Merbau...
Scientific Name: Intsia biuga
Janka hardness: 1712
Other names and species:
Ipil
Kwila
Lumpha
Lumpho
Tat-talun
Vesi
Origin: West Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and many of the western Pacific islands.
Appearance: The heartwood of Merbau is a yellowish to orange-brown color, but then darkens to brown or red brown. The grain varies from straight to interlocked or wavy. One of the distinctive properties of the wood is that surface of the boards may have yellow “flecking” in the pores. When finished, the wood may appear flecked with gold.
Properties: Merbau is almost as stable as teak. It has excellent dimensional stability and is highly resistant to termites. It is ideal for the production of parquet battens because its percentage of shrinkage is low. It sands and finishes well and has good holding ability.
Principal uses: Flooring, furniture, joinery, paneling, decorative woodwork, cabinets, and musical instruments. Merbau is also a source for dyes.