simpoh), Sarawak (Simpoh), Sri Lanka (Godapura), Thailand (San, San-na, Tamasi)

Kiln Drying Schedule: E 

TUALANG (Koompassia excelsa)    

Weight: 833 kgs. per cu. metre    Strength Group: A    

General Description: Sapwood is well defined. The heartwood is dark red-brown in colour when fresh, weathering to a dark brown. Surface not particularly lustrous. Ripple marks often clear. The grain is deeply interlocked giving rise to stripe figure and texture is coarse and even.    

Principal Uses: Posts, beams, joists, rafters, parquet flooring, panelling, furniture, walking sticks, office and shop fittings, rotary veneer, plywood, etc. Treated with preservatives, it makes good railway sleepers and it is suitable for all heavy construction.

Other Equivalents: Indonesia (Tualang), Philippines (Manggis, Ginoo), Sabah (Raja kayu, Mengaris), Sarawak (Tapang), Thailand (Yuan)

Kiln Drying Schedule: E