About the wood
Parota
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
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
- 470 lbf
- Origin
- Central America, Mexico and northern South America
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern
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.