All About Ironwood

Ironwood which has the Latin name Eusideroxylon zwageri Teijsm & Binn has become one of the materials for making furniture in Kaliuda Gallery. Ironwood is a native tree from Indonesia and is a typical plant from Borneo. Iron wood characteristics can be seen in previous posts in 8 Types of Wood and Their Characteristics. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ironwood?

kayu Ulin Ironwood
Ironwood © Google

Table of Contents

  1. Advantages of Ironwood
  2. Disadvantages of Ironwood
  3. Species

Advantages of Ironwood:

  1. Ironwood is one type of wood that is very strong and durable, with strong class I and durable class I.
  2. Resistant to termite attacks.
  3. Resistant to changes in humidity and temperature and is resistant to seawater.
  4. Although hard to nail, Ironwood is fairly easy to cut or saw.
  5. Strong, suitable for home foundations, house roofs (shingles), frames and doors.
  6. Suitable for building materials, such as construction of houses, bridges, electricity poles, and shipping.
  7. Often used as souvenirs. Like in Banjarmasin, which often makes Ironwood fossils as ring stones and jewelry.

Disadvantages of Ironwood:

  1. Ironwood is hard to nail because of it’s hard texture.
  2. The large demand for Ironwood is not supported by the potential of Ironwood in the forest.
Kayu Ulin Ironwood Texture
Ironwood Texture © Google

Ironwood is a timber tree found across the Malesian region of Southeast Asia. It is a member of the Lauraceae family – a group of tropical aromatic plants that includes the avocado, bay laurel and cinnamon tree.

The tree is slow growing but, if protected, can reach a height of up to 50m, by which point it may have lived to over 1,000 years. Mature trees produce large fruits that, although poisonous to humans, are an important food source for foraging animals.

The Bornean ironwood has some of the hardest and most durable timbers in the world. It is also resistant to infection from bacteria and fungi and retains a lemon odour post-manufacture, making it an extremely popular tree among timber exporters.

Logging, combined with the tree’s slow regeneration rate, has led to over-exploitation of the species with declines first recorded in the 1950s. Although the Indonesia government and the Sarawak state government has banned the export of the species, illegal logging continues today.

Species

The species is also valued for cultural reasons. Dayak people, from Borneo, believe the trees protects them from dangerous animals and that its existence alone explains why there are no tigers or elephants on Borneo. In many villages, customary law exists to control exploitation of this sacred species.

Local values and customary law may yet help to protect this majestic tree. In Ketapang, Fauna & Flora International is helping communities gain management rights for their forests. With additional support from the Global Trees Campaign, these same communities are learning how to grow and plant threatened species including the Bornean ironwood.

FFI are also working with members of the Indonesian Forum for Threatened Trees (a group of tree conservation experts from across Indonesia) to develop a National Species Conservation Action plan for the species. This plan will help to guide local conservation efforts for the species across its range in Indonesia.

Ironwood stool - Kaliuda Gallery Bali
Ironwood stool – Kaliuda Gallery Bali
Ironwood texture - Kaliuda Gallery Bali
Ironwood texture – Kaliuda Gallery Bali

This is an example of ironwood furniture in Kaliuda Gallery Bali. If you are looking for furniture from other wood materials, visit our gallery or online at www.kaliudagallery.com.

References:
Wikipedia.org

Don’t miss our blog All about Teak wood

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