Trade Names
Sucupira, Supupira, Coeur Dehors
Latin Names
Bowdichia ssp
Origin
South America
Range
Primarily in Brazil but also in the northern parts of South America, Venezuela and Guayana.
Uses
Sliced veneer, engineering and construction lumber for all interior and exterior applications, windows, doors, parquet ooring, furniture. Of no great significance in Europe.
Properties
The heartwood is red to brown-red with light yellow lines. It is most resistant to fungi, insect attack and the weather. The wood is hard, heavy, tough and dense.
Machining
Sucupira is not easy to work due to its extreme hardness and its frequently irregular or interlocked grain. To be recommended are carbide-tipped tools. The wood splits down the edges at too high a feed speed.
Seasoning
Sucupira must not be dried too quickly because it is very prone to checking and warping. Too high temperatures cause surface checking and even case hardening.
Finishing
Surface treatment of Sucupira presents no difficulties. Cleanly machined surfaces can be polished well.
Jointing
Joints are easy to produce with glue, screws and nails and are of normal tensile strength.