Tropical wood · Tropical America
Caimito wood
Caimito (Cynodendron spp., family Sapotaceae) is a tropical timber from tropical America. Air-dry, it weighs about 50–70 lb/ft³ (801–1,121 kg/m³). The figures are from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Tropical Timbers of the World, pp. 109–110.
Other names, by country: Caimitillo, Lechecillo (Puerto Rico), Canela (Mexico), Caimito morado (Venezuela), Kokoritiballi (Guyana), Balata blanca (Peru), Massaranduba-rana (Brazil), Aguay, Carne de Vaca (Argentina).
Key numbers
- Janka hardness, dry
- Not printed
- Air-dry density
- 50–70 lb/ft³ (801–1,121 kg/m³)
- Basic specific gravity
- 0.60–0.90 oven-dry weight, green volume
- As printed: “Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) mostly from 0.60 to 0.90; air-dry density 50 to 70 pcf.”
- Shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 8.6% tangential
- Radial 6.4%, volumetric 15.2%
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, 1979 edition), the only published source read for this wood
Strength
Bending strength is the modulus of rupture (MOR); stiffness is the modulus of elasticity (MOE); crushing strength is compression parallel to the grain. The sheet collects these from published tests: it prints 2 data sets, from different tests and sources, so they can differ widely; all are shown, in the sheet's order, each at the moisture content printed beside it, never restated as 12%.
| Moisture | Bending strength (MOR) | Stiffness (MOE) | Crushing strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12% MC | 20,000 psi (138 MPa) | — | 11,500 psi (79 MPa) |
| 12% MC | 23,200 psi (160 MPa) | 3.3 million psi (22.8 GPa) | 12,600 psi (87 MPa) |
A dash means the sheet prints no value; none is filled in.
What the data sheet says
- Color, grain and texture
- Heartwood variable in color from pale brown or pinkish to rather dark brown, with gradual transition to the sapwood. Luster rather low to medium; texture fine to medium; grain fairly straight; odor and taste absent or not distinctive. A silica content of over 0.84% is reported (C. maytenoides).
- Working properties
- A notably hard and abrasive wood that requires wear-resistant cutters for satisfactory machining; can be finished smoothly.
- Durability
- The Venezuelan species are reported to be vulnerable to attack by decay fungi as well as termites.
- Uses
- General construction, carpentry, furniture, and turnery. C. cainito is favored for its edible fruit.
- Where it grows
- Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions with various species found in southern Mexico to Misiones, Argentina.
Quoted from Tropical Timbers of the World, pp. 109–110, a USDA Forest Products Laboratory work in the public domain.
Work it out for your project
- Rank woods for furniture with the species picker
Weigh caimito against other woods on hardness, weight, movement and color, every figure from the Wood Handbook.