Kambala

Scientific Name:

Chlorophora excelsa

Other Names and Species:

Abang
Iroko
Lusagna
Moreira
Molundu
Odum
Semli

Origin:

Tropical Africa

Appearance:

The sapwood of kambala is yellowish-white, while the heartwood is golden orange into brown in color. The species has an interlocked grain, is moderately lusterous, and is moderately coarse yet even in texture.

Properties:

Kambala has a natural resistance to decay. Its sapwood has been reported as being highly resistant to termites. Kambala dries very easily, with very little to no decay from its proportions as a green wood.

Janka Hardness: 1540

As a flooring option, kambala is a more hearty and durable wood. It is slightly harder than hard maple, is roughly twenty percent harder than red oak, about twenty-five percent harder than heart pine, and is close to sixty five percent as hard as Brazilian cherry’s ranking of 2350.

Workability:

Kambala puts up little resistance to sawing, yet deposits in the wood can dull cutting blades. This species has good nailing properties. Glue holds well with kambala flooring, but certain varieties can produce a noticable glue line. Although it requires a decent amount of filling at times, kambala sands to a beautifully lusterous polish.

Principal Uses:

Kambala’s uses include flooring, millwork, sub-flooring, fine furniture, interior trim, and boat building.