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| Name | maçaranduba |
| Other Names | Maçaranduba, maparajuba (Brazil), balata rouge, balata franc, bois boulet (French Guyana), bulletwood, beefwood (Guyana), bolletrie, balata, paardevleeshout (Suriname). |
| Botanical Name | Manilkara bidentata (A. DC.) A. Chev., M. amazonica Huber, M. huberi (Ducke) Standley., M. spec. div. (= Mimusops spec. div.). |
| Family | Sapotaceae. |
| Origin | Suriname, the Guyanas, Brazil and Central America. |
| Tree Description | rows to heights between 30 and 45 m. Straight, cylindrical branch-free trunks range in length from 18 to 20 m (min./max. 15/25 m) and in diameter from 0.6 to 0.8 m. Old trees have 1.0 m high root buttresses. |
| Available As | Planed timber |
| Wood Description | Freshly cut wood is meat coloured that darkens to a greyish red brown, dark brown or sometimes purple brown. Heartwood is clearly distinguishable from the light brown sapwood that is 30 to 50 mm in width. No noticeable smell or taste. |
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Grain | Straight, sometimes slightly undulating or interlocked. |
| Texture | Fine. |
| Density | 850/1050/1200 kg/m3 at 12% humidity, 1050 to 1350 kg/m3 when green. |
| Working | Moderate. |
| Drying | Very slow with a strong tendency for distortion, surface cracking and end splitting. |
| Workability | Despite its high density, it can be worked fairly well. Maçaranduba can be worked to produce a beautiful, smooth surface finish. Fine dust can cause eye and mucous membrane infections. |
| Fixings and Fasteners | Pre-drilling required. |
| Bonding | Average. |
| Pliability | Very pliable. |
| Surface Finishing | Good. |
| Durability | Moulds - M. bidentata 1. M. huberi - 2. M. amazonica - 3. Moderately resistant to termites. |
| Strength Class | In 2000, maçaranduba was classified in limited strength trials, conforming to NEN 5498:1997, as K70. Visual sorting criteria for Maçaranduba based on grain slope of max. 1:10 and knots max. 0.2. Please refer to the Dutch usage guidelines (NPR 5493; 1999, kwaliteitsrichtlijnen voor loofhout in waterbouwkundige werken ['Quality Guidelines for Hardwoods Used in Hydraulic-Engineering Projects']) for other permissible imperfections for application categories. |
| Impregnability | Heartwood 4. |
| Peculiarities | In Suriname, balata trees are tapped for their resin, which is better than rubber for certain applications. |
| Applications | Hydraulic engineering constructions in pileworm-free regions, bridge decks, flooring, crossbeams and garden timber. Also suitable for turning, knobs and handles, woodwind instruments, parquet and strip flooring, violin bows, a substitute for pernambuco and billiard cues. |
| Quality Requirements | - |
Source: Houtvademecum, 8e druk 2001