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Chico
The Tree: The sapodilla is a fairly slow-growing,
long-lived tree,
upright and elegant, distinctly pyramidal when young; to 60 ft
(18 m)
high in the open but reaching 100 ft (30 m) when crowded in a
forest. It is strong and wind-resistant, rich in white, gummy
latex.
The Wood: The heartwood of this tree is light to dark reddish
brown
and is distinct but not sharply distinct from the whitish or
pale brown
sapwood. The texture is fine and uniform with a straight grain
that is
occasionally wavy or interlocked. The timber is heavy, hard, and
dense, all contributors to the fact that it is wonderfully
durable.
Uses: The wood has been valued for furniture, flooring,
banisters, turnery, cabinetwork, and railway crossties.
The
heavy red wood is also very popular for specialty works such as
native carts, tool handles,
shuttles and rulers, boat frames,
billiard cues, violins, archer's bows and other bent work.
Other Facts: The wood is extremely durable and highly
resistant to rotting. For this reason it was used by the
ancient Maya for the thresholds of temples which have been
found intact in these ruins to this day! In general, the
sapodilla tree remains supremely healthy with little or no
care. Woodworkers might consider wearing a filtration
mask as the sawdust has been known to irritate the nostrils.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CHICO
|
Sapwood |
Pale walnut |
|
Heartwood |
Reddish walnut |
|
Grain
|
Interlocked |
|
Texture |
Medium to fine |
|
Odor
|
No characteristic odor or taste |
|
Natural Durability |
Very High |
|
Mechanical properties |
Very high |
|
Resistance to impregnation |
High |
|
Luster
|
Low |
|
Specific weight |
1.09 gr/cc3 |
|
Drying |
Slow |
|
Density |
High |
|
Dimensional stability |
Very high |
Chico
vloeren
|
|
Teak
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