hardwood · Hymenaea courbaril

Jatoba wood properties

Also known as: brazilian cherry.

Type hardwood
Botanical name Hymenaea courbaril
Modulus of elasticity (MOE) 2,745,000 psi
Specific gravity 0.91
Density (approx) 57 lb/ft³ (4.7 lb per board foot)
Janka hardness 2,690 lbf
Shrinkage (tangential / radial) 8% / 4.2%
Region Central America, southern Mexico, northern South America and the West Indies

A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of Jatoba weighs about 18.9 lb (roughly 57 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 2,690 lbf is harder than about 91% of the woods in our database.

Uses and working notes

Common uses: flooring, furniture, cabinetry, tool handles, shipbuilding, railroad ties, turned objects.

Durability: Very durable; rot, termites and most insects fail to harm it.

Workability: Density and hardness make it tough; cutters dull moderately, yet it finishes, turns, stains and glues well.

Use this data

Similar woods

Woods with comparable hardness and density to Jatoba:

How these numbers were sourced

MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). Not in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional-change table, so movement coefficients are omitted. Uses, region, durability, workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.

Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.

Sources

These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.