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| Name |
Wenge |
| Latin Name |
Milletia laurentii |
| Trade Names: |
Wenge |
| Origin: |
Africa |
| Range: |
West Africa, Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Zaire, concentrated between Stanley Pool and Kiwu, in the Province of Equator and around Kisantu. |
| Uses: |
Valuable veneer wood, specially used as slicing wood for face veneer with close veins. Architectural wood for furniture, paneling and parquet flooring, construction lumber. Generally cut halfround on the staylog. |
| Properties: |
The heartwood is two-colored light brown, later darkening to coffee brown to black-violet, similar to Rosewood. Has to be intensively cooked and sliced hot. The heartwood is most resistant to fungi, insect attack and the weather. |
| Machining: |
Despite its hardness Wenge can still be worked well with all tools but this calls for considerable power. |
| Seasoning: |
Drying is very slow and only when properly controlled is there little risk of dry checking. Stability is very good in dried state. |
| Finishing: |
Due to its coarse pore texture and parenchyma band deposits this wood is difficult to varnish. Best suitable are DD and PU varnishes at a wood moisture content not in excess of 12%. |
| Jointing: |
Gluing is rather difficult. Casein and synthetic resin glues have proved successful. Screw and nail joints should be pre-drilled. |
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