Kempas

Appearance:
The sapwood of kempas is yellow to pale white, while the heartwood is orangish-red to reddish-brown in color upon drying. This species has an interlocked, sometimes spiraled grain, is fairly lusterous, and is coarse in texture. The swatch below shows an example of natural Kempas (upper plank) and carbonized (lower).
Properties:
Kempas has a natural resistance to decay. Kempas dries rather easily but can experience some splitting due to abnormalities in the wood. Kempas is somewhat acidic in nature and can harbor corrosion in metals where exposed when moist.
Workability:
Kempas contains pockets of hard deposits that can provide some difficulty when sawing and can cause dulling of tools. This species sands well but does require some filling to ensure a good polish.
Principal Uses:
Kempas's uses include flooring, chairs, railroad ties, shingles, cabinets, and veneer.