Southern Asia, East India, Sri Lanka, in lower and damp tropical rain forests, good veneer logs are rare.
USES:
High quality architectural woodwork or furniture.
PROPERTIES:
The heartwood is tobacco ‑colored, gold‑brown to purple‑brown with dark brown to purple‑brown lines. The dark streaks demarcate the growth zones and give the wood its typical attractive pattern, especially apparent when flat cut.
MACHINING:
Generally good and easy working with all tools. Calcareous and gum deposits can negatively influence the service life of tools. Very smooth surfaces can be produced by planning.
SEASONING:
There is a risk of end checking with the necessary relatively fast drying. There is no great tendency to warp but logs with calcareous deposits are more prone to checking.
FINISHING:
Rosewood is most excellently suited for polishing. It must be noted that the colored deposits in the pores dissolve when solvents contain ‑ ing alcohol are used and, as a result, this can lead to stains.
JOINTING:
Glue, screw and nail joints hold well and are very durable.
