Zebra Wood

Zebra Wood

 

Quick Facts:

Common Name’s	Zebrawood, Zebrano
Scientific Name	Microberlinia brazzavillensis
Tree size in length	65-130 feet/ 20-40meter
Tree size in diameter	4-5 feet/120-150 cm
Average dried weight	50 lbs per cubic ft/ 805 kg per cubic meter
Shrinkage radial	7.6%
Shrinkage tangential	10.8%
Shrinkage volumetric	17.8%
Odor	Has a characteristic, unpleasant smell when being worked.
Sustainability	This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.

 

General Info:

Heartwood is a light brown or cream color with dark blackish brown streaks vaguely resembling a zebra’s stripes. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy (flatsawn), or somewhat uniform (quartersawn)

 

Grain/Texture:

Has a fairly coarse texture and open pores. Grain is usually wavy or interlocked.

 

Workability:

The wood saws well, but can be very difficult to plane or surface due to the prevalence of interlocking grain. Tear out is common. Zebrawood glues and finishes well, though a transparent pore filler may be necessary for the large open pores which occur on both dark and light surfaces.

 

Notes/Comments:

Zebrawood is frequently quartersawn and used as veneer. Other uses include: tool handles, furniture, boatbuilding, and skis. Sometimes called Zebrano, the wood is strong and stiff, with a fairly high density. However, the wood is much more frequently used for its bold and unique striping.