Introduction to Merpauh for River Table Builders
Merpauh represents timber from several species of the genus Swintonia within the family Anacardiaceae, including Swintonia floribunda, Swintonia penangiana, Swintonia pierrei, Swintonia schwenkii, Swintonia spicifera, and Swintonia p.p. Sourced from Asia-Oceania—with major producing countries including Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Viet Nam—this timber is utilized internationally for interior joinery, carpentry, and current furniture or furniture components.
For woodworkers considering Merpauh for custom epoxy river tables or tabletops, understanding its physical and mechanical properties is essential. According to technical data published by CIRAD Tropix, Merpauh displays balanced mechanical strength and moderate stability, but its natural durability requires strict indoor use.
Visual Characteristics and Slab Dimensions
Merpauh produces heartwood that is light brown in color, frequently showing pink to reddish brown glints, accompanied by a lustrous surface. The sapwood is not clearly demarcated from the heartwood. In terms of texture, the wood is coarse, while the grain is typically straight. Interlocked grain is absent, though wavy grain can occasionally occur.
Commercial logs range from 60 to 100 cm in diameter. For builders seeking wide slabs for conference tables or dining table rivers, logs of 60 to 100 cm provide ample width for live-edge bookmatches or wide single planks flanking a central resin channel.
Weight, Hardness, and Mechanical Strength
At 12% moisture content, Merpauh has an average specific gravity of 0.75, which corresponds to a density of about 46.8 lb/ft³. In the shop, a 2-inch-thick slab will weigh approximately 7.8 lb per square foot before resin is added. This puts it into a medium-heavy bracket, requiring robust bases and secure leg mountings.
The wood carries a Monnin hardness value of 5.5 at 12% moisture content. The Monnin scale is a French standard test where a higher number denotes a harder surface (it is not equivalent to a Janka measurement). A Monnin hardness of 5.5 indicates a solid, dent-resistant surface well-suited to everyday tabletop use. Mechanically, Merpauh delivers a crushing strength of 66 MPa (about 9,570 psi), a static bending strength of 114 MPa (about 16,530 psi), and a modulus of elasticity of 20,060 MPa (about 2,909,000 psi), ensuring strong resistance to bending and sagging over long spans.
Shrinkage and Movement Next to Epoxy
When bonding solid timber directly to cured epoxy resin, dimensional movement is the primary technical concern. Merpauh exhibits total tangential shrinkage of 7.2% and total radial shrinkage of 4.8% from green to oven-dry conditions. Its ratio of tangential to radial shrinkage (St/Sr) is 1.5, with a fiber saturation point recorded at 24% and a volumetric shrinkage coefficient of 0.52% per 1% change in moisture content.
A shrinkage ratio of 1.5 is relatively low, meaning the timber has a low tendency to cup or twist during seasonal ambient humidity swings. However, because the volumetric shrinkage coefficient is 0.52%, significant swings in room moisture will cause notable expansion and contraction. To prevent shear stress along the epoxy-wood boundary, slabs must be thoroughly acclimated and dried to the target indoor equilibrium moisture content before pouring resin. Sealing all tabletop faces, including the underside, according to the resin manufacturer’s instructions is necessary to regulate moisture transfer.
Drying Behavior and Shop Machining
Merpauh has a normal drying rate. The CIRAD Tropix data sheet reports only a slight risk of distortion and a slight risk of checking, with no known specific risk of casehardening or collapse. CIRAD suggests kiln program temperatures between 53 and 65 °C (about 127 and 149 °F). One drying characteristic to monitor is the risk of coloration occurring during the drying process.
In the machine shop, Merpauh exhibits normal blunting on cutting tools. Standard cutting tools and sawteeth made of ordinary or alloy steel perform well. However, CIRAD notes that the wood can become difficult to saw if tension wood is present, and silica is sometimes found in the timber. Dust and sap from green timber can cause skin irritations, requiring appropriate workshop personal protective equipment. Fastening is straightforward, with nailing and screwing rated as good.
Durability and Environmental Compliance
Natural resistance to biological degradation is low. Merpauh is classified under Durability class 5 (not durable) regarding xylophagous fungi. Heartwood resistance to dry-wood borers is rated Class S (susceptible, with risk throughout all the wood), and resistance to termites is also Class S (susceptible). The heartwood is moderately permeable (Class 2 treatability).
Consequently, the natural durability of Merpauh limits it strictly to Class 1 use: inside, dry environments with no dampness. It should never be used for outdoor tables or areas subject to humidification. Regarding trade regulations, Merpauh is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025).
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Swintonia floribunda, Swintonia penangiana, Swintonia pierrei, Swintonia schwenkii, Swintonia spicifera, Swintonia p.p. | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Light brown; texture coarse; grain straight; interlocked grain absent | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 0.75 | about 46.8 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 7.8 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 5.5 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 7.2 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 4.8 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.5 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.52 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 24 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.25 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 66 MPa | about 9,570 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 114 MPa | about 16,530 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 20,060 MPa | about 2,909,000 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 2 – moderately permeable | |
| Use class from natural durability | Class 1 – inside (no dampness) | |
| Drying | rate normal; distortion: slight risk; checking: slight 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: ordinary or alloy steel; cutting tools: ordinary | |
| Nailing and screwing | Good | |
| 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).
Is It a Good Epoxy Table Wood?
Merpauh is a viable, handsome wood for interior epoxy river tables provided it is utilized within its limitations. Its light brown tone with pinkish glints, low cupping ratio (1.5), and strong bending strength (114 MPa / ~16,530 psi) make it technically stable and attractive under clear or tinted resin. However, because it is Class 5 (not durable) against decay fungi and susceptible to wood-boring insects, it is exclusively meant for dry indoor living spaces. Slabs must be fully dried to indoor targets, surfaced cleanly to address potential tension wood, and thoroughly sealed along all surfaces.
Sources
Published October 31, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: Take precautions during initial surfacing and dimensioning: CIRAD notes that sap and green timber of Merpauh can cause skin irritations, and silica is sometimes present in the grain, which can accelerate edge wear despite an otherwise normal tool-blunting rating. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Merpauh.)