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CAMBARA Scientific Name: Erisma unicinatum Growth and Distribution: Cambara is found throughout tropical central and South America from southern Mexico to Peru, but is most abundant in the Guyanas and Brazil. It grows in pure stands on abandoned farms, but fare best on coastal plains and waterways. The trees commonly grow to 100ft in height with diameters of 24 inches, however trees up to 190 ft. and diameters up to 6 ft. have been reported. Wood Appearance: Cambara heartwood is renowned for its beautiful, consistent pink, to pinkish- or golden- brown coloring. The luster ranges from medium to high, the texture is moderately coarse and its consistently straight grain is slightly to highly interlocked and knot free. These characteristics of Cambara produce classic, even-toned decking. Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) varies with species from 0.37 to 0.57, averaging at about 0.40. Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)
Hardness: Cambara's Janka side hardness at 12% moisture content ranges from 530 to 680 lb. The Forest Products Laboratory toughness average for green and dry wood is 97 in-lb. for a 5/8in specimen. Drying and Shrinkage: Air-drying rates range from slow to rapid, and during the process Cambara is prone to warp, with some checking, and collapse of thick stock. To minimize degradation, we suggest quartersawing. For kiln drying schedules T1-D4 for 4/4 stock and T2-D3 for 8/4 will produce the best drying results. During the transition from green to oven-dry, Cambara exhibits 3.2% radial shrinkage, 10.8% tangential shrinkage and 13.0% volumetric shrinkage. Working Properties: The wood is easily worked by either hand or machine tools, and polishes to a good finish. However, the wood may blunt cutting edges. Please see our installation guidelines for tips on working with Cambara. Durability: Cambara naturally resists both insects and decay making it a good choice for decking. This natural resistance will add to the longevity of any deck. Preservation: While finishes and stains are not advisable for Cambara, we do recommend a product called Messmers UV Plus, which contains UV inhibitors that maintain the fresh appearance of your Cambara deck. Messmers should be applied to Cambara boards once before installation, and again once a year to the finished deck to preserve its beauty. Installation Instructions: For instructions on installing your Cambara deck, please refer to our Cambara installation page for guidelines. "One Deck at a Time" TM: To learn more about this decking program from Thompson Mahogany Company for distributors and retailers, see our One Deck at a Time page. Sources: 1)Tropical Timbers of the World. Forest Products National Laboratory, Madison WI, September, 1984. US Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service. 2)Information provided by Thompson Mahogany Company. |
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Thompson Mahogany Company
Office: 7400 Edmund St Philadelphia PA, 19136 Warehouse: 225 Lincoln Highway Fairless Hills, PA 19030 Phone:800-589-6637 Fax:215-269-7354 www.thomahog.com |