Tropical wood · Tropical America
Roble, Encino wood
Roble, Encino (Quercus spp., family Fagaceae) is a tropical timber from tropical America. Dry, its Janka hardness is 1,600–3,200 lbf (7,117–14,234 N), and air-dry it weighs about 44–62 lb/ft³ (705–993 kg/m³). The figures are from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's Tropical Timbers of the World, pp. 265–266.
Other names, by country: Ahuatl, Cucharillo, Encino (Mexico), Roblecito (Guatemala), Encino negro (Honduras), Roble encino, Roble colorado (Costa Rica), Mamecillo (Panama), Roble, Roble amarillo (Colombia).
Key numbers
- Janka hardness, dry
- 1,600–3,200 lbf (7,117–14,234 N)
- As printed: “Janka side hardness for dry material ranges from 1,600 lb to 3,200 lb.”
- Air-dry density
- 44–62 lb/ft³ (705–993 kg/m³)
- Basic specific gravity
- 0.57–0.82 oven-dry weight, green volume
- As printed: “Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) varies with species from 0.57 to 0.82; air-dry density 44 to 62 pcf.”
- Shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 11.7% tangential
- Radial 6.4%, volumetric 18.5%
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 3 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 | 22,400 psi (154 MPa) | 2.96 million psi (20.4 GPa) | — |
| 12% MC | 16,400 psi (113 MPa) | 2.84 million psi (19.6 GPa) | — |
| 12% MC | 29,000 psi (200 MPa) | — | — |
A dash means the sheet prints no value; none is filled in.
What the data sheet says
- Color, grain and texture
- Heartwood yellowish-brown to reddish-brown; sapwood whitish to light brown. Grain is generally straight; texture coarse; luster usually low; without distinctive odor or taste when seasoned. Because of the broad rays, the wood is highly figured as in the temperate oaks but pores in radial or diagonal rows rather than ring-porous.
- Working properties
- Generally reported to be difficult to work, particularly the high density species. Tangential surfaces can be finished smoothly but there is a tendency to "tear-out" on radial surfaces.
- Durability
- Heartwood is reported to have a high natural durability; sapwood is prone to insect and fungal attack.
- Uses
- Flooring, railroad crossties, construction, mine timbers, tight cooperage, boat and ship construction, decorative veneer, and charcoal.
- Where it grows
- In tropical America from Mexico southward through Central America to Colombia. In the lower latitudes confined mostly to the high mountains.
Quoted from Tropical Timbers of the World, pp. 265–266, a USDA Forest Products Laboratory work in the public domain.
Work it out for your project
- Rank woods for flooring with the species picker
Weigh roble, Encino against other woods on hardness, weight, movement and color, every figure from the Wood Handbook.