Marblewood Uses, Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages
What is marblewood?
Marblewood is a wood with a unique irregular figured that tends to be black. The dominant color of marblewood is brown and is accompanied by other colors.
This wood is also known as Angelim Rajado, with the scientific name Zygia racemosa. The distribution of marblewood is Northeastern South America.
This tree is 65-100 feet tall, 1-2 feet trunk diameter, and has a Janka hardness of 11,250 N. It’s also a durable wood to very durable in resistant to rot.
Not only that, but it also has moderate resistance to insect attacks. So, you can try to use it for long-term furniture.
The properties of marblewood
To be precise, it is a wood that tends to be brown, perhaps yellow to golden brown heartwood.
There are irregular patterns that tend to be black, with spots inside. Marblewood grains are straight and slightly intertwined and have a medium texture.
It’s a wood that is rated as durable to very durable against decay. Marblewood also has moderate resistance to insect attacks.
Marblewood also doesn’t have a health effect like many other kinds of wood that can irritate. However, it’s a wood that tends to be difficult to work. Work by professionals with good quality tools is recommended.
Marblewood advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Appearance: Although not as attractive as some rare exotic woods, but marblewood still has its unique appearance. It is a wood that has an irregular color highly figured that tends to be dark.
While the main color is brown to a golden brown, and there may be other colors. Marblewood is similar in appearance to zebrawood, although there are some significant differences.
Marblewood grains are straight or slightly interlaced and make the wood color is fairly irregular.
It makes this wood even more attractive. With this appearance, some common uses such as high-priced luxury fine furniture or beautiful exotic turned objects.
Durable: The durability of marblewood is very good. Because of resistance to rot, it’s considered durable to very durable. That’s why you don’t have to worry about wood damage caused by rot in a few years after the wood is processed.
However, marblewood doesn’t have high resistance to insect attack. Because this wood has only moderate resistance to it, it seems that there is no need to worry.
Beautiful, the common uses of marblewood tend to be for indoor appliances and don’t seem to require high resistance to insect attack. So, we don’t think it’s a big problem.
Availability: This is not a rare or very rare wood. So, you don’t have to worry about the marblewood availability. Although we don’t know whether the population in nature is still abundant or within reasonable limits, we only know a fact.
Marblewood is not listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species or the CITES Appendices. It seems the information proves that you can still use this wood without any restrictions, for large quantity uses, and others.
However, please pay attention to the source of sale or the characteristics of marblewood because it may be similar to other woods.
No health risk: This is a wood that is quite different in health risks than other woods.
Most of the woods we explain have health risks, although most don’t have a severe reaction.
For example, as reported as a sanitizer, it can cause skin, eye, respiratory, and other irritations.
Marblewood doesn’t have the health effects that can harm people around it, including during the working process. However, we don’t know if it’s the whole thing or just a few things.
So, please pay attention to this by doing some health risk prevention. But it doesn’t have to be too worried.
Disadvantages
Pricing: This is an exotic wood, and you most likely won’t get it cheap Because the price of marblewood tends to be in the mid to upper range.
We thought it was a fair price for imported exotic marblewood. But you may also be able to get a lower price with lower quality marblewood.
But it seems that it is not reliable because it will reduce the quality of marblewood as exotic wood. If you do this, maybe some of the things you make will look less exotic. So, buy marblewood at a price that is commensurate with the quality.
Difficult to work: Marblewood has a high density. That’s why this is a wood that tends to be difficult to work.
Not only that, but it can also have a blunting effect on tool cutters with a moderate to severe blunting range. However, Marblewood turns, glues, and finishes well.
This wood is not flexible, cannot be used for many things, and cannot be worked by beginners because it will give unsatisfactory results.
For this reason, it is better to plan well when working and work it by professionals using good quality equipment.
Marblewood for flooring
Maybe you’re curious about the common uses of marblewood. If you want our opinion, then we think using marblewood as flooring is the right choice.
This will make your flooring good due to some of the properties of marblewood and make the interior of the house more beautiful because of the marblewood’s appearance.
You also don’t have to worry about rot, as this wood is resistant to it.
Ensure there is no ground contact in installing flooring, even though this wood has moderate resistance to insect attack because it may not be durable enough.
Marblewood for sliced veneer
Another common use that you can try on marblewood is sliced veneer. This will be great because marblewood has a unique and beautiful appearance. It will add artistic value to the different objects it is coated with.
The price of sliced marblewood veneers may be higher than ordinary sliced wood veneers. You have to make it well or prepare enough money.
But we don’t know if it’s also good for regular veneers, and we don’t have the information either. So, please try to make it and report the results by commenting below.
Marblewood for turned objects
Using marblewood as turned objects is a great option. You can make some unique, beautiful, and high artistic value items as useful or just as decoration items.
Maybe you’re wondering if this is easy to work, and is it really good. We don’t know for sure the answer yet.
Above, we said that marblewood tends to be difficult to work on and seems to be included in making turned objects.
Next, is it really good? We thought marblewood would be great after seeing some turned object pictures. It’s just that you need to adjust the pattern and grain.
Marblewood for cabinetry
Marblewood is also commonly used as cabinetry. We think this is good enough for kitchen cabinetry to make it look more beautiful.
However, using it as cabinetry in the living room or other room is also the right choice. This can be cabinetry for the long term, as it is durable to very durable against decay.
Maybe you can try making large cabinetry as the main storage. Don’t forget to plan well, and we think you should maintain the natural look of marblewood instead of painting it black or white.
Marblewood for fine furniture
Do you want to make fine furniture using exotic wood in the middle to upper price range? It seems like marblewood should be on the list of recommendations.
You can use this wood as fine furniture because it has some quality for it. The wood appearance is great for decorating several rooms in your home, including tables, chairs, and more.
You can also make some sizeable fine furniture, although that may need more much money.
Do it yourself is recommended so that you can adjust the fine furniture you want.
