Working with Preciosa (Aniba canelilla) in Wood and Epoxy Builds
Preciosa (Aniba canelilla) is a dense hardwood from Latin America, with Brazil noted as a primary producing country. Recognized for its deep coloration and high physical strength, it offers distinctive qualities for custom river tables and mixed-media wood tops. To understand how this species performs alongside cured epoxy, builders can look to the technical data provided by CIRAD Tropix.
| Property | CIRAD Tropix value | What it means / US units |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name(s) | Aniba canelilla | |
| Colour / texture / grain | Dark brown; texture medium; grain straight to entangled; interlocked grain slight | |
| Specific gravity (12% MC) | 1.12 | about 69.9 lb/ft³; a 2-inch-thick slab weighs about 11.7 lb per sq ft |
| Monnin hardness (12% MC) | 15.8 | French hardness scale; higher = harder (not a Janka value) |
| Total tangential shrinkage | 7.5 % | green to oven-dry |
| Total radial shrinkage | 5.8 % | green to oven-dry |
| Ratio St/Sr | 1.3 | closer to 1 = less cupping tendency |
| Coefficient of volumetric shrinkage | 0.64 % per % MC | volume change per 1% change in moisture content |
| Fibre saturation point | 20 % | |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.35 W/(m·K) | |
| Crushing strength (12% MC) | 106 MPa | about 15,370 psi |
| Static bending strength (12% MC) | 208 MPa | about 30,170 psi |
| Modulus of elasticity (12% MC) | 30,230 MPa | about 4,384,000 psi |
| Decay (fungi) resistance | Durability class 1 – very durable | |
| Termite resistance | Class D – durable | |
| Dry-wood borer resistance | Class D – durable (sapwood demarcated, risk limited | |
| Heartwood treatability | Class 4 – not permeable | |
| Use class from natural durability | Class 4 – in ground or fresh water contact | |
| Drying | rate slow; distortion: slight risk; checking: slight risk; collapse: no known specific risk; casehardening: no known specific risk | |
| Suggested kiln program temperatures | 45–65 °C | about 113–149 °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).
What does Preciosa look like, and how is its grain structured?
Preciosa features dark brown or blackish heartwood contrasted by clearly demarcated sapwood that is brownish yellow. Slabs cut from logs typically carry a sapwood band between 2 and 6 cm thick. The wood has a medium texture, a pleasant scent, and grain that ranges from straight to entangled, with slight interlocked grain. Because log diameters generally range from 40 to 60 cm, river table designs often utilize bookmatched boards or twin live-edge slabs bordering an epoxy channel.
How heavy and hard is Preciosa for a dining table or desk?
Preciosa is an exceptionally heavy hardwood with a specific gravity of 1.12 at 12% moisture content. In US workshop measurements, this translates to roughly 69.9 lb/ft³, meaning a 2-inch-thick tabletop slab weighs approximately 11.7 lb per square foot before resin is poured. In terms of resistance to indentation, CIRAD Tropix reports a Monnin hardness of 15.8. Monnin hardness is a French standardized scale where higher values represent harder timber; it is not a Janka rating and should never be converted into one. This 15.8 rating places Preciosa among very hard commercial species capable of enduring heavy everyday tabletop contact.
How does Preciosa behave mechanically and dimensionally next to epoxy?
Whenever wood is bonded to rigid epoxy resin, seasonal dimensional movement must be accounted for. Preciosa has a total tangential shrinkage of 7.5% and a total radial shrinkage of 5.8% from green to oven-dry conditions. Its ratio of tangential to radial shrinkage (St/Sr) is 1.3. A ratio close to 1 indicates a balanced shrinkage profile across both grain orientations, translating to a low tendency toward cupping. Additionally, its coefficient of volumetric shrinkage is 0.64% per 1% shift in moisture content, with a fiber saturation point of 20%. Mechanically, it delivers high stiffness and load resistance, with a crushing strength of 106 MPa (around 15,370 psi), a static bending strength of 208 MPa (around 30,170 psi), and a modulus of elasticity of 30,230 MPa (about 4,384,000 psi).
What are the drying risks when prepping Preciosa slabs?
Preciosa exhibits a slow drying rate. When drying boards or slabs, the material exhibits only a slight risk of distortion and a slight risk of checking. The CIRAD Tropix technical sheet records no known specific risk for either collapse or casehardening. Standard kiln schedules for the species recommend temperatures spanning 45 to 65 °C (about 113 to 149 °F). To ensure a stable bond with epoxy, the wood should be thoroughly dried to target interior equilibrium moisture levels before any resin is poured.
How difficult is Preciosa to saw, plane, and machine?
Due to its high density, Preciosa exerts a fairly high blunting effect on shop equipment. Standard steel blades and knives will dull quickly. CIRAD Tropix recommends using stellite-tipped saw teeth for breakdown cuts and tungsten carbide cutting tools for milling, surfacing, and routing. Peeling and slicing are listed as not recommended or without interest for this species.
What should builders know about gluing and fastening Preciosa?
Fastening Preciosa requires care: while nailing and screwing holding properties are rated as good, pre-boring is strictly necessary to prevent splitting. Regarding adhesive joints, CIRAD Tropix explicitly notes that because of the species’ very high specific gravity, gluing must be especially performed in compliance with the relevant code of practice. For epoxy river builds, surfaces should be freshly and cleanly prepared according to adhesive recommendations to establish a dependable bond with the dense wood fibers.
What is the durability and regulatory status of Preciosa?
Preciosa is exceptionally durable in natural environments. The heartwood achieves Durability Class 1 (very durable) against wood-decay fungi, Class D (durable) against termites, and Class D (durable) against dry-wood borers, with borer risks limited strictly to the sapwood. Its natural durability qualifies it for Use Class 4 (in ground or fresh water contact), and its heartwood treatability is Class 4 (not permeable). This species is not listed in the CITES Appendices (Washington Convention 2025). CIRAD Tropix highlights its suitability for high-class furniture, cabinetwork, flooring, interior joinery, cooperage, turned goods, and musical instruments.
Sources
Published October 30, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original graphic by BigEpoxy.com.
Staff note: Beyond its dimensional balance, Preciosa has an exceptionally high modulus of elasticity (30,230 MPa / ~4,384,000 psi), meaning long river table spans using this timber will resist bending and sagging under heavy tabletop loads far better than typical domestic hardwoods. (Source: CIRAD Tropix 7 technical sheet: Preciosa.)