Ovangkol Timber – Versatile Decorative Hardwood for Furniture and Instruments

Overview

Ovangkol (Guibourtia ehie), also called Shedua or African Walnut, is a tropical hardwood native to West Africa. It features a golden brown to dark brown heartwood with distinct dark streaks. The wood’s straight to interlocked grain and moderately coarse texture give it a unique and exotic appearance. Ovangkol is prized for its versatility, durability, and rich natural sheen.

Colour and Appearance

The heartwood ranges from yellow-brown to chocolate-brown, often with grey to nearly black stripes. Its pale yellow sapwood clearly contrasts with the heartwood. Sometimes it shows curly or mottled grain patterns that add visual interest. The natural lustre highlights its lively color variations.

Properties and Performance

Ovangkol is moderately dense, around 800 kg/m³, and classified as medium durability. It resists insects and decay well. While it dries quickly, kiln drying requires care. The wood machines and planes easily, though silica content can dull cutters quickly. Interlocked grain and figured areas may cause tearout during machining. It glues, stains, and finishes to a high polish, making it suitable for fine furniture and cabinetry.

Typical Applications

Commonly used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, musical instruments, carving, and woodturning projects. Ovangkol’s stability and resistance to warping make it a reliable choice for demanding woodworking.

Working Characteristics

Ovangkol works well with both hand and machine tools but needs sharp cutters due to silica. The interlocked grain can challenge planing and sanding. It has a strong odor when wet, which disappears after drying. The wood responds beautifully to polishing and finishing.

Why Ovangkol is Great for Wood Turning

Ovangkol turns cleanly, holding detail well thanks to its density and texture. Its rich color and occasional figured grain create striking finished pieces. It sands to a smooth finish and accepts oils and clear coats to bring out its natural beauty. These qualities make Ovangkol excellent for bowls, musical instrument parts, and decorative turned objects.

Quality You Can Trust

Hand-selected for quality and reliability, our timber offers excellent value for your woodworking projects. Now available for online ordering.

If you require any further information regarding this species, sizing, availability or more, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly and our staff will be happy to help.

Contact:
Drop by our showroom at 15 Railway Road North, Mulgrave, NSW, 2756 today.
Please inquire further for more information regarding supply, sizing and pricing via our contact email: sales@trendtimbers.com.au
See our Online Range by clicking the link below:
https://trendtimbers.com.au/product-category/timber/