Suporara???

[MGriffies]

Has anyone heard of a wood called Suporara (sp?) ? It is a very strong wood that is being used for wooden dogs, vise handles for shoulder and tail vises. I also have a 6/4 board approx. 6" wide by 4 feet and very heavy. It is so hard that it is impossible to drive nails into it without drilling it first. I am not sure if Suporara is a botanical or common name as I am unable to research. The owner of the workshop (now deceased) was a cabinetmaker as well as a boat builder and he said that he used it for motor mounts on his yachts too. He also said it was so dense that it will not absorb water if submerged over a long period of time. Can anyone help me on this?
Thanks for any input.
Marc

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Check out this site: Hobbit House. They show a wood called Sucupira that may be what you have.

 

[eyekode]

I have not heard that name but it sounds like lignum vitae/guayacan.

They even used it for inboard boat shaft bearings. It is one of the only woods denser then water.

 

[Jeff]

The owner of the workshop (now deceased) was a cabinetmaker as well as a boat builder and he said that he used it for motor mounts on his yachts too. He also said it was so dense that it will not absorb water if submerged over a long period of time.

I can't find "suporara" wood. The term implies "superior" wood. Where did you get that term?

Your description of its use in prolonged underwater marine applications suggests that it's Lignum Vitae. Extremely tough and durable wood with a Janka hardness of 4,390 and about 79 lbs/cubic foot. It makes great bearings for propeller and turbine shafts.

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/lignum-vitae/

If it's Lignum Vitae your board should weigh about 20 lbs (0.25 cubic feet).

For comparison:

Lignum Vitae, Janka 4390.

Ipe', Janka 3510.

 

[MGriffies]

I never heard of Suporara till I met this guy and I got this term from him. I may be wrong but I will be contacting another boat maker friend of his and see if it is the correct name. I am headed to the workshop and I will take a picture of it and post it.

 

[MGriffies]

Jeff & eyekode,
I saw the link provided by Jeff and it may be the right specie. The color of the grain was dark brown with some black stripes similar to the pictures on the website.

 

[KenOfCary]

The Lignum Vitae that I have has a slightly greenish tint to it. This is a mallet I made out of it.

​

 

[SubGuy]

Sounds like Iron Wood. According to Wiki, Lignum Vitea is a species that fits into the general term of "Iron Wood". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironwood

It's used on the decks of Amphibious ships with well decks b/c it sinks and adds no positive buoyancy to the deck when the well deck is flooded. It was tough enough to handle tracked vehicles transversing without damage to the vehicles tracks or ship. I looked for references but found none. Just something a Boatswains Mate told me one time.

 

[frankc4113]

I think it probably is sucupira and if so, it is almost impossible to work with. So dense it doesn't even float on water and unable to get a nail in without pre drilling. I used some of it that was originally made for flooring for a bench top. The only way to use it was to glue it down. Really difficult to work with.

 

[Jeff]

Zach,

Your description fits Lignum Vitae as I understand it. LV has a density of 1.37 so flooding a well deck or well dock for loading of vehicles provides no positive buoyancy-drive right on in from the stern while protecting the treads from steel on steel wear and tear. Zoom on the pics for details.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well_dock

http://lignum-vitae-bearings.com/about-lignum/

Interesting stuff.