Breadfruit Tree Wood

[grsjax]

Living in Hawaii I run across some interesting wood that isn't usually available elsewhere.  While reading an article on tropical woods I ran across a reference to Breadfruit wood being used for building and carving in the south Pacific islands.  I asked around and a friend that is a wood turner told me he had a piece in his shop that he had had for 20 years or so and never got around to using.  Said I could have it if I wanted it.  Wood is light colored and has a fine grain.  Before I started cutting it up I thought I would ask here if anyone has any experiance with it for model building.  Don't want to end up throwing it away because I screwed up the milling or something or worse using it to build a model and then have it fail in some way.

[Richard Griffith]

My wood book calls this wood 'melia azedarach'.

 

Melia azedarach, commonly known by many names, including white cedar,chinaberry tree, bead-tree, Cape lilac syringa berrytree, Persian lilac,and Indian lilac, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Indomalaya and Australasia. The genus Melia includes four other species, occurring from southeast Asia to northern Australia. They are all deciduous or semi-evergreen trees.

 

The wood is of medium density, and ranges in color from light brown to dark red. In appearance it is readily confused with the unrelated Burmese Teak.  The fruit and leaves are toxic to humans, but the wood seems to be neutral. 

(The above is from wikipedia-Duff)

 

So, since this wood is so rare outside of Southeast Asia and rare even there, it is likely no one on this forum has used it for model ship building.  Give it go and let us know-how it glues, how good paint sticks to it or what finish you use, it's bending properties, if it spits easily. 

 

Duff

[Stockholm tar]

Grsjax(?),

 

That's very interesting. Brian mentioned the famous mutiny, during Bligh's mission for the breadfruit plants, but I have never heard of it being used in ship modelling before. I think it might be a first!

 

I could suggest a model you might make from it!

[grsjax]

 

 

My wood book calls this wood 'melia azedarach'.

 

Melia azedarach, commonly known by many names, including white cedar,chinaberry tree, bead-tree, Cape lilac syringa berrytree, Persian lilac,and Indian lilac, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Indomalaya and Australasia. The genus Melia includes four other species, occurring from southeast Asia to northern Australia. They are all deciduous or semi-evergreen trees.

 

The wood is of medium density, and ranges in color from light brown to dark red. In appearance it is readily confused with the unrelated Burmese Teak.  The fruit and leaves are toxic to humans, but the wood seems to be neutral. 

(The above is from wikipedia-Duff)

 

So, since this wood is so rare outside of Southeast Asia and rare even there, it is likely no one on this forum has used it for model ship building.  Give it go and let us know-how it glues, how good paint sticks to it or what finish you use, it's bending properties, if it spits easily. 

 

Duff

 

Hi Duff

I think the species we have here is a different wood.  It has an edible fruit (very good eating if prepared right).  I think the scientific name is Artocarpus altilis.

Edited November 12, 2013 by grsjax

[Jim Lad]

I've never used the wood, but the breadfruit are delicious!

 

John

[bjoern]

Hi

Bounty would be a nice build connected as it is to breadfruit tree. 

[mtaylor]

grsjax,

 

I'd do a test build of something small first.  According to the information on the web, it's somewhere between balsa and cedar.  Not a hardwood but was used in surfboards, some canoes, and drums.   Might work, might not.  And also try assorted finishes also.  

[Nirvana]

grsjax,

 

This is what found about your wood.

Source : wikepedia

Breadfruit was widely and diversely used among Pacific Islanders. Its lightweight wood (specific gravity of 0.27) is resistant to termites and shipworms, so is used as timber for structures and outrigger canoes.

 

 

Considering it's lightweight, I would give it a shot.

In comparison Balsa wood has a specific gravity of 0.16, (less dense)

Basswood varies between 0.3-0.4 (popular for carving)

Poplar has a value at 0.34

European limewood a value of 0.56

Boxwood are at 0.67,  just to give you some numbers to relate to.

 

Also the wood of yours is being used by guitar builders.

Good luck

Edited November 12, 2013 by Nirvana