Home / Species / Balau
SE Asia and Pacific

Balau

Shorea spp.

Janka Hardness
803
lbf
Janka (metric)
3572
N
Hardness Class
Medium
Density
0.78
g/cm³
Green MC
55
%
Fiber Saturation
26
%
Radial Shrink
3.5
%
Tangential Shrink
6.5
%
T/R Ratio
1.86
Stability
Good

About Balau

Balau (Shorea spp.) is a medium-hardness wood balancing workability and wear resistance, with a Janka hardness of 803 lbf (3572 N) and a density of about 0.78 g/cm³. It originates from se asia and pacific.

With radial shrinkage of 3.5% and tangential shrinkage of 6.5% (a T/R ratio of 1.86), it is reasonably stable with normal seasonal movement. Its fiber saturation point is around 26%, below which the wood begins to shrink and move as it dries.

These figures feed directly into the Vriksai calculators below — select Balau in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.

Tools that use this species