Lumber Name(s): Bubinga.

Grown in: Central Africa.

Description: Bubinga, also known as African Rosewood, is a beautiful dense hardwood with a rose-colored background and darker purple striping. In the quartered figure, Bubinga exhibits considerable "flame" figure and in flat sawn offers "rosewood" graining.

Color Range: Bubinga is typically very uniform in color and graining.

Color Change: Bubinga undergoes a medium degree of color change, from a pinkish rose color when freshly milled to a burgundy red color when fully aged.

Where to Use: Bubinga may be used both residentially and commercially, wherever the rich reddish color and fine graining of Bubinga is desired.

Hardness: 1980

Blunting Effect: The wood exerts moderate to severe blunting effect on cutters.

Cutting Resistance: Bubinga is hard and heavy, but it is reported to saw slowly but readily.

Planing: A reduced planing angle of 15 degrees is recommended to prevent irregular and interlocked grain from tearing or picking up.

Turning: The stock is reported to turn well, despite its hardness.

Moulding: The wood is reported to mould well, but irregular and interlocked grain may cause pick-up and tearing if cutting angles are not reduced to 15 degrees.

Boring: Boring properties are reported to be good.

Routing & Recessing: The wood routs and recesses generally well.

Mortising: The material is reported to respond well to mortising operations.

Carving: Carving properties are reported to be generally good.

Gluing: Gluing qualities are reported to be rather poor because of gum pockets.

Nailing: The timber is reported to take require pre-boring in nailing operations.

Screwing: Pre-boring required before screwing.

Sanding: The wood is reported to sand well.

Polishing: The wood is reported to take an excellent polish.