Goncalo Alves
| Common Name | This wood is commonly known by Goncalo Alves, Tigerwood, Jobillo, Kingwood, Bosona, Zorrowood, Gateado, Urunday-para, Mura, and Bois de Zebre. |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Astronium spp. (A. graveolens and A. fraxinifolium) |
| Distribution | The Tigerwood tree can be found in Mexico, Central America And south American countries like Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, and Brazil. |
| Tree Size | The height of the tree is about 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, with an average trunk diameter of 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m). |
| Dried Weight ( average ) | 57 lbs/ft3 (905 kg/m3). |
| Specific Gravity | .80, .91 |
| Janka Hardness | 2,170 lbf (9,640 N) |
The Goncalo Alves is commonly referred to as “Tigerwood” or “Brazilian Tigerwood” among flooring dealers. Just like the tiger, this wood is dense, fierce, and has a tough reputation that it will put up a very difficult fight to work with. The tigerwood requires power tools with carbide tipped blades and cutters because working with this wood will dull the machines, tools, and cutters. The wood has superb stiffness, strength, hardness, and durability. However, density and other mechanical properties can vary widely depending on the growing site and the source region. The name “Jobillo” is sometimes used to refer to higher grades of Goncalo Alves among woodturners.
This strong and durable wood is native to Mexico and also found commonly in Brazil. Its relatives include the cashew, pistachio, mango, etc. The Goncalo Alves has excellent weathering properties and is rated as very durable regarding decay resistance. It is highly resistant to moisture rot and the attack of insects and pests. The tigerwood preferably grows well in dry areas rather than in wet climates.
The severe reactions while working with this wood are quite uncommon. Although it has been reported usually. The most common reactions simply include eye, skin irritation, and can sometimes cause dermatitis. Therefore the worker should be provided with necessary protective gear. Provided the factory or industry has proper certification from the authorities.
The tigerwood is said to have a natural luster due to the high oil content present in this wood. For this same reason, not much effort is required to get that smooth finish. But with the application of a good clear finish, it will only improve the look of the final product. Although it does take quite a bit of time to dry.
This wood is a popular choice among the furniture builders, woodturners, woodcarvers, and guitar builders alike. The reason being that the tigerwood yields large sizable boards in a regular supply at reasonable prices.
Color: In some places, it's referred to as tigerwood thanks to its dramatic theme of colors. heartwood is often a medium reddish brown with irregularly spaced streaks of dark brown to black. Although the number of streaks or stripes depend on one species to the other. Color tends to darken with age that is common among most of the exotic woods.
Texture: The grain is straight however is sometimes wavy or interlocked. The grain is wavy, sometimes having a mottled figure that some compare with rosewood.This irregular grained feature of the wood causes it to be very challenging to work with. Fine, uniform texture with a decent natural luster that makes it easier once polishing and offers a smooth finish even with very little effort. Diffuse-porous; medium to giant pores in no specific arrangement, few solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses and different heartwood deposits common; growth rings indistinct; slim rays visible without lens, traditional spacing; parenchyma vasicentric.
Workability: Goncalo Alves is usually a not too troublesome to work, despite its high density. Figured items with the irregular grain will create a challenge in planning and machining operations. Goncalo alves may have a moderate blunting impact on cutters. This wood is incredibly troublesome to glue because of two completely different reasons. One being that the tigerwood is very immune to moisture absorption and the alternative being that the wood contains a high content of natural oils. Goncalo alves turns and finishes well. Pre-boring is recommended for nails and screws and cutting edges should be kept sharp. It turns and carves well. Even though this wood has a natural luster with simple polishing adding a clear finish will only enhance its look.
Odor: This wood produces no characteristic odor even while operating this wood.
Availability: This wood is widely offered in a variety of widths and lengths as each lumber and veneer, likewise as smaller craft blanks. Costs ought to be moderate for a foreign hardwood. Though the trees grow abundantly, the supplies are limited in the U.S. on a commercial scale and the timber is considered fairly expensive. This wood species has not been listed within the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of vulnerable Species as of yet.
Uses: The tigerwood is often used for flooring, veneers, furniture, cabinetry, carving, turned objects, and different little wood specialty objects like pool cues, sports bows, knife handles, etc. This is also a most sought after wood in the musical industry for producing some amazing guitars. This is a popular choice for building guitar because of its nice density, good resonance and large boards that are available at reasonably good prices.
Here is the few images of finished product's
Frequently asked Questions
Gonçalo alves is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). it's generally cited as tigerwood — a reputation that underscores the wood's usually dramatic, different combination, that some compare to rosewood. whereas the wood is incredibly light in color, the heartwood may be a sombre brown, with dark streaks that provides it a novel look. The wood's color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood features a natural luster. two species are sometimes listed as sources for gonçalo alves: astronium fraxinifolium and astronium graveolens, though different species within the genus might yield similar wood; the quantity of marking that is present might vary. All trees grow in neotropical forests; Brazil may be a major exporter of those woods.
Tall tropical american timber tree particularly lush in eastern Brazil; yields hard robust sturdy zebrawood with straight grain and dark stripes on a pink to yellow ground; wide used for veneer and piece of furniture and serious construction.
Also referred to as Zebrawood or Tigerwood, the Goncalo alves fancy hardwood grips are cut from seasoned heartwood and have a dramatic, different combination in shades of light and dark brown. Among all fancy hardwoods, your goncalo alves grip can stand out with a glowing, natural luster and color that naturally deepens with age and exposure.
References
- https://www.wood-database.com/goncalo-alves/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goncalo_alves
- https://www.rarewoodsusa.com/product/goncalo-alves/
- https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/wood-species-2/goncalo-alves
- https://www.hogueinc.com/handgun-grips/ruger-grips/sp101/wood/goncalo#:~:text=Also%20known%20as%20Zebrawood%20or,of%20light%20and%20dark%20brown.
- http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics
