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| Red Laurel | Amber Madera | Cocobolo | Ipe |
Red Laurel:
The heartwood is reddish brown while the sapwood is slightly lighter in color with a grain
straight to interlocking having a striped or ribbon-like appearance. Its grain gives it a
mahogany-like look but is much heavier. The wood is very strong and elastic. It's somewhat
easy to saw and work using hand tools and fairly easy to plane. It is excellent for turning,
mortising, boring, molding and sanding; however, nailing the wood without boring holes first
can be difficult and is not recommended. The wood is capable of producing an excellent finish
after at least three layers of sealer is applied due to the size of its pores. Because of the
wood's natural beauty a transparent finish is advised.
Red Laurel is a very durable wood
that is resistant to decay, funguses and termites in hot humid conditions without treatment.
For this reason it is well suited for both indoor and outdoor applications. It is often used
for the manufacture of high quality furniture, veneers and is a fine marine wood.
Amber Madera:The heartwood varies in color from pink or yellowish pink to brick
red or rich reddish brown. It has a medium texture and uniform grain that's generally interlocked.
The wood works easily and yields smooth
surfaces on straight-grained material. The heartwood is generally rated as durable with respect
to decay resistance but is very susceptible to dry-wood termites. The wood is widely used outdoors
in the tropics for general construction as long as it is used up off the ground. It is a good
wood for flooring, furniture and in boat construction.
Cocobolo: (Dalbergia retusa)
It can be the color of dark chocolate; it can be brick red and ivory white all
in the same board foot sample. Applied to a floor and it turns out looking like someone's
collection of various woods from around the world. However, the look and effect can be
stunning. Descriptions of sapwood, color being "variable in color" are gross understatements.
Some descriptions read; "The wood becomes deep red with irregular markings of purple or
black and various colors of the rainbow." The grain is usually straight but is occasionally
interlocked and finely textured. Because of its high oil content
it is very stable after seasoning and resists water absorption. Cocobolo is reported to be
very durable and is highly resistant to marine borer attack. Repeated immersion in soapy
water has little effect - it only darkens its color. The natural oils tend to completely
seal the wood and its hardness locks it in. This is evident when the wood is rubbed with
a cloth.
Ipe:.
This is one of the most durable and beautiful woods in the world. Its range of rich coffee colors and
tones has made it the number one choice of woods to be used in the most famous of homes. The
heartwood is slight yellow to olive with an overall chocolate hue. The look of this wood can
be either plain or beautifully variegated and figured with a fine grain that's straight to
wavy. It polishes to a high sheen having great depth and beauty. Ipe is used for fine furniture, cabinet work, paneling, flooring,
gunstocks, decorative veneer and joinery.
