Jacaranda (Jacaranda copaia) for Wood and Epoxy Tabletops
Jacaranda, specifically Jacaranda copaia (also known by the trade name Copaia), originates from Latin America. While the species produces clean, pale boards suitable for light-colored furniture, using it in an epoxy river table or resin-cast tabletop requires an understanding of its physical characteristics, density, and natural durability. The technical details below are drawn directly from the CIRAD Tropix technical sheet for Jacaranda.
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Jacaranda copaia | |
| Other trade names | Copaia | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Creamy white; texture coarse; grain straight; interlocked grain absent | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 0.43 | about 26.8 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 4.5 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 1.1 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 8.5 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 5.7 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.5 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.56 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 32 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.15 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 31 MPa | about 4,500 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 54 MPa | about 7,830 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 11,100 MPa | about 1,610,000 psi |
| Decay (fungi) resistance | Durability class 5 – not durable | |
| Termite resistance | Class S – susceptible | |
| Dry-wood borer resistance | Class S – susceptible (risk in all the wood) | |
| Heartwood treatability | Class 1 – easily permeable | |
| Use class from natural durability | Class 1 – inside (no dampness) | |
| Drying | rate rapid; distortion: no risk or very slight risk; checking: no risk or very slight risk; collapse: no known specific risk; casehardening: no known specific risk | |
| Suggested kiln program temperatures | 60–70 °C | about 140–158 °F |
| Machining | blunting normal; saw teeth: ordinary or alloy steel; cutting tools: ordinary | |
| Nailing and screwing | Poor | |
| CITES status | This species is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025). |
Values from the CIRAD Tropix technical sheet (average values for mature wood, 12% moisture content where noted). US-unit conversions are calculated by BigEpoxy (1 MPa = 145.04 psi; density = specific gravity × 62.43 lb/ft³).
Appearance, Texture, and Weight
The wood presents a creamy white color (noted as cream white to pinkish white), with sapwood that is not demarcated from the heartwood. It features a coarse texture and a straight grain, with interlocked grain completely absent. Log diameters generally span from 50 to 80 cm.
Jacaranda is a distinctly lightweight timber. At 12% moisture content, its specific gravity averages 0.43, which works out to approximately 26.8 lb/ft³. For river table builders sizing stock, a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 4.5 lb per square foot. This modest weight makes handling larger table assemblies relatively easy in the shop, but it also reflects a lower physical density throughout the wood.
Hardness and Mechanical Strength
On the French Monnin hardness scale, Jacaranda measures 1.1 at 12% moisture content. The Monnin scale is an established measurement where higher values denote harder timber; it is not a Janka rating and should never be conflated with one. A Monnin hardness of 1.1 characterizes the species as relatively soft.
Mechanically, mature Jacaranda tested at 12% moisture content exhibits:
- Crushing strength: 31 MPa (about 4,500 psi)
- Static bending strength: 54 MPa (about 7,830 psi)
- Modulus of elasticity: 11,100 MPa (about 1,610,000 psi)
Shrinkage and Movement Next to Epoxy
Cast epoxy forms a rigid, non-moving barrier alongside timber. Consequently, a wood’s dimensional shrinkage rates dictate how much mechanical strain develops along the epoxy-wood bondline as seasonal humidity fluctuates.
Jacaranda has a fibre saturation point of 32%. Its total tangential shrinkage is 8.5%, while total radial shrinkage is 5.7%. The resulting tangential-to-radial shrinkage ratio (St/Sr) is 1.5. A ratio close to 1 indicates a lower tendency toward cupping. Jacaranda’s coefficient of volumetric shrinkage is 0.56% per 1% change in moisture content. Because dimensional movement occurs whenever the slab absorbs or loses moisture, thorough pre-sealing and balanced top-and-bottom coating are essential to prevent stress against the cast resin.
Drying Behavior and Risks
The CIRAD Tropix sheet indicates that Jacaranda has a rapid drying rate. When drying, it exhibits no risk or very slight risk of distortion, as well as no risk or very slight risk of checking. There is no known specific risk of collapse or casehardening. The suggested kiln drying schedule operates between 60 °C and 70 °C (about 140 °F to 158 °F).
However, the species is prone to blue stain. For thicker material, preservative treatment is recommended specifically to lower blue stain hazards during processing.
Machining, Tooling, and Fastening
Jacaranda produces a normal blunting effect on cutters. Both ordinary and alloy steel saw teeth perform well, and standard cutting tools are suitable. CIRAD notes a tendency to woolliness during machining, advising woodworkers to keep cutting tools sharp. For primary sawing, log-turning sawing is recommended to prevent shakes caused by internal release of growth stresses.
In mechanical assembly, nailing and screwing performance is rated as poor. Thread engagement in low-density wood is limited, meaning threaded inserts, wide-washer through-bolts, or oversized fasteners are best practice when attaching heavy steel table bases.
Durability, Permeability, and Regulatory Status
Jacaranda possesses low natural durability:
- Fungi resistance: Durability class 5 (not durable).
- Termites and dry-wood borers: Class S (susceptible, with risk in all the wood).
- Heartwood treatability: Class 1 (easily permeable).
- Use class: Class 1 (interior uses with no dampness).
- CITES status: Not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025).
Because the timber is easily permeable (Class 1), deep-penetrating epoxy seal coats will readily absorb into the end grain and open, coarse pores. The species is restricted by durability to strictly dry interior environments.
Listed End-Uses
According to CIRAD Tropix, standard industrial and artisanal end-uses for Jacaranda include current furniture or furniture components, interior joinery, moulding, sliced veneer, veneer for the interior of plywood, blockboard, fiber or particle boards, turned goods, wood-ware, boxes and crates, matches, and pulp.
Practical Pre-Pour Checklist for Jacaranda Slabs
- Verify the lumber is thoroughly dried down to an interior target before building, noting that Jacaranda’s fiber saturation point is 32%.
- Inspect all slab faces for signs of blue stain or insect activity, treating the permeable wood if preservation is required.
- Joint, plane, and sand the contact edges using sharp tooling to prevent woolliness along the coarse grain.
- Apply a thorough epoxy seal coat across the river bond face, allowing the permeable structure to absorb resin and prevent outgassing bubbles.
- Design mechanical base attachments using through-bolts or deep threaded inserts to compensate for the wood’s poor screw-holding rating.
- Ensure the finished tabletop remains exclusively in an interior, dry room setting consistent with its Class 1 durability classification.
Sources
Published October 30, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: Jacaranda logs tend to sink after long periods in water and should not be moved by floatage, a reflection of how rapidly its permeable structure absorbs moisture when submerged. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Jacaranda.)