Species data
Leopardwood
Roupala montana - a hardwood from central and South America. Also sold as leopard wood.
Properties at a glance
| Janka hardness | 2,150 lbf |
| Stiffness (MOE) | 2,887,000 psi |
| Specific gravity | 0.89 |
| Density | 55.5 lb/ft3 (890 kg/m3) |
| Weight per board foot | 4.63 lb |
| Shrinkage, green to oven-dry | 8.8% tangential / 3.5% radial |
| Indicative price | $12.00 per board foot (estimated) |
Values are at about 12% moisture content. Density is specific gravity times 62.4; a board foot is one twelfth of a cubic foot, so weight per board foot is that density divided by twelve. Anything marked estimated is our own figure, not a measured one.
How Leopardwood compares
Measured against the 113 solid woods in this database: it is harder than 83% of them, heavier than 87%, and stiffer than 96%. Hard enough to be tough on edges and on machinery. At this density a full sheet or a long board gets heavy fast; check the shelf-sag and weight tools before you size anything.
What that means in the shop
A 4/4 board 8 inches wide and 8 feet long is 5.33 board feet, so in Leopardwood it weighs about 24.7 lb. A stack of ten is 247 lb - worth knowing before you load a rack or a car.
Against red oak, the trade's usual yardstick at 1,220 lbf, Leopardwood is about 1.8x as hard and 1.27x as heavy.
Its shrinkage is 8.8% tangential against 3.5% radial, a ratio of 2.5 to 1. The wider that ratio, the more unevenly a flatsawn board moves across its width as humidity changes, and the more it wants to cup; anything near or above 2 to 1 is worth quartersawing or restraining for panels and wide tops. This one sits in that range.
Woods of similar hardness
Closest to Leopardwood on hardness in this database: Goncalo Alves (2,170 lbf), Bocote (2,010 lbf), Persimmon (2,300 lbf), Ziricote (1,970 lbf). Similar hardness does not mean similar behaviour - check density and movement before substituting one for another.
Working with it
Workability. Fairly tough owing to its density and tearout; finishes and glues well
Durability. Very durable when it comes to resisting decay
Typical uses. fine furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments, veneer, turning.
Related calculators
Sources
MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). CT/CR omitted: leopardwood is not listed in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional change coefficient table. Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.
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.