Working with Jequitiba for Wood and Epoxy Tabletops
Jequitiba represents several species from Latin America, primarily harvested in Brazil and Bolivia, including Allantoma integrifolia, Cariniana estrellensis, Cariniana legalis, and related species. Documented thoroughly in the CIRAD Tropix technical sheet, this timber is recognized in commercial woodworking for high-class furniture, cabinetwork, and interior joinery. For makers designing epoxy river tables, Jequitiba provides a predictable, straight-grained substrate with exceptional dimensional balance.
Appearance, Grain, and Density
The heartwood of Jequitiba ranges from light brown to pinkish brown. Its sapwood spans 1 to 3 cm in thickness and is not clearly demarcated from the heartwood. The wood features a fine texture and straight grain, with interlocked grain completely absent. Occasionally, builders may observe lined-up traumatic canals running through the boards.
At 12% moisture content, Jequitiba has an average specific gravity of 0.64, translating to an air-dry density of approximately 40.0 lb/ft³. For table builders handling rough lumber or slabs, a 2-inch-thick tabletop weighs roughly 6.7 lb per square foot. On the French Monnin hardness scale—where higher numbers indicate harder wood—Jequitiba rates at 3.6, placing it in a moderate hardness category suited for tabletop wear without being excessively dense to handle.
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Allantoma integrifolia, Cariniana estrellensis, Cariniana legalis, Cariniana brasiliensis (synonymous), Cariniana p.p. | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Light brown; texture fine; grain straight; interlocked grain absent | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 0.64 | about 40.0 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 6.7 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 3.6 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 5.3 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 5.0 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.1 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.43 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 24 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.22 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 46 MPa | about 6,670 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 84 MPa | about 12,180 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 15,330 MPa | about 2,223,000 psi |
| Decay (fungi) resistance | Durability class 3 – moderately durable | |
| Termite resistance | Class D – durable | |
| Dry-wood borer resistance | Class S – susceptible (risk in all the wood) | |
| Heartwood treatability | Class 3 – poorly permeable | |
| Use class from natural durability | Class 2 – inside or under cover (dampness possible) | |
| Drying | rate normal to slow; distortion: slight risk; checking: slight risk; collapse: no known specific risk; casehardening: no known specific risk | |
| Suggested kiln program temperatures | 53–62 °C | about 127–144 °F |
| Machining | blunting fairly 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). |
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).
Pros and Cons for River Table Builders
Before incorporating Jequitiba slabs into a cast-resin build, review its key technical advantages and challenges:
- Exceptional Tangential-to-Radial Balance: With a total tangential shrinkage of 5.3% and radial shrinkage of 5.0%, the St/Sr ratio is an outstanding 1.1. This nearly 1:1 balance drastically minimizes the risk of slab cupping or twisting across a wide tabletop.
- Predictable Grain Structure: The straight grain and total absence of interlock provide uniform behavior during milling and flattening.
- Unrestricted Trade Status: Jequitiba is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025).
- Balanced Strength: Static bending strength sits at 84 MPa (about 12,180 psi) with a modulus of elasticity of 15,330 MPa (about 2,223,000 psi), ensuring great stiffness for unsupported spans.
- High Tool Blunting: Due to its silica content, Jequitiba exerts a fairly high blunting effect on standard steel blades.
- Machining Woolliness: The timber exhibits a tendency toward woolliness during cutting and surfacing, demanding sharp tooling.
- Fastener Splitting: The wood tends to split when nailed, making pre-boring mandatory for mechanical fasteners.
- Vulnerability to Dry-Wood Borers: Heartwood is rated Class S (susceptible) to dry-wood borers throughout the wood, requiring attention to raw stock inspection.
Build Notes: Slab Selection, Drying, and Fabrication
Slab Selection and Inspection
Typical commercial logs measure from 70 to 90 cm in diameter. When selecting live-edge slabs or wide planks, inspect the sapwood transition closely; because the sapwood is not clearly demarcated, moisture and sound wood checks should be confirmed across the entire board width. Check along longitudinal faces for any lined-up traumatic canals, which can be filled with casting resin or tinted epoxy if exposed on the final surface.
Drying and Moisture Management
Jequitiba has a fiber saturation point of 24% and a coefficient of volumetric shrinkage of 0.43% per 1% change in moisture content. The CIRAD Tropix data indicates a normal to slow drying rate. While there is no known specific risk for collapse or casehardening, there is a slight risk of distortion and checking. Kiln schedules typically maintain temperatures between 53 and 62 °C (127 to 144 °F). Ensure the wood is completely conditioned to interior equilibrium moisture content before securing it into an epoxy mold. Because the shrinkage ratio is 1.1, the differential stress placed against the epoxy river during seasonal atmospheric changes is unusually low.
Machining and Tooling
Because the timber contains silica, standard high-speed steel tools will dull quickly. CIRAD recommends stellite-tipped saw blades and tungsten carbide cutting tools. Run router flattening sleds and jointers at sharp tolerances to prevent woolly surface tearout along the straight fibers.
Sealing, Assembly, and Finishing
Jequitiba heartwood has a poorly permeable treatability rating (Class 3). When preparing the river channel, brush an initial seal coat of low-viscosity resin along the raw edge to seal the fine pores and eliminate trapped outgassing bubbles before the main pour. When installing threaded inserts, tabletop clips, or mechanical fasteners into the underside, always pre-bore pilot holes to prevent splitting. Natural durability against fungi is Class 3 (moderately durable), and the wood belongs to interior Use Class 2 (under cover with dampness possible), making it well-suited for indoor dining tables and desks.
Sources
Published October 30, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: Because Jequitiba heartwood is rated Class D (durable) against termites but Class S (susceptible) to xylophagous dry-wood borers across all of the wood, carefully inspect imported raw slabs for borer entry holes before beginning prep work. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Jequitiba.)