Wood species

Parota

Enterolobium cyclocarpum · Fabaceae

Also sold as Porota, Guanacaste

The wide, light slab of Central America and Mexico: 5 to 8 ft trunks make a single-board 38 in top ordinary, and it weighs far less than any other import. Sold as Parota or Guanacaste, and sometimes spelled Porota.

Janka hardness: 470 lbf
Shrinkage T / R: 4.9 / 2.2 %
Origin: Central America, Mexico and northern South America
IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Shop Parota in stock (4)All live edge slabs

Parota Live Edge Wood Slab #G965 39" x 36"-40" x 2.7" — overhead view — Oak City Customs

Pictured: Parota Live Edge Wood Slab #G965 39" x 36" - 40" x 2.7"

About Parota

Parota, also sold as Guanacaste, is a light Central American hardwood: light to medium brown heartwood, sometimes with a reddish cast and darker streaks, against pale yellow sapwood. The texture is very coarse, almost fibrous, from very large open pores, and the grain is usually slightly interlocked. It is soft and light for a hardwood, so it machines easily but tears out and fuzzes under the planer, and the final surface comes off the sander before the open pores are filled under a film finish. Trunks run wide, so single-slab tops are common. It suits dining tops, desks and conference tables that will not see hard knocks. Ours are kiln dried in Zebulon, NC.

Working & finishing

Easy to work with hand and machine tools, but tearout is common during planing and fuzzy surfaces show after machining, especially on quartersawn faces, so the final surface comes off the sander. Glues and finishes well. The very large pores need a fill or several build coats under a film finish; oil leaves them open. Soft at 470 lbf, so pre-drill for screws and expect dents. Reported to cause eye and respiratory irritation in some people.

Care

Wipe spills promptly and clean with a damp cloth; the open pores hold grit, so vacuum or brush before wiping. It is a soft top, softer than poplar by Janka, so use pads under hard objects and expect dents from hard use. Rated durable against decay but with mixed insect resistance; keep it indoors or under cover.

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