Santa Maria Hardwood
(Calophyllum brasiliense)
Santa Maria’s beautiful heartwood can vary in tone from pink to red to purple, but is typically monochromatic. It is the wood of choice for many furniture builders in Central America due to its abundance and excellent workability. When finished, Maria displays a quality luster and grain pattern.
More about the species
Family: Clusiaceae
Scientific Name: Calophyllum brasiliense
Other Names: Jacareuba (Brazil, Argentina), Aceite Maria (Colombia), Guanandi, Calaba, Leche Maria, Alfaro
Workability: Santa Maria is regarded as an excellent hardwood for working by hand or machine.In the presence of interlocked grain, sharp cutting tools are recommended, however the blunting effect is slight. Screws and other fasteners hold effectively, and the grain responds well to gluing in joinery.
Drying: It is important to combine air and kiln drying knowledgeably with Calophyllum brasiliense to reduce defects. Kiln schedules T2-D4 and T2-D3 are recommended for 4/4 and 8/4 stock, respectively.
Durability: Santa Maria has good resistance to decay from fungi and dry-wood borers, but is moderately susceptible to termite attack. Thus, treatment and proper finishing are suggested. Santa Maria is not recommended for marine use.
Uses: Furniture, decorative mouldings, joinery, general construction, flooring, veneers, paneling, door and window frames.
Technical Data
Janka hardness: 1,150 lbs
Density: 641Kg/m3 or 0.65 g/m3
Bending strength: 14,640 psi
Modulous of elasticity: 1,800 (1,000 psi)
Tangential shrinkage: 8.0%
Radial shrinkage: 4.6%
* All values given at 12% moisture content.