Name Purpleheart
Location Central & South America
Texture/Grain Fine/Open
Specific Gravity 0.57
Hardness Hard
Strength Very Strong
T/R Stability
4.1/3.2%

 

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3. Physical
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bullet To surf back and forth between a wood species in the Chart of Physical Properties and the same species in the Chart of Mechanical Properties, click on the name of the species.
bullet To enlarge a photo of a piece of wood, click on the photo.
 
Balsa– Central & South America
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Interlocked   Weight: 0.83 lb/bf, 160 kg/m3
 
Bocote – Central & South America
Texture: Medium    Grain: Partly Open    Pattern: Irregular & Interlocked    Weight: 2.87 lb/bf, 550 kg/m3
 
Bubinga – West Africa
Texture: Fine    Grain: Closed    Pattern: Irregular & Interlocked   Weight: 3.70 lb/bf, 710 kg/m3
 
Cocobolo – Central America
Texture: Medium    Grain: Partly Open    Pattern: Interlocked   Weight: 5.73 lb/bf, 1100 kg/m3
 
Ebony, Gaboon – Central Africa
Texture: Fine    Grain: Closed    Pattern: Straight & Irregular   Weight:  5.37 lb/bf, 1030 kg/m3
 
Goncolo Alves – South America
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open   Pattern: Irregular & Interlocked   Weight:  2.34 lb/bf, 840 kg/m3
 
Jelutong – Indonesia, Malaysia
Texture: Fine    Grain: Closed    Pattern: Straight   Weight: 1.88 lb/bf, 360 kg/m3
 
Lacewood – Europe, Australia
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight   Weight: 3.23 lb/bf, 620 kg/m3
 
Mahogany, African – West Africa – Western North America
Texture: Medium    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Interlocked    Weight: 2.19 lb/bf, 420 kg/m3
 
Mahogany, Honduran – Central America
Texture: Medium    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Interlocked   Weight: 2.34 lb/bf, 450 kg/m3
 
Mahogany, Philippine, Luaun – Indonesia, Malaysia
Texture: Medium    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Interlocked   Weight: 2.75 lb/bf, 540 kg/m3
 
Paduak – Western Africa, Indonesia
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight   Weight: 2.34 lb/bf, 720 kg/m3
 
Purpleheart – Central & South America– Western North America
Texture: Fine    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Wavy   Weight: 3.49 lb/bf, 570 kg/m3
 
Rosewood, Bolivian – South America
Texture: Fine    Grain: Closed    Pattern: Straight & Wavy   Weight: 4.17 lb/bf, 800 kg/m3
 
Rosewood, Honduran – Central America
Texture: Medium    Grain: Partly Closed    Pattern: Straight & Wavy    Weight:  5.00 lb/bf, 960 kg/m3
 
Rosewood, Indian – Southeast Asia
Texture: Medium    Grain: Partly Open    Pattern: Straight & Interlocked   Weight: 4.41 lb/bf, 850 kg/m3
 
Teak – Southeast Asia, Indonesia
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight & Wavy   Weight: 2.87 lb/bf, 550 kg/m3
 
Tulipwood – South America
Texture: Fine    Grain: Closed    Pattern: Straight & Irregular   Weight: 5.00 lb/bf, 960 kg/m3
 
Wenge – Central Africa
Texture: Coarse    Grain: Open    Pattern: Straight   Weight: 4.59 lb/bf, 880 kg/m3
 
Zebrawood – West Africa
Texture: Medium    Grain: Open    Pattern: Interlocked & Wavy   Weight: 3.86 lb/bf, 740 kg/m3
 

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 "Abundant to all the needs of man, how poor the world would be without wood."
Eric Sloane in Reverence for Wood

 

Wood and Woodworking Materials/Hardwoods and Softwoods/Physical Properties/World Woods,
part of the Workshop Companion, essential information about wood, woodwork, and woodworking
necessary to woodworkers and practitioners of the wood arts
to become competent craftsmen.
By Nick Engler.

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