Black Bean 

Castanospermum australe

Description

A large hardwood that grows from northern NSW to northern QLD. The heartwood is a very dark brown with lighter streaks. This timber is a little greasy to the touch. The grain is often wavy or interlocked.

Workability

Works well but the dust is shocking and can cause a severe reaction. Difficult to glue due to the oil in the timber.

Applications

Excellent cabinet timber. Was once used as boards for electrical installations due to very low conductivity.

Availability

Extremely limited.

Hardness

Janka 7.5 770kg/m3.

Durability

Reasonably durable.

At a Glance

Turning:		Excellent
Machining:		Excellent
Bending:		Not good
Sanding:		Good
Nailing/Screwing:		Good
Glueing:		Difficult, use a high solid PVA or polyurethane.
Timber Coating:		May present some problems, test first
Oil:		Excellent
Note 1		Very difficult to obtain.  Occasionally available in limited sizes.
Note 2		Difficult to dry.  Suffers from internal collapse.