OBECHE
BOTANICAL NAME: Triplochiton scleroxylon of the family Sterculiaceae

COMMON NAMES: The most common alternate name in the USA is samba.

Other names include abachi, abachi, african bush maple, african maple wood, african maple, african whitewood, ajuss, arare, arere, ayos, ayous (Cameroon), ayous, ayus, bado, bamba, batobus, bush maple, cofa, egin-fifen, ejoung, ejuong, ewowo, gha, ghana obeche, hafa, hofa, kofa, kpa, larana whitewood, lomangene, m'bado, nkom, obechi, obeke, ofa, okpa, okpo, otrotso, oua-oua, ouesse, owawa, owowa, pataboa, sam, sama, samba gris, samba ou ayous, samba, samba-ayous, sankamba, satinwood, serama, soft satinwood, wana, wawa arera, wawa, and white mahogany.

TYPE: hardwood

COLOR: heartwood is a whitish yellow, also described as a pale straw color. Sapwood is pretty much the same as is not well distinguished from the heartwood and is reported to be up to 6" thick although most reports say it as thinner than that. Color sometimes verges on white or a VERY pale yellow. Some reports indicate a possible brownish tint but I have never experienced that.

GRAIN: interlocked, sometimes producing a slight striped figure on quartersawn faces.

TEXTURE: coarse to moderate and generally even. Some reports say texture can be fine but that is not my experience.

PROPERTIES / WORKABILITY: Very soft, weak wood, very easy to work with hand and power tools. Almost no blunting effect on cutters. Nails easily, but has poor holding characteristics for both screws and nails because it is so soft (one report say nail holding is fair, but based on my experience, I doubt that). Takes glue well and in fact most reports say that gluing is preferably to nailing and screwing. All cutting operations require sharp tools to avoid fuzzing of surface grain and/or crushing of end grain. Sands VERY easily and with power sanders care is required to avoid oversanding. Carves easily.

DURABILITY: Reports are all over the map on durability but the general consensus is towards the very non-durable. Specific reports say it is susceptible to attack by pinhole borers, longhorn beetles and sap stain fungi and that a die-back fungus, Botryodiplodia theobromae, which reduces most mechanical properties, is sometimes present in this species. Prompt removal of logs from the forest, as well as conversion is essential since the species is susceptible to insect and fungi attack. The sapwood is prone to powder-post beetle attack.

FINISH: General finishing quality is rated as good, but it requires a filler to bring to a high grade finish.

STABILITY: movement in service is very low

BENDING: moderate to poor steam bending characteristics

ODOR: There is usually an unpleasant odor when freshly cut, but the smell disappears after the wood is seasoned.

SOURCES: This African wood grows in Cameroon, Central african republic, Congo, Equatorial guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra leone, South africa, and Zaire.

USES: Because of its very light weight it is used in model-building, especially model airplanes in cases where balsawood is too weak. It is also used extensively used where durability and strength are unimportant, such as drawer slides, interior rails, cabinet framing. Various reports have listed all of the following as uses for obeche: artificial limbs, bedroom suites, bent parts, blockboard, boat building (general), boat building, boxes and crates, building materials, cabinetmaking, canoes, carvings, casks, chairs, chests, concrete formwork, cutting surfaces, decorative plywood, decorative veneer, desks, dining-room furniture, drawer sides, excelsior, fiberboard, figured veneer, fine furniture, food containers, fuelwood, furniture components, furniture squares or stock, furniture, hatracks, interior construction, interior trim, joinery, kitchen cabinets, lifeboats, light construction, living-room suites, marquetry, millwork, model airplanes, moldings, musical instruments, musical instruments: piano, office furniture, packing cases, particle board, particleboard, patternmaking, plywood corestock, plywood, pulp/paper products, radio - stereo - tv cabinets, radio, rustic furniture, shingles, shipbuilding, stereo, stools, tables, tool handles, turnery, tv cabinets, utility furniture, vehicle parts, veneer, wardrobes,

TREE: The trees are very tall and slim, reaching heights of 150 to 180 feet with cylindrical boles that have a diameter of 36 to 60 inches with large buttresses that may reach up to 20 ft up the trunk. Said to grow mostly along waterways and on abandoned farms in the transition zone between the humid evergreen and semideciduous forests. Brittleheart is frequently present in large logs.

WEIGHT: VERY light --- 24 pounds per cubic foot (some reports say 15 to 30)

DRYING: Dries very rapidly and with little or no degrade (but a slight warp may occur). All reports mention the importance of allowing good air circulation during drying.

AVAILABILITY: Reported is readily available in both veneer and lumber forms but I've not seen it in veneer. The timber is usually available in large sizes which allows it to be used for the mass production of cabinets and kitchen furniture.

COST: inexpensive

Hobbit Notes:

Some reports say that obeche is comparable to basswood in texture but I find it to be noticibly more grainy and open-pore.

Some reports indicate that the dust may aggravate hayfever and asthma and also may cause conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Liable to blue stain if in contact with iron compounds in moist conditions.

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