Sonokeling Wood for Furniture

Sonokeling (Dalbergia latifolia) and sono kembang (Pterocarpus indicus) are often called the Makasar ebony or Indian rosewood. Sonokeling is the Javanese name of the wood that is also used in the Indonesian woodworking business terminology. The tree is found a lot in the Indian subcontinent, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the southern tip of the peninsula, especially in the dry areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This plant lives well in areas with rainfall 750-5000 mm per year. He can live on a variety of soil types, but he lives best in deep soils and moist climates with good drainage. In Indonesia, the sonokeling trees grow wildly on the slopes of many mountains in Central Java and East Java in the area with an altitude of 600 m or above sea level. The tree is also planted in intercropping systems with a variety of horticulture trees such as rice fields, maize, cassava, or beans. Some people also plant this tree as a constituent at the agro forestry, mixed with fruitwood such as: mango, jackfruit, soursop, guava , etc.

 sonokeling wood

The sonokeling wood is a hard wood, strong, and durable; it has been used for various purposes. It has nice grain, strong character grain, but smooth texture. It has a dark brown base color with black purple strip, which is very beautiful. This wood is also durable and highly resistant to insect attack and decay fungi. The sap wood has a lighter color to whites to yellowish and vogue grain strip. 

The wood has been known as premium wood since a long time ago. It has been used to make many products. Many kinds of furniture, such as cabinets, tables, beds, etc., can be built with this wood, as well as other wood products, such as doors, floors, walls, or house frames. Its beautiful appearance, dark brown base color with black stripes, makes this wood have high value.

Model for sonokeling wood furniture. 

The sonokeling wood, which has “busy" appearances, is more suitable for furniture or wood products with simple models. Some carvings and ornaments can be used, but they should not be too much. Too many carvings or a too complex model could be contrary to its “busy appearance” from the natural wood motif. The simple forms or minimalist model of furniture with flat panels will maximize the beauty appearances of the wood to give the elegance, luxury, and expensive look product. Now, with the veneer technology, more variation can be produced. The sonokeling wood veneer can be arranged alone or in combination with other wood with special patterns to make products with an attractive appearance.

 high gloss finish for sonokeling

Finishing for sonokeling wood.

The sonokeling wood has a dark color with a beautiful appearance. The natural finish with clear coating applications without stains will give the nice look. The thin wood stain can still be used to make more life look, but too dark a stain should be avoided since it could cover and kill the wood beauty. This wood has soft pore and grain texture, then a close-pore finish can be made quite easily. The simple NC finishing system can be used to make nice wood-looking finish, but for high gloss finish, the PU or AC finishing system is more recommended to make a stronger finish layer.

We can make the antic finish with some physical distress and glaze application to make an old-looking finish. Too heavy an antique effect or glaze application should be avoided to maximize its natural beauty. Due to the wood's dark base color, there are not many options for the final finishing color. We cannot make the light finish with the wood. If the light finish color is wanted, then the process to whiten the wood (the bleaching process) is needed to kill his dark color base.