International Wood International Wood 2008 | Page 24

Swaner Hardwood Company
Since 1967, we have been committed to providing
a product of superior quality, service and value
to a wide range of loyal customers.
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Hardwood Lumber and Plywood
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Celebrating
our 41st Anniversary
1967 - 2008
Swaner Hardwood Co., Inc.
5 West Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
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www.swanerhardwood.com
24 i m p o r t e d
wood
Often, the imported species Coley uses are easy to work with, but not always.
“Rengas is uniquely attractive, but a very difficult wood to work with due to its silica
content. They build bridges out of it in Indonesia. It has a lot of sap and is difficult
to machine. Once it is dried, it seasons extremely well and is particularly resistant
to shrinkage and warping,” said Coley of the bright orange-colored tropical wood.
This innate stability is the reason why rengas was used for the beams, interior
ceiling, decking, flooring and garage head beam.
The crew at AMD had to learn how to machine the rengas. “We had to do all sorts
of experimentation with altering the tooth of the rake, and then modifying our speed
of cut. We made all kinds of concessions and we still had to do a lot of sharpening,”
said Coley. “We worked the rengas into ceiling planks, millwork and even 4-inch
thick flooring, trim and beamwork.” Eventually Coley and his team at AMD coaxed