Working with Tauari in Wood and Epoxy Builds
Tauari refers to timber from several Latin American species of the genus Couratari (family Lecythidaceae), commonly harvested in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. In the workshop, Tauari presents a clean, light palette ranging from creamy white to pinkish white or yellowish grey-white. It features a medium texture, straight grain, and an absence of interlocked grain. Because sapwood is not demarcated from the heartwood, boards offer a uniform appearance across slab faces and board edges.
According to technical data from the CIRAD Tropix research sheet, Tauari brings a balance of moderate density and low drying defect risk, making it an intriguing candidate for custom wood and epoxy tabletops, provided you account for its specific tooling wear and interior service limits.
Pros and Cons for Epoxy River Tables
Pros
- Uniform aesthetic: Non-demarcated sapwood and a creamy white to pinkish tone provide a consistent backdrop for clear or tinted epoxy river designs.
- Favorable drying behavior: Demonstrates a rapid drying rate with no risk or very slight risk of distortion or checking, and no known specific risk of collapse or casehardening.
- Predictable grain direction: Straight grain without interlocked fibers simplifies flattening passes and planning across wide tabletop surfaces.
- Controlled cupping profile: A tangential-to-radial shrinkage ratio of 1.6 indicates moderate dimensional behavior across seasonal shifts.
- Unrestricted trade status: Tauari is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025).
Cons
- High tool blunting: Highly abrasive to tool cutting edges; requires stellite-tipped saw teeth and tungsten carbide tooling to maintain clean edges.
- Not naturally durable: Heartwood falls into durability class 5 (not durable) against decay fungi and is classified as Class S (susceptible) to termites and dry-wood borers.
- Interior-only baseline: Natural durability limits its primary application to Class 1 interior use without dampness.
- Species variability: Commercial lumber lots often blend multiple Couratari species, meaning mechanical density and color nuances can vary across boards.
- Prone to fungal staining: Material must be dried promptly after felling to avoid blue stain defects.
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Couratari spp. | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Creamy white; texture medium; grain straight; interlocked grain absent | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 0.62 | about 38.7 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 6.5 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 2.7 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 7.0 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 4.5 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.6 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.50 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 28 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.21 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 48 MPa | about 6,960 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 87 MPa | about 12,620 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 14,500 MPa | about 2,103,000 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 | 55–65 °C | about 131–149 °F |
| Machining | blunting high; saw teeth: stellite-tipped; cutting tools: tungsten carbide | |
| Nailing and screwing | Good but pre-boring necessary | |
| CITES status | This species is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025). Notes. The TAUARI regroups several species of the genus Couratari whose properties and aspect can greatly vary. |
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).
Density, Hardness, and Structural Behavior
Tauari exhibits an average specific gravity of 0.62 at 12% moisture content. In US workshop measurements, this translates to an average density of about 38.7 lb/ft³, with a 2-inch-thick slab weighing approximately 6.5 lb per sq ft. This moderate heft gives furniture tops solid presence without the overwhelming deadweight of heavy, dense exotic timbers.
On the French Monnin hardness scale, Tauari rates at 2.7 for mature wood. The Monnin system evaluates indentation resistance under standard French laboratory testing, where higher numbers indicate harder surfaces. Monnin hardness is fundamentally different from the American Janka indentation scale and should never be directly converted to Janka values. At 2.7, Tauari provides practical dent resistance suitable for interior furniture, current furniture components, and indoor staircases.
Its structural properties include a crushing strength of 48 MPa (about 6,960 psi), a static bending strength of 87 MPa (about 12,620 psi), and a modulus of elasticity of 14,500 MPa (about 2,103,000 psi). These figures reflect adequate beam stiffness for wide tabletops resting on steel or wood bases.
Shrinkage and Stability Next to Epoxy
Combining solid timber with rigid epoxy casting resin requires close attention to hygroscopic wood movement. Tauari has a total tangential shrinkage of 7.0% and a total radial shrinkage of 4.5% from green to oven-dry, with a fiber saturation point of 28%. Its tangential-to-radial shrinkage ratio (St/Sr) is 1.6, and its coefficient of volumetric shrinkage is 0.50% per 1% change in moisture content.
Because the ratio sits at 1.6, quartersawn boards offer the best stability against the epoxy bondline, though flat-sawn pieces exhibit relatively low distortion risk compared to woods with higher shrinkage ratios. However, because cross-grain seasonal movement still occurs whenever interior humidity changes, the wood interface must be prepared meticulously so that stress does not rupture the epoxy resin bond.
Build Notes: Slab Selection, Preparation, and Assembly
Slab Selection
Logs generally range from 50 to 80 cm in diameter. When selecting stock, note that commercial Tauari can blend different Couratari species, causing subtle shifts between cream, pinkish, and grey-white tones. Inspect incoming boards for uniform color and check for blue stain, which occurs if green logs are left unmanaged before kiln conversion.
Drying
Tauari dries rapidly with minimal checking or distortion. Suggested industrial kiln schedules begin at 50 °C (prewarm) and step through 55 °C to 65 °C (about 131–149 °F) as moisture drops. Ensure boards are brought to a stable target moisture content matched to interior equilibrium before pouring resin.
Machining
Due to a high blunting effect, standard high-speed steel cutters dull rapidly. Equip jointers, planers, and CNC routers with tungsten carbide tooling, and run stellite-tipped saw blades. When securing tabletops to leg assemblies, pre-boring is necessary despite its good screwing and nailing properties.
Sealing and Finishing
CIRAD Tropix classifies Tauari heartwood as Class 1 (easily permeable) for preservative treatability. In table building, this open permeability means exposed live edges and end grain absorb low-viscosity liquid quickly. Apply a preliminary seal coat along the river edges and allow it to set in accordance with your resin manufacturer’s directions before the deep pour. Because Tauari is not naturally durable (Class 5) and restricted to interior use (Class 1), topcoats must thoroughly seal all surfaces, including the underside, to protect the wood from ambient moisture absorption.
Sources
Published October 30, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: CIRAD Tropix notes that Tauari timber emits an unpleasant odour when green, which dissipates once dried; keep this in mind if unseasoned boards or freshly surfaced green slabs are brought into an enclosed shop environment. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Tauari.)