Meranti is a common name applied commercially to four groups of species from the genus Shorea, grown most commonly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. There are thousands of common names for the at least 135 various species from the genus Shorea that use this common name among others. The four groups are "light red", "dark red", "yellow", and "white". Then to compound the confusion, there are ANOTHER 25 or so species from at least 9 unrealted genera that ALSO use the common name meranti. SO ... this name is approximately equivalent to saying "yep, it sure is some kind of wood all right".
my samples:
plank and end grain --- this piece was sent in by Wade Whitbeck for ID and I'm sure it's one of the shorea species that is sold as meranti, although I have not idea which meranti group it goes in.
end grain closeup of the piece directly above
plank and end grain
end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- color is a little too dark
an oiled piece from the same plank as the sample above
a plank section showing some ray flakes --- both levels of enlargement are present, but even on the 2nd enlargement the flakes do not show up as well as they actually appear in the wood.
plank and end grain
end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- color is a little too dark
plank and end grain
end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- color is a little too dark
Most of these are from the lot shown in the first web picture below.
The last sample has thin white threads that run through the pores in the wood, which is commented on in my research as follows: "All merantis have axial resin ducts aligned in long, continuous, tangential lines as seen on the end surface of the wood. These ducts sometimes contain white deposits that are visible to the naked eye but the wood is not resinous like some keruing (Dipterocarpus) species that resemble meranti."
Judging from what I've read, there is no way that this meranti is "white" meranti, BUT according to what I've read, all the meranti's turn well except for white meranti which has a high silicon content. This meranti may not be white and it may or may not have high silica content, but it most emphatically does NOT turn well. It dulls tools almost immediately, and that's turning WITH the grain.
The wood in these samples is very hard and stiff and tends to chip and splinter when cut. It is generally an unpleasant wood to work with and I regret having bought it. I purchased it from the BogusColorVendor, but BEFORE I realized how grossly they misrepresent their offerings on eBay. In their picture it was a pretty red but in reality it's a dull chocolate brown.
sample plank of dark red meranti / Shorea spp.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
sample plank of light red meranti / Shorea spp.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
sample plank of white meranti / Shorea spp. (with considerable blue stain)
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
web pics
picture from eBay. The first of my own samples was taken from the board in the foreground of this picture, so as you can see, the web picture misrepresents the amount of orange/red in the wood. This is the LEAST serious misrepresentation I have seen from the BogusColorVendor
plank listed as dark red meranti / Shorea spp. and that has wet and dry sections
planks, not identified by group
planks listed as meranti amarillo / selangan
planks listed as meranti rojo claro
planks listed as meranti rojo oscuro
planks listed as white meranti
planks listed as yellow meranti
plank listed as lauan / Shorea polysperma
plank listed as meranti / Shorea pauciflora
plywood just identified as meranti
flooring sold under the common name membatu
veneer, not identified by group
quartersawn veneer, not identified by group
listed as "bakau" meranti, whatever that is.
planks listed as dark red meranti
planks listed as light red meranti
plank listed as red meranti / Shorea curtisii
quartersawn veneer listed as red meranti
flat cut veneer listed as red shorea meranti, although the "shorea" is redundant
meranti listed as "light white", which looks orange to me
meranti as the bottom of a small laminated bowl. The pic on the left is fresh off the lathe and the one on the right is after one coat of natural stain.
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