Working with Bodioa in Epoxy River Tables
Bodioa (botanically classified as Anopyxis klaineana, with the synonym Anopyxis ealaensis) is a dense African hardwood known for its heavy structural qualities and light brown coloration. According to the CIRAD Tropix technical sheet, the wood displays pink or ochre shades with a medium texture and generally straight grain, though flat-sawn pieces can present wavy figure. The sapwood is not clearly demarcated from the heartwood, giving boards a unified tonal appearance across the face.
With an average specific gravity of 0.89 at 12% moisture content (roughly 55.6 lb/ft³), a standard 2-inch slab weighs about 9.3 lb per square foot. This solid heft provides immense mass for conference or dining tables, but it also signals a wood that requires deliberate processing, powerful shop tooling, and careful moisture management when locked beside cured epoxy resin.
Bodioa Wood: Pros and Cons for Epoxy Builders
- Straight grain structure: Interlocked grain is absent, simplifying planing compared to wildly cross-grained tropical timber.
- High surface hardness: Bodioa scores 7.0 on the Monnin hardness scale (a French wood testing scale where higher numbers reflect greater indentation resistance, distinct from Janka testing).
- Extreme bending and crushing strength: Testing shows a static bending strength of 132 MPa (about 19,150 psi), modulus of elasticity of 20,290 MPa, and crushing strength of 75 MPa.
- Termite durability: Rated Class D (durable) against termite attacks.
- Good slab width potential: Log diameters range from 60 to 100 cm, yielding generous board widths for multi-slab or single-river layouts.
- Unregulated international trade: Not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025).
- Substantial drying risks: CIRAD Tropix notes a slow drying rate combined with a high risk of distortion and a high risk of checking.
- High tangential shrinkage: Total tangential shrinkage reaches 10.3%, with a shrinkage ratio of 1.7 and a coefficient of volumetric shrinkage of 0.65% per % change in moisture content.
- Poor natural decay resistance: Categorized as durability class 5 (not durable) against wood-decay fungi, and susceptible (class S) to dry-wood borers across all parts of the wood.
- Susceptible to blue stain: Wet or improperly handled material is prone to sap-staining fungi.
- High cutting resistance: The dense wood requires substantial machine power to mill, rip, and plane.
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Anopyxis klaineana, Anopyxis ealaensis (synonymous) | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Light brown; texture medium; grain straight; interlocked grain absent | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 0.89 | about 55.6 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 9.3 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 7.0 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 10.3 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 6.2 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.7 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.65 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 30 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.29 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 75 MPa | about 10,880 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 132 MPa | about 19,150 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 20,290 MPa | about 2,943,000 psi |
| Decay (fungi) resistance | Durability class 5 – not durable | |
| Termite resistance | Class D – durable | |
| 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 slow; distortion: high risk; checking: high risk; collapse: no known specific risk; casehardening: no known specific risk | |
| Suggested kiln program temperatures | 53–65 °C | about 127–149 °F |
| Machining | blunting normal; 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). |
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).
Build Notes: Building Epoxy Tables with Bodioa Slabs
Slab Selection
Log diameters run from 60 to 100 cm, giving furniture makers access to wide planks. When examining raw live-edge slabs, scrutinize both edges carefully. Because sapwood is not clearly demarcated, sap-rot or borer activity can easily hide in plain sight. Reject or trim boards that exhibit soft sections, blue stain discoloration, or pinholes from dry-wood borers.
Drying and Movement
Bodioa demands patient drying. With a fiber saturation point of 30%, its total tangential shrinkage is 10.3% and total radial shrinkage is 6.2%. The high risk of distortion and checking means that green or partially dried boards cannot simply be forced quickly through an aggressive cycle. Suggested kiln temperatures range between 53 °C and 65 °C (about 127 °F to 149 °F). Slabs must reach stable interior equilibrium before you build. If wet Bodioa dries while trapped against rigid epoxy, the 0.65% volumetric movement per 1% moisture change will exert intense tension on the resin bond line.
Machining
Although blunting effect is rated as normal, CIRAD specifies that Bodioa requires power. Saws should be outfitted with stellite-tipped teeth, and shaping or surfacing cutters should utilize tungsten carbide tooling to handle the wood’s density. Fastening requires pre-boring; screws cannot be driven directly without risking splits.
Sealing and Gluing
The CIRAD data notes that due to Bodioa’s high specific gravity, gluing must be performed in strict compliance with the code of practice. Ensure mating edges are freshly surfaced, clean, and flat. For resin pours, prime live edges thoroughly. Heartwood treatability is rated as Class 1 (easily permeable), meaning penetrating epoxy seal coats will sink readily into the medium-textured vessel pores, preventing off-gassing bubbles during the main river pour.
Finishing and End Use
Natural durability limits Bodioa strictly to Use Class 1 (interior uses without dampness). Its listed industrial end-uses include interior joinery, heavy carpentry, vehicle flooring, and industrial flooring. Keep your completed wood-and-epoxy tabletop indoors in climate-controlled conditions to protect the non-durable heartwood from humidity shifts and fungal decay.
Sources
Published October 31, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: Under French reaction-to-fire standards recorded in the CIRAD sheet, Bodioa timber thicker than 14 mm achieves an M3 rating (moderately inflammable), but thinner cuts below 14 mm drop to M4 (easily inflammable), reinforcing why thick slab construction performs better structurally and safely. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Bodioa.)