Afromosia Wood

• Also Known As : African Teak, Assamela, Kokrodua
• Scientific Name:  Pericopsis elata 
• Source:  West Africa
• Color: Golden, reddish brown with dark brown streaks
• Pattern:  Strait or interlocked, fine grain
• Similar to: Teak
• Uses: Furniture, decking, tools, veneer

Description

Afromosia is an exotic wood that resembles teak and thus is sometimes referred to as African teak.  The heartwood starts out from a yellow to brown color, but over time will darken to give it the appearance of teakwood with yellow to golden and brown to mahogany colored pattern.  Afromosia though has a finer grain structure and is not as oily as teak.  Due to the large size that these trees can attain, large boards can be attained as well as sizable veneers.  The wood is found throughout Central and the West Coast of Africa along the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Congo, Nigeria, and Cameroon.  It is used for turning, decks, flooring, inlays, interior and exterior furniture, tool handles, cabinetry, decking, veneers and is often used as a wood for walking canes.

Uses

This wood is decidely durable, dense and very termite resistant.  It is used for creating furniture and for decking. Bocote wood is normally found in smaller sizes used for turning, bowls, decorative work, inlays and joinery.  Bocote creates a very striking look especially when it is highly figured, due to the wavy dark grain.  The woods superior structural properties, water and termite resistance make it a great candidate for all types of structural work and exterior wood applications.  Due to the similar look, superior properties and grain pattern, the wood is often substituted for teak.

Due to the woods hardness, it is recommended that carbide tools are used to minimize tool wear and that holes are pre-drilled prior to installing fasteners.  The wood contains a fair amount of tannins which will causes staining of metal when used around water such as in boat building or decking.