Trade Names
Figured Etimoe
Similar Woods
Bubinga, Cupay, Anzem
Origin
Africa
Range
West Africa from Guinea through Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana to Nigeria, lower tropical rain forests.
Uses
Sliced veneer for faces and as rotary veneer for plywood production, furniture, paneling and parquet flooring. Hardly known in furniture production in Central Europe. Popular decoration wood in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy).
Properties
The color is reddish-brown with darker color zones. The grain is often interlocked with frequent figuring in the surface. The heartwood is durable and resistant to insect attack.
Machining
Working is not made particularly difficult by the resin content. However, carbide-tipped tools should be used.
Seasoning
Drying must be carried out very slowly and carefully to prevent inner tension.
Finishing
The wood permits good surface treatment including polishing. However, the wood must be pretreated to remove the resin.
Jointing
Surfaces with the resin removed present no difficulties. Pre-drilling screw joints is of advantage to prevent splitting.