The sapwood of tigerwood is brownish-white to dirty gray, while the heartwood is reddish-brown to light golden-brown in color. The species has a mottled, wavy or interlocked, irregular grain. Tigerwood has a medium to dull luster and is fine in texture.
Properties:
Tigerwood is a highly durable wood with a high resistance to beetle attack. The wood remains dimensionally stable and is reported to have no odor. Tigerwood is time consuming to dry properly while preventing degrade.
Janka Hardness: 1850
As a flooring option, tigerwood is one of the harder and more durable woods. It falls between hickory or pecan and purpleheart in hardness, is nearly ninety-six percent as hard as merbau, is a little over twenty-seven percent harder than hard maple, and is about eighty-four percent as hard as santos mahogany's ranking of 2200.
Workability:
Tigerwood is difficult to saw properly and requires carbide-tipped blades. Pre-boring is suggested yet the wood holds nails well once applied. Glue holds well, but presetting is suggested with tigerwood flooring. This species sands fairly easily but care should be taken as it can scratch somewhat easily in the process. Tigerwood takes polishing very easily.
Principal Uses:
Tigerwood's uses include flooring, boat building, fine furniture, paneling, plywood, and shutters.
The sapwood of tallowwood is whitish, while the heartwood is pale to deep yellowish-brown in color. The species has an interlocked grain and is coarse in texture.
Properties:
Tallowwood has a natural durability with regards to decay. The wood is greasy to the touch and is reported to have no odor. Tallowwood can take some time to dry properly but does have good stability characteristics once dry.
Janka Hardness: 1933
As a flooring option, tallowwood is a very hard and durable wood. It is nearly identical in hardness to merbau (less than one percent difference), is roughly two thirds harder than hard maple, about eighteen percent harder than wenge, and approaches santos mahogany's ranking of 2200.
Workability:
Tallowwood cuts rather easily and cleanly, in part due to its greasy nature. This species sands easily and takes well to both finishing and staining.
Principal Uses:
Tallowwood's uses include flooring, bridge construction, outdoor furniture, tool handles, wharfs, and general home construction.
