Scientific Name
Pseudosamanea guachapele
Trade Name
Guachapele
Family Name
Leguminosae
Common Names
Cadeno, Frijolillo, Guachapele, Guachapeli, Guamarillo, Samanigua, Tabaca
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Columbia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela
Common Uses
Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boat building: framing, Boat building: planking, Building construction, Cabinetmaking, Construction, Crossties, Decorative veneer, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Mine timbers, Piling, Plywood, Railroad ties, Shipbuilding, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative
Environmental Profile
| Status unknown due to inadequate data | ||||||||||||
| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
Distribution Overview
The species occurs from Guatemala in Central America, southward to Venezuela and Ecuador in South America. It is usually found growing on dry sites, and regenerates in abandoned fields and pastures.
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange | ||||||||||||
| Pale brown | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow brown upon drying | ||||||||||||
| Brown – light orange |
Sapwood Color
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| White | ||||||||||||
| Well defined | ||||||||||||
| White to yellow | ||||||||||||
| Whitish |
Grain
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Roey (figure) |
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Figure shows spiral | ||||||||||||
| Roey figure |
Texture
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Medium to coarse | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium to very coarse |
Luster
| Lustrous |
Natural Durability
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Very good weathering properties | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood resistant to attack by white rot and brown rot fungi |
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast | ||||||||||||
| Dry at a moderate speed |
Drying Defects
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Discoloration | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Slight surface checking | ||||||||||||
| Slight twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Severe twisting/warping | ||||||||||||
| Moderate twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Moderate drying rates produce distortion and slight warping |
Ease of Drying
| Reconditioning Treatement | ||||||||||||
| Little degrade | ||||||||||||
| In relation to density shrinkage values are low | ||||||||||||
| Easy | ||||||||||||
| Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Air dries with moderate difficulty |
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is not buttressed | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
Guachepele trees are often planted as shade trees in coffee plantations.
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Boring
| Poor to very poor results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly easy to very easy |
Carving
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Easy to saw |
Gluing
| Easy to glue |
Mortising
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Moulding
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability – Medium Movement |
Planing
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Surfaces tend to be woolly | ||||||||||||
| Good planing properties |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is highly resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to machine |
Routing & Recessing
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Sanding
| Good sanding finish | ||||||||||||
| Easy to sand |
Turning
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Good results |
Veneering Qualities
| Suitable for slicing |
Steam Bending
| Fair to Good Results |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
Varnishing
| Fair to Good Results |
Strength Properties
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = low | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = very small | ||||||||||||
| Work to Maximum Load = very low | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = soft | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = small | ||||||||||||
| Resists denting and marring | ||||||||||||
| Heavy | ||||||||||||
| Density = high | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high |
Hardness (side grain) = medium
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 7679 | 10993 | psi |
| Density | 40 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 1027 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3963 | 6549 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1168 | 1240 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 127 | inch-lbs | |
| Work to Maximum Load | 5 | 7 | inch-lbs/in3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.54 | 0.58 | |
| Weight | 39 | 31 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 2 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 8 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 539 | 772 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 641 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 465 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 278 | 460 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 82 | 87 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 146 | cm-kg | |
| Work to Maximum Load | 0.35 | 0.49 | cm-kg/cm3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.54 | 0.58 | |
| Weight | 624 | 496 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 2 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 4 | % |
References
Berni, C.A., Bolza, E., Christensen, F.J.,1979,South American Timbers – The Characteristics, Properties and Uses of 190,Species,C.S.I.R.O Div. Building Research
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Demougeot, M.,1968,Finishing of Exotic Timbers containing aliphatic and resinous substances,in the Furniture Industry,Drevo,23(7,pp248-52
Dickinson, F.E.,1949,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 1,Tropical Woods,13(95,pp1-140
Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
Little, E.L.,1948,A Collection of Tree Specimens from Western Ecuador,Caribbean Forester,9(3,pp215-98
Timber Development Association Ltd.,1948,Notes on Ecuadorian Timbers,TRADA, Timber Information,35,pp5
Wangaard, F.F., Muschler, A.F.,1952,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 3,Tropical Woods,14(98, pp1-190
WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.