Bubinga Wood Uses, Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages
What is Bubinga wood?
Bubinga is also known as Kevazingo, is the common name of the genus Guibourtia spp.
It is a plant with a tree height of 130-150 feet tall, a trunk diameter of 3-6 feet, and distribution of Equatorial Africa. The heartwood looks dark with pink to reddish-brown hues.
While the sapwood has a pale straw color, this is a wood rated as durable enough to be very durable in its resistance to rot.
This endurance depends on the species. Overall, Bubinga wood is also easy to work on and is good for fine furniture, veneers, and others.
The properties of Bubinga wood
This is a wood that has quite an attractive appearance, with the warnings I mentioned earlier. Bubinga wood grains are straight to interlocked.
This wood also has a fine texture and a medium natural luster. There is no need to doubt the durability of Bubinga wood Because this wood is durable enough to be very durable against decay and resistant to insect attacks.
It is also an easy wood to work, although some things may not go smoothly. Bubinga can also cause skin irritation or skin lesions and smells bad when wet. Bubinga is good for some wood objects.
Bubinga wood advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Durable: You can count on the durability of this wood, and we think it won’t disappoint. If you plan to make some furniture for long-term use, Bubinga wood can be a good option.
It is a moderately durable wood to very durable in resistance to rot, depending on the species. Choose Bubinga species with very durable for high quality.
Not only against rot but also resistance to attack by marine borers and termites; however, we don’t have information overall about insects resistance.
But we think it also seems resistant to insects attacks, although maybe not for all species.
Moderately priced: The price of Bubinga wood is quite varied, depending on the grain figure.
However, overall it seems to be in the moderately priced range for an imported wood. You can choose Bubinga with a higher price and a more attractive appearance.
It’s a Bubinga with figured grain patterns like a pommele, waterfall, etc. This is an option that can be chosen as your needs.
If it’s for ordinary items that don’t require an attractive appearance, then choose ordinary Bubinga.
But if you need them to make exotic items, it seems like choosing one with figured grain patterns is pretty good.
Easy to work: Overall, Bubinga wood is easy to work with. Although it depends on the species, there may be problems during work because some may contain silica and make the cutter dull faster.
It would be best to be careful of tears that can occur during the planning and other machining operations. This is common in cuts that have figured or interlocking grain.
It’s also a hard-to-glue wood due to its natural oils and high density. But it seems you can still turn and finishes nicely.
Other working methods may also encounter problems, and it’s better to prepare good quality tools.
Availability: There doesn’t seem to be a significant problem in the availability of Bubinga wood.
The price is also in the moderate range and proves that this wood is still within reasonable limits. However, 3 species of Guibourtia are listed in CITES appendix II.
All three are species that produce Bubinga. The appendix also includes various items made of wood. But that doesn’t seem like a big enough problem.
Because Bubinga is not listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, we think now you can still use Bubinga wood well, although excessive use is not recommended.
Appearance: The appearance of Bubinga wood is also an advantage of this wood, although not all are good.
The uniquely figured grain patterns Bubinga can make this wood exotic. Examples include waterfall, mottled, pommel, flamed, quilted, etc.
Although the price is higher, you can get exotic Bubinga for decorative purposes that can make the house’s interior more beautiful.
But we don’t know if it’s rare or not. So, you should look for the information and choose the figured grain patterns you want. If worked well, it seems like it can be a valuable asset.
Disadvantages
Unpleasant odor: This wood is reported to have an unpleasant odor when it’s wet. If you want to get rid of it, then you have to wait for it to dry. This is something that must be done.
Please wait for it to dry before starting to work on the wood. Because the wood is still wet while working, it’s not good for your comfort.
Your performance may not be optimal because the unpleasant odor is annoying. Not only that, but you also have to pay attention to health problems that may occur. It’s wood that can cause skin irritation.
Bubinga wood for veneer
The first common use is for veneers. If you want to make it, make sure you have a stock of Bubinga wood with an attractive appearance, such as waterfalls and others.
Because we think it’s bad enough if you use Bubinga with an ordinary appearance.
Although the process may be more difficult, you will get a decent result. The use for coating furniture, doors, cabinetry, or others is also perfect.
You can also try it on wooden walls if you want. The durability of this wood is reliable, and there are no significant problems.
Bubinga wood for inlays
Maybe you want to make wood inlays from the Bubinga wood species. We thought it was the right choice. Bubinga has quite a lot and different figured grain patterns.
Maybe you can use it to create quality inlays that are a beautiful appearance. But it seems like you have to spend more money.
Because of the price of the figured grain patterns, Bubinga is in the more expensive range than the ordinary Bubinga.
It’s also an easy wood to work on. So it seems like there won’t be any significant problems while working on the inlays.
Bubinga wood for fine furniture
If you want to use Bubinga for something better, then use it for fine furniture. However, you have to choose a unique grain-figured Bubinga for this.
Because it will affect the fine furniture you make, don’t forget to do careful planning before you start working, because this is a big thing.
The use of several types of grain figured is also quite interesting. If you can combine it correctly, it will become fine furniture of high artistic value.
The other properties are also good, including being durability and ease of work.
Bubinga wood for cabinetry
Besides fine furniture, another good common use for Bubinga is cabinetry.
Bubinga properties such as its resistance to rot are pretty good for this. In addition, we hope that the Bubinga you use is also overall resistant to insect attacks.
That way, you can make good quality cabinetry for your kitchen or other rooms. We don’t expect you to use the unique grain-figured Bubinga.
Because it seems that this cabinetry tends to prioritize function rather than decorative values, if you want beautiful cabinetry, it looks like using a unique grain figured Bubinga is not a bad choice.
Bubinga wood for turnings
The last use you can choose for Bubinga is turnings. This is an excellent choice if you want to make decorative Bubinga items.
But make sure you choose unique figured grain patterns so that the decorative items you make have a high value. There don’t seem to be any significant problems while working.
But it would be best if you tried walnut and cherry first before using Bubinga wood as the main turnings.
It might be able to increase your skills before working on the Bubinga.
