Rick,
Check out this thread on another forum:
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/201757-local-wood-varieties/
Being a son of a joiner as well as a furniture and guitar maker myself I have quite a keen interest in the wood that is available here in Laos (same as Thailand).
After a while of just working and learning certain wood attributes I decided to use the internet and compile a 'comprehensive' list of commonly available timbers (some here aren't that common however!). Please correct my Lao to Thai if different.
Tree Latin Name: Pterocarpus indicus
Local Lao/Thai name: mai doo
Trade Name: Narra
Description: The local beauty wood used mainly for furniture, windows and doors but also used for instruments. An open grain with distinctive scent when working - relatively hard but termite resistant. Red-Orange in colour.
Tree Latin Name: Pterocarpus indicus
Local Lao/Thai name: mai doo fai
Trade Name: Rosewood
Description: Decorative and expensive wood mainly used for instruments and decorative items. Not available
Tree Latin Name: Xylia xylocarpa
Local Lao/Thai name: mai daeng
Trade Name: Pyinkado
Description: Even though a direct tranlation would work out as 'red wood' it isn't, neither is it rosewood. Pyinkado is actually the Burmese name trade name but it covers all wood in Lao and Thai. It is a VERY durable and tough wood which has twice the hardness of teak. Used for railway sleepers, piers and other sub-aqua purposes (15 years life untreated) also excellent flooring. With these properties it is also very heavy when green over 1000kg per Cu m also hard to work. Added to this it's a very decorative pinky red in colour.
Personally I am actually in the process of making a experimental guitar body with it - yes it's heavy but in theory it should have brillant resonance.
Tree Latin Name: Hopea Odorata
Local Lao/Thai name: Some people will call it mai khaen and others mai khaen hua
Trade name: Ceylon/Malabar Ironwood
Description: Malabar Ironwood - pretty much goes by it's name strong but light and durable timber resistant to termites (regardless of what the shops will tell you!). Used to make windows, doors, furniture, boats and roofing struts - well it's actually used for basically anything and everything. Sold in Laos as a 'cheap' alternative to mai doo. Easy to work particularly when green. Quite a bizarre wood when it comes to colour - fresh cut and keep out of sunlight it is a white wood, once exposed to sun it changes to a dark orange colour similar to mai doo.
A very good all-round wood however the lack of seasoning done over here ruins the potential of the wood. People think it's a weak or inferior wood due to working on when it hasn't been seasoned then when it shrinks and cracks due to being held in place they blame the timber!
Personally I've used it for decking supports, made hand rails from it and few bedside tables.
Tree Latin Name: Hopea ferrea
Local Lao/Thai name: mai khaen hin (don't confuse for cheaper Khaen Hua)
Trade name: Heavy Hopea (also Giam)
Description: One of my favourite timbers here but not as readily available was mai khaen. This very similar in attributes to Pyinkado, very heavy (1000+kg Cu M) and very strong. The best time to work this wood is when green when dried it is like cutting granite - even more so than pyinkado, jigsaw blades will bend - circular saws is the way. If you want strong arms then handsawing is the way to go! Unlike mai khaen it has very little shrinkage and cracking so working it when green is possible. As with pyinkado it's water and termite resistant. In terms of colour when cut it's a wonderful white colour with a yellow tinge. Used as a decking with rain it will turn a pale grey. Oh and it's resistant to staining . . i.e. it will just wash off in the rain as the wood is so dense the stain doesn't penetrate.
Personally I've used it for the main decking beams (10cm x 10cm) and used it was the decking panels.
As I noted above don't confuse this for the cheaper and lesser khaen hua the only real way of telling is by it's colour and if you have to identical size pieces khaen hin is heavier.
Tree Latin Name: Dipterocarpus alatus
Local Lao/Thai name: mai nhang
No trade name
Description: The stuff you don't want your house to be from - termites love it! Mainly used in as building materials and shuttering when moulding concrete pillar and beams etc. Due to being termites favourite food it's avoided for most things.
Tree Latin Name: Dalbergia cochinchinensis
Local Lao/Thai name: Mai Kha Nhoung
Trade name: Siam Rosewood
Description: As Rosewood above - there is numerous varities of rosewood the only difference between them is the colour of the wood.
Last and in no means least .. ..
Tree Latin Name: Tectona grandis
Local Lao/Thai name: Mai Sak
Trade name: Teak
Description: Well teak is teak! Pretty much everyone is aware of the qualities of teak, it's oily nature and use on boat decks.
Anyone for anymore? What have you been offered in your local timber yards? Let me know . .
This post has been edited by
technocracy: 2008-07-23 10:31
