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Dendropanax arboreum
Mano De León
A pale, fine-grained hardwood safe for food contact — equally suited to kitchen interiors, veneer work, and detailed joinery.
View Selected InventoryAbout Mano De León
Mano de León is a pale, light-yellow hardwood with genuine versatility — attractive enough for plywood veneers and integral kitchen work, yet practical enough for boxes, packaging, doors, window frames, and general joinery. It's one of the few species on our list that's actually feasible for products in direct contact with food, thanks to its odorless, neutral character. The grain runs medium-textured, and it cuts and varnishes easily, though it does tend to warp slightly during planing and isn't the best candidate for screwing. It also responds well to vacuum pressure treatment, which helps with full penetration when preservative treatment is needed — worth knowing, since the wood is naturally sensitive to fungal and insect attack, and prone to blue staining if left untreated.
At a glance
- White Gumbo Limbo
- Chaka Blanco
- Lion's Hand
- Potato Wood
At a glance
- Origin
- Mexico through Central America to Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Antilles
- Category
- Indoor Furniture
- Best for
- Musical items
- Working properties
- Easy to cut and varnish, though grain tends to warp during planing. A poor wood for screwing. Treats well under vacuum pressure for full preservative penetration.
Spec sheet
Physical-mechanical properties
Physical-mechanical values for Mano De León from the approved Final Content document.
Density
400 kg/mu00b3
MOE Flex u2014 Elastic Modulus
8580 kg/cmu00b3
RLE Flex u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit
261 kg/cmu00b2
RR Flex u2014 Rupture Resistance
491 kg/cmu00b2
PMOE Com for u2014 Elastic Modulus, Compression Parallel
73580 kg/cmu00b2
PRLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Compression Parallel
144 kg/cmu00b2
RR Com for u2014 Rupture Resistance
211 kg/cmu00b2
RLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Perpendicular Compression
211 kg/cmu00b2
RR Shear for u2014 Rupture Resistance, Parallel Shear
211 kg/cmu00b2
JK Lateral u2014 Lateral Face Hardness
226 kg
JK Lateral u2014 Transverse Face Hardness
272 kg
Where it's used
Built for the demanding jobs
01 — Furniture
Indoor & outdoor furniture
02 — Flooring
Premium hardwood flooring
03 — Musical Instruments
Tonewood & musical instruments
04 — Marine
Marine decking & boat building
Application Gallery
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