Sengon Wood for Furniture

Sengon wood (Albazia falcataria) is considered a cheap wood but is used a lot in the woodworking industry. The sengon tree is fast-growing when it is planted in suitable climate areas. The sengon wood can be cut at age 10 to 15 years, much shorter than the other wood. For that reason, this wood is one of the favorites of tree farmers. The sengon wood can grow optimally in the tropical area at a level of 0 to 800 m above sea level, although it can still grow in higher places (1500 m above sea level).

The sengon wood is soft and does not have a good grain look, but it is light, durable, and resistant to insect attack. The Sengon wood is not liked by woodbugs but is still susceptible to termite attacks. But with the proper process and coating coat, the wood is safe from the insect problem. 

It can be screwed, nailed, or bored easily. It is a good substrate to be used as support material in the furniture manufacturers. In Indonesia, the sengon is a lot used to make the drawer box, the inner wall, bare core, filler, or support on the inside of a furniture product.
It can also be used as cores for a veneer to make plywood on the wide panels. It can be laminated as a core for a slice to replace the solid to make the wood look. It is light and easy to be handled so it can be a good alternative to replace the m.d.f. of particle board.

The physical properties of the sengon wood.
1. The density                                      :  0,2 to 1,28 Kg/ M
2. Resistant to the insect attacked    : high
3. Color                                                 : white to light red brown. 

The more about properties of sengon wood can be viewed in : Sifat-sifat kayu dan penggunaannya

Finishing for Sengon wood.

Even though it is considered cheap wood with no beautiful grain, sometimes it can also be used as the face part in the furniture product. It is also sliced to make plywood and veneer. With the proper finish, it still can show a "wood look," which is still better option than the m.d.f. or particle board. But it needs a proper finishing according to its natural character to get the "good" wood look. The finishing for sengon wood is quite difficult since it has a soft and vogue veneer character. To get a good result, you need to understand the wood character and choose the proper process and material.

The dark brown or light brown transparent finish is the most used for this wood. It has a light color, so actually it can be stained and colored to make any color.  The open pores clean and simple finish or antique-looking finish is mostly found. The high gloss, full-closed finish is almost never applied for this wood. It does not have good grain to be performed in the high gloss finish. The solid color can also be applied for this wood. The solid color in many colors with a simple or antique look is also a good option for this wood.

Sengon wood is a soft and porous wood; it will absorb a lot of finishing materials, so we better use the high solid content clear coat. The water-based coating, PU or AC, is better alternative than the NC clear coating. The stain application also should be done carefully. It has high porosity; "too wet stain application" tends to make the dark and blotchy color since its high absorption. The application by brushed, wiping, or even wet spray should be avoided. The stain should be applied by medium-wet spray to avoid the risk of blotchy color. The thick wood stain also should be avoided since it poses a risk to the blotchy and uneven color. The light stain is the best choice since it minimizes the risk of the blotchy color. If necessary, you can spray wood stain with more layers to make the dark color.
The sengon wood is also relatively difficult to be sanded. It is soft and has a lot of wood fibers. The wood tends to bind and attach to the sandpaper and blunt the sandpaper. To get a good result, the sanding process must be done correctly. Use the sandpaper from the low grade to the high grade sequentially to make the effective sanding. Replace the sandpaper when it is already blunt or filled with the wood fibers. The glue sizing or sealer sizing is also a good option to better prepare for this wood. An application of sealer or glue will help to raise and stiffen the wood fibers and make them easy to cut off in the sanding process. It will help the sanding process to make a smooth and even surface.