Assumed, Wood Working Properties & Specifications

Grevillea robusta

Silky-Oak

Grevillea

Family: Proteaceae

Other Common Names: Southern silky-oak (Australia), Kawilia (Tanganyika), Lacewood (United States).

Distribution: Native to eastern Australia but planted extensively as a shade tree for coffee and tea plantations and as an ornamental in tropical and subtropical regions.

The Tree: Forest-grown trees may reach a height of 150 ft with a trunk diameter of 4 ft. In plantations, boles usually 30 ft in length with diameter of about 2 ft.

The Wood:
General Characteristics: Heartwood pale pinkish brown becoming yellow brown on exposure; sapwood cream colored, moderately well defined. Texture medium to coarse grain straight to wavy; lustrous; because of large rays, figure is prominent on quartered faces. Some people develop skin rash when working green or dry wood.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.51; air-dry density 38 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)
Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength
(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)
12% (6) 13,400 NA NA
12%(59) 8,460 1,110 5,060
Janka side hardness 840 lb for dry material. Forest Products Laboratory toughness 95 in.-lb at 12% moisture content (5/8-in. specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: The wood seasons well in 4/4 stock but thicker material requires slow air drying followed by a mild kiln schedule to avoid honeycombing. Kiln schedule T3-C2 is suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-C1 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to ovendry; radial 2.7%; tangential 7.7%.

Working Properties: The wood works well with hand and machine tools and dresses smoothly; has been rated very high in all-around machinability.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as moderately resistant to attack by decay fungi and termites; sapwood is perishable.

Preservation: Heartwood is treatable by open tank and pressure-vacuum systems; absorptions of creosote are about 8 to 20 pcf respectively.

Uses: Joinery, furniture, parquet flooring, decorative veneers, turnery, light construction work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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