Nyatoh Wood for Woodworking Industry

Nyatoh wood (Palaquium spp.) is widely known in Indonesia. There are about 48 species of Nyatoh tree, with the distribution area in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. The tree grows in low land at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level. It has medium hardness and good properties for the woodworking industry; gluing, drilling, machining, and other processing.

The wood is used for many purposes. The wood has nice grain, moderately fine texture, but fairly strong character in the term of grain pattern. It has varied base color from the light brown at the sapwood to the read purple at the heartwood, with some dark strip at the grain. The wood pores are quietly deep but small. The wood is utilized for wood for many purposes: for wood construction, plywood, flooring, panel boards, decking, indoor furniture, wood house, house frame, doors, windows, and craft paper. In the furniture maker, it is a good choice to substitute the mahogany. It has similar properties as mahogany but with cheaper price.

nyatoh wood

The physical properties of the Nyatoh wood

• Has a Smooth Texture

Nyatoh wood has a smooth texture and slippery character that make it comfortable when it is touched. However, there are some parts of the wood that have a rougher texture. Even so, this wood is very suitable as raw material for making household product and furniture

• Straight grain pattern

Nyatoh wood also has straight grain pattern. Its grain pattern may not be as strong as mahogany or teak wood, but the wood have a special beauty with straight grain and pores With proper process and finishing, the wood can perform his nice look that many people like.

• Bright brown base color

Nyatoh wood has a natural, bright brown color that is loved by many people. If needed, the wood can be stained and finished to form any darker color. The wood will give it a nice look with simple finishing process.

• Medium hardness

The wood has medium hardness, making it quite easy to be processed. The wood can be cut, formed, and shaped with less problem. It also has good sanding properties, which means it can be sanded with standard process without any big problem. 

• Durability level

Nyatoh wood is considered a medium wood in durability. The wood is not suitable to be used as material for products for heavy duty. It is not recommended for outdoor use products such as exterior furniture, fences, flooring, etc. The wood is also not recommended for construction because of the strength and the price consideration.

• The drying process

The drying process of the wood must be done carefully to avoid cracks and bending. The chemical treatment is also recommended during its drying process to avoid problems with insects in the future. The wood should be dipped with the chemical preservative to minimize the risk of insect attack.

The physical data for the Nyatoh wood can be seen at the table below

Average Dried Weight    (Basic, 12% MC)             : 39 lbs/ft3 (620 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity                                                      : 53, 62

Janka Hardness                                                      : 1,070 lbf (4,760 N)

Modulus of Rupture                                                : 13,920 lbf/in2 (96.0 MPa)

Elastic Modulus                                                      : 1,939,000 lbf/in2 (13.37 GPa)

Crushing Strength                                                   : 7.890 lbf/in2 (54.4 MPa)

Shrinkage                                                               : Radial: 3.2%, Tangential: 5.5%, 

Volumetric shrinkage                                               : 8.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

the data is taken from : the wood database

Finishing for Nyatoh wood.

The wood has good properties according to the finishing process. It can easily absorb and accept the finishing material applied to it. All types of finishing materials can be applied without any problem. The wood also has an attractive appearance. The transparent finish can be applied to generate the nice wood look. It can be stained to make any color to make the dark brown or light brown color to imitate the mahogany or teak wood color.