Source

Cupiuba is available in the forests of Precious Woods, located in the Amazon region of Brazil. The large trees reach diameters till about 1,2 m and attain heights of 40 m. The trunk is rather straight to curved. It is possible to produce larger sizes of Cupiuba.

Appearance

The heartwood has a wide color variation from brick-red till yellow brown and darkens slightly after exposure.  The lighter colored sapwood is sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Remarkable is the sour smell, which mainly disappears after drying. For interior uses a finish (lacquer) can avoid this smell. It has a medium lustre. The grain is often irregular, sometimes interlocked and the texture is medium fine.

Processing properties

Machining goes relatively easy. With some extra care, interlocked grain can also get smooth. Regarding finishing, good experience is available for interior use. Less experience is available regarding gluing. Pre-drilling is recommended. Drying has to be done carefully because of the high risks of distortion and checking.

Application

Cupiuba is an attractive species with respect to the price/quality ratio. For interior use, it is chosen because of the rich color variation of the heartwood. Mostly, it is used for bank reinforcement, and garden timber, since for other in-ground uses the durability seems too low.

Bridge >

Technical data (PDF)

For more information, please contact us: sales@preciouswoods.com