Laurel, Camphor

Camphor laurel yields a rich honey-coloured hardwood timber with a fresh camphor smell perfect for cutting boards, furniture and cabinetry.

Other Names

Camphor tree, Camphorwood, Chinese Camphor Wood

Botanical Name

Cinnamomum camphora

Common Form
Veneer
Species Type
Hardwood
  • Overview

    • Camphor laurel yields a beautiful, rich honey-coloured timber with a clean, fresh camphor smell that is perfect for furniture, carving, and cabinetry. The tree is native to Taiwan, southern Japan, southeast China and Indochina, where it has great cultural significance as a source of scent, oil and crystallised blocks for use in religious ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. It is used as a valuable timber for furniture and carving icons. 

    In Australia, the camphor laurel has a less respectable reputation. The 20 – 30 metre tall evergreen tree was introduced in the 1820s and quickly displaced and inhibited native vegetation. It was widely used for windbreaks and as a measure against soil erosion and as a result has proliferated on disused pasture along the coastal hinterland of NSW and parts of Queensland. It is now categorised as a weed and can easily be identified by its glossy, waxy leaves that smell strongly of camphor when crushed.

    Nevertheless, camphor laurel timber is excellent for creating fine furniture. Its heartwood varies widely in colour from pale to mid brown and is often streaked with darker brown or red. The sapwood is very wide and pale brown. The timber’s grain is usually interlocked with a moderately fine and even texture. All camphor laurel wood features the characteristic camphor smell that repels moths and other insects, making it perfect for clothes storage cabinets. Camphor laurel also has antibacterial properties prized for use in crafting handsome chopping and carving boards.

    The camphor laurel's extraordinary strong dark grain against a yellow base creates distinctive furniture. In the past it has been exported to Asia and later re-imported as a finished furniture product. It is also recommended for use as slabs in kitchen benchtops, tables and shelves, as well as decorative veneers, internal lining boards and turned or hand-carved bowls.

     

     

    Shrinkage

    Very Low Low Medium High Very High
    Check mark Check mark

    Tangential : Provides a simplified rating for tangential shrinkage. This is the measure of the percentage reduction in dimension from the unseasoned to 12% moisture content condition.
    3.50%

    Radial : Radial shrinkage is perpendicular to the growth rings. It is shrinkage in the direction towards the centre of the tree. Measurement is % value
    2.20%

    Unit Movement Tangential: This is the percentage of dimensional change for each 1% moisture content change between about 3% moisture content and the fibre saturation point for the particular species.

    Unit Movement Radial: This is the percentage of dimensional change for each 1% moisture content change between about 3% moisture content and the fibre saturation point for the particular species.

    Strength Group Strength groups are given for unseasoned (S1-S7) and seasoned (SD1-SD8) timber in accordance with AS 2878. S1 and SD1 yield the highest strength and stiffness whereas S7 and SD8 yield the lowest.

    Very High

    High

    Reasonably High

    Medium High

    Medium

    Reasonably Low

    Low

    Very Low

    Unseasoned:

    S1

    S2

    S3

    S4

    S5

    S6

    S7

    S8
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    Seasoned:

    SD1

    SD2

    SD3

    SD4

    SD5

    SD6

    SD7

    SD8
    Check mark

    Stress Grade A stress grade is defined in AS 1720 as the classification of timber for structural purposes by means of either visual or machine grading. The stress grade indicates the basic working stresses and stiffnesses to be used for structural design purposes. Measured in MPa.

    Structural
    No. 1    		 Structural
    No. 2    		 Structural
    No. 3    		 Structural
    No. 4    		 Structural
    No. 5

    Unseasoned:

    F8

    F7

    F5

    F4

    Seasoned:

    F14

    F11

    F8

    F7

    F5

    Density per Standard Seasoned density is based on moisture content of 12%. Unseasoned density is an approximation as it depends on the moisture content at the time of measurement. Measured kg/m3.

    Seasoned:

    485kg/m3

    Unseasoned:

    1000kg/m3

    Joint Group The joint group is a classification of the strength of a species in joint design. The values are from 1 (very high strength) to 6 (very low strength).

    Very High

    High

    Reasonably High

    Medium

    Low

    Very Low

    Unseasoned:

    J1

    J2

    J3

    J4

    J5

    J6
    Check mark

    Seasoned:

    JD1

    JD2

    JD3

    JD4

    JD5

    JD6
    Check mark

    Colour The colour of seasoned heartwood can vary between species and often within a species. The information provided should be used as a general guide only. In most cases, the colour of sapwood is either a lighter shade of the heartwood or a white/cream colour.

      White, yellow, pale straw to light brown Pink to pink brown Light to dark red Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky
       
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    Mechanical Properties

    Modulus of Rupture - Unseasoned: This property is a measure of maximum stress which timber can momentarily sustain when loaded slowly and continuously as a beam. Measured in MPa.

    Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned: This property is a measure of maximum stress which timber can momentarily sustain when loaded slowly and continuously as a beam. Measured in MPa.
    102

    Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned: This property is of importance in determining the deflection of a beam under load — the greater the stiffness, the less the deflection. Measured in GPa.

    Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned: This property is of importance in determining the deflection of a beam under load — the greater the stiffness, the less the deflection. Measured in GPa.
    11

    Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned:

    Also referred to as compression strength. This property measures the ability of the timber to withstand loads applied on the end grain. Measured in MPa.

    Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned: Also referred to as compression strength. This property measures the ability of the timber to withstand loads applied on the end grain. Measured in MPa.
    58

    Impact - Unseasoned: Provides the Izod value, which is the energy taken in joules (J) to fracture the timber.

    Impact - Seasoned: Provides the Izod value, which is the energy taken in joules (J) to fracture the timber.

    Toughness - Unseasoned: This is a measure of timber’s ability to resist shocks and blows, and is synonymous with impact strength. It is measured in Nm.

    Toughness - Seasoned: This is a measure of timber’s ability to resist shocks and blows, and is synonymous with impact strength. It is measured in Nm.

    Hardness - Unseasoned: Refers to the Janka hardness test and is a measure of timber’s resistance to indentation.

    Hardness - Seasoned: Refers to the Janka hardness test and is a measure of timber’s resistance to indentation.
    3.2

    Durability

    Low Moderate Reasonably High High
    (0 - 5 yrs) (5 - 15 yrs) (15 - 25 yrs) (more than 25 yrs)

    In-Ground: Durability is defined as the inherent resistance of a timber species to decay, or to insect or marine borer attack. All references to durability refer to the heartwood only. A scale of low to high (durability class 4 = low; 1 = high) has been adapted for above and in-ground durability.

    		 Check mark
    (0 - 7 yrs) (7 - 15 yrs) (15 - 40 yrs) (More than 40 yrs)

    Above ground: Durability is defined as the inherent resistance of a timber species to decay, or to insect or marine borer attack. All references to durability refer to the heartwood only. A scale of low to high (durability class 4 = low; 1 = high) has been adapted for above and in-ground durability.
    (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) (21 - 40 yrs) (41 - 64 yrs) (More than 60 yrs)

    Marine Borer Resistance: Indicates whether a species is resistant (R) or not resistant (NR) to marine borer attack.

    Lyctid Borer Susceptibility: Indicates whether a species is susceptible (S) or not susceptible (NS) to lyctid borer attack.

    Susceptible

    Lyctid Borer Susceptibility - Other:

    Termite Resistance: Indicates whether a species is resistant (R) or not resistant (NR) to termites.

    Fire Properties

    1 - non-combustible 2 - reasonably non-combustible 3 - slightly combustible 4 - combustible

    Fire Properties Group
    Number:

    Group Number - Other:
    3 if used on MDF or particleboard ≥12mm; veneer thickness 0.6-0.85mm

    Average Specific Extinction Area: This value is determined by the volume of smoke measured over the mass loss of the tested sample per test carried out in accordance with ‘Cone Calorimeter Test’ AS/NZS 3837. It is measured in units of m2/kg.
    <250

    Bushfire Resistance: Naturally bushfire-resisting timbers are those with inherent bushfire-resisting properties. Some species have been tested and a number are in the process of being tested and are measured by Bushfire Attack level (BAL). BAL -12.5: Ember attack, BAL – 19: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 12.5 and 19 kWm3, BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 19 and 29 kWm3.
    Not Tested
    Appearance

    A beautiful, often honey coloured timber, camphor laurel heartwood varies widely in colour from pale to mid brown and is often streaked with darker brown or red. The sapwood has many colours ranging from almost white to dark browns and reds. The timber’s grain is usually interlocked with a moderately fine and even texture.

    Common Applications

    Commonly used for turning and slab type furniture, camphor laurel is often employed in fine furniture design. It is recommended for use as kitchen benchtops, tables and shelves, as well as internal lining boards and turned or hand-carved bowls.

    All camphor laurel wood features a characteristic camphor smell that repels moths and other insects, making it perfect for clothes storage cabinets. Camphor also has antibacterial properties prized for use in crafting handsome chopping and carving boards.

     

    Workability

    Camphor laurel works fairly well but may require sanding to remove torn grain. An excellent timber for turning, it accepts coatings, bends well, and is fixes easily. Take care when gluing as it can be oily.

    Origin of timber
    NSW
    This species grows wild in NSW
    Camphor laurel is not available in commercial quantities in Australia as it is regarded as a weed.

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