Ovangkol

Ovangkol (Guibourtia ehie)

Common Name(s): Amazique, Amazoue, Mozambique, Ovangkol, Shedua

Scientific Name: Guibourtia ehie

Distribution: Tropical west Africa

Tree Size: 100-150 ft (30-45 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 53 lbs/ft³ (845 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .67

Hardness: 1,330 lb_f (5,900 N)

Rupture Strength: 18,200 lb_f/in² (125,520 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 2,423,000 lb_f/in² (16,710 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,630 lb_f/in² (59.5 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.5%, Tangential: 8.2%, Volumetric: 11.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.8

Color/Appearance: Varying shades of yellowish to reddish brown body with darker brown, gray, or black stripes. Sapwood is a pale yellow. Commonly seen with a curly or rippled grain pattern.

Grain/Pore: Medium pores with a medium texture. Grain is usually straight or slightly interlocked.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; deposits occasionally present; growth rings distinct due to marginal parenchyma and slight decrease in pore frequency near growth ring borders; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma vasicentric, aliform (lozenge), and confluent.

Durability: Rated as moderately durable, with good resistance to insect attack.

Workability: Overall a fairly easy wood to work, though Ovangkol contains silica and can therefore dull cutters prematurely. Also, if the grain is interlocked, or if there is other figure present in the wood, planing and other machining operations may be troublesome and cause tearout. Turns, glues and finishes well.

Scent: Ovangkol is reported to have a strong unpleasant odor when wet, which disappears once the wood has dried.

Safety: There have been no adverse health effects associated with Ovangkol. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Somewhat expensive, but not on the extreme end. Likely to be just a bit more than other mid-range priced imports such as Bloodwood or Chechen. Though if strong figure is present—such as curl—the price is likely to be much higher.

Comments: This wood species perhaps wins the award for the most commonly-used aliases. While most woods go by only one or two common names, with other names being much less common, Ovangkol also goes by the names: Amazique, Amazoue, Mozambique, and Shedua.

Some common uses for Ovangkol include: veneer, furniture, cabinetry, turned objects, musical instruments, and flooring.