Botanical Name: Testulea gabonensis

Other Common Names: Akewe, Ake, Isombe, Izombe, N'Gwaki, N'komi, Ngron, Rone

Common Uses: Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Decorative veneer, Domestic flooring, Furniture , Interior trim, Joinery, Paneling , Turnery, Windows, Bedroom suites, Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Clogs, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Radio, stereo, TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Trimming, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes, Woodwork

Region: Africa

Country: Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon

Blunting Effect: Blunting effect on cutting tools is reported to be slight.

Cutting Resistance: Cutting resistance is reported to be small.

Planing: The timber is reported to be rather easy to work with all types of tools, and planing properties are generally good.

Turning: The material turns readily to yield clean surfaces.

Moulding: The wood responds well to ordinary machine tools in moulding operations.

Boring: Boring qualities are rated as good, and bored surfaces are usually clean.

Routing & Recessing: The material routs rather well.

Mortising: The wood responds well to mortising operations with ordinary machine tools.

Carving: Carving properties are reported to be good.

Gluing: The wood is reported to glue well.

Nailing: Nailing properties are rated as generally good.

Screwing: The wood has good screwing properties.

Sanding: Sanding characteristics are reported to be good, and sanded surfaces are usually clean and smooth.

Polishing: The wood has good polishing characteristics.

Staining: The wood is reported to have good staining properties.

Steam Bending: Steam bending properties are rated as moderate.

Response to Hand Tools: The timber is reported to be easy to work with hand tools.