- Species
- Hevea brasiliensis
- Janka
- About 980 lbf
- Density
- About 595 kg/m³
- Stability
- Medium
- Relative cost
- Low
- Target moisture
- 8 to 10 percent for most interior products, lower for dry heated interiors
Materials / Plantation and tropical hardwood
Rubberwood: Treatment, Panel Grades and How to Specify It
A pale, even plantation hardwood cut after latex tapping ends. Low cost and easy to machine and stain. Widely sold as edge-glued and finger-jointed panels.
Rubberwood is the timber of the para rubber tree. The trees are grown on plantations in Southeast Asia and other tropical regions for latex. When latex yield drops, usually after 25 to 30 years, the trees are felled and replanted, and the trunks go to sawmills. That makes rubberwood a by-product of an existing crop, with steady supply and a low log price.
It is a medium density hardwood with a pale cream to light tan color and a fairly even grain. It machines, glues and stains well, so it is used for furniture frames and components, chair parts, table tops, kitchen tools and toys. Much of it reaches buyers as edge-glued or finger-jointed panels, because the logs are small and the clear lengths are short.
The weak points are biological. The fresh wood is rich in starch and sugar, so it is attacked by sapstain fungi and wood-boring insects within days of felling. Good mills saw it fast, treat it with a boron preservative and kiln dry it promptly. Most quality problems buyers see in rubberwood go back to a slow or skipped step at the mill, not to the species itself.
Properties
| Janka hardness | About 980 lbf (4,350 N), typical |
| Density at 12 percent moisture | About 595 kg/m³, typical |
| Shrinkage, green to oven dry | About 2.3 percent radial, 5.1 percent tangential, typical |
| Grain and texture | Straight to slightly interlocked grain, medium texture. Tension wood can leave fuzzy patches. |
| Color | Pale cream to light tan, little difference between heartwood and sapwood. Darkens slightly with light. |
| Natural durability | Perishable. Interior use only, and only after preservative treatment. |
| Common treatment | Boron compounds by vacuum pressure or dip diffusion before kiln drying |
Typical published values for wood at about 12 percent moisture. Individual boards and panels vary.
Grades you will see on a quote
The grade decides how much clear wood you pay for. Name it on the RFQ and ask for photos of what the factory calls that grade.
- AA face (trade grade)Clear on both faces with a close color match. Used for visible tops and clear finished parts. Highest price.
- AB face (trade grade)One clear face, the back face allows small knots, color and minor defects. A common grade when only one side shows.
- BC face (trade grade)Sound knots, color streaks and small filled defects allowed. Used for painted parts, hidden parts and cores.
- Grade names vary by millAA, AB and BC are trade grades, not a published standard. Each mill draws the lines differently, so ask for photos and a written defect list.
- Finger-jointed (FJ) panelsShort clear pieces joined end to end, then edge-glued. Lower cost and more stable, with visible joints.
- Full stave or full length panelsEach stave runs the full panel length with no finger joints. Costs more and limits length.
Where rubberwood works
Products and parts where it earns its price, and where another material is the better buy.
Furniture components
Legs, rails, aprons and frames for stained or painted furniture. Turns and routes cleanly.
Edge-glued panels and table tops
Finger-jointed or full stave panels for tops, shelves and case sides.
Chair parts
Seats, back slats and turned spindles where an even stain color matters.
Kitchenware and cutting boards
Boards, trays and utensils. Confirm the preservative and finish meet food contact rules for your market.
Toys and children's furniture
Pale, smooth and easy to paint. Check coatings against the toy safety rules that apply.
Staircase parts and interior trim
Treads, handrails and mouldings in painted or stained interiors.
Where it is a poor fit
- Outdoor products or any part that stays damp. Rubberwood has very low natural decay resistance.
- Parts where buyers expect a strong, figured grain pattern. Rubberwood is plain and reads as uniform once stained.
- Wet areas such as bathroom vanities without a fully sealed finish on every face and edge.
In the factory
How rubberwood behaves in machining, gluing, finishing and drying. These points explain most price and quality differences between quotes.
- MachiningMachines and turns well. Tension wood can leave a fuzzy surface, so sharp tooling and a final fine sanding help.
- GluingGlues well with PVAc adhesives for edge gluing and finger joints. Machine and glue the same day for a clean bond line.
- FinishingTakes stain evenly, which is why it is used to imitate darker species. Paints cleanly with little grain show-through.
- DryingMust be kiln dried soon after sawing and treatment. Slow drying invites sapstain and mold. Prone to warp if dried too fast.
At each process step
- 01Kiln dryingNeeds preservative treatment and prompt drying after sawing to avoid stain and insects.
- 02Rough millingComes in short, narrow boards with many small defects. Most parts are made from short clear pieces that are finger jointed and edge glued.
- 03Finger jointing and edge gluingThe most common wood for finger jointed panels. Glues well with PVAc and RF presses. Narrow staves hide color variation.
- 06Wood turningWidely used for turned legs. Thick legs are usually turned from laminated blanks, since solid thick stock is hard to source and dry.
- 09Joinery and assemblyMachines and glues well, common in knock-down furniture. Softer than beech, so screw holes need correct pilot sizes.
- 11Inspection and packingProne to mold and stain if packed damp. Moisture checks on packing day and desiccant matter most here.
Hardness compared
Rubberwood against the other solid woods buyers ask about. Hardness matters for tops, floors and parts that take knocks. For legs, frames and hidden parts, stability and price usually matter more.
- Hard maple1,450
- Beech1,450
- White oak1,360
- Ash1,320
- Red oak1,290
- Yellow birch1,260
- Acacia1,100
- Teak1,070
- Black walnut1,010
- Rubberwood980
- Cherry950
- Radiata pine710
- Poplar540
How to specify rubberwood
Example RFQ lines you can adapt.
- Rubberwood, boron treated, kiln dried to 8 to 10 percent, AB face grade, finger-jointed, 25 mm finished thickness.
- Rubberwood full stave edge-glued top, AA face, staves 40 to 60 mm wide, color matched, no blue stain allowed.
- Rubberwood components for painted chairs, BC grade allowed on hidden faces, no live insect holes.
What to check on samples
Approve one sample in writing and keep it as the reference for every shipment.
- Blue or gray sapstain on faces and edges, against your stated limit
- Insect holes and fresh frass, which point to untreated or poorly treated stock
- Face grade of a stack of panels against the mill photos, not one sample
- Finger joint fit and glue line on the show face
- Moisture readings on finished parts and panels
- Stain color on the production batch, approved as the master sample
Alternatives to rubberwood
When price, supply or the use case points elsewhere.
- BeechSimilar pale color and good turning. Harder and denser, at a higher price, with better wear on chair parts.
- Yellow birchHarder and finer grained for parts that take wear. Costs more and comes in longer clear lengths.
- AcaciaAnother plantation hardwood at a similar price. Darker with more color contrast, often chosen for a natural finish.
- PoplarA common choice for painted parts in North America. Softer and with green streaks, so it is usually painted.
Products often made in rubberwood: furniture components, table tops and countertops, turned parts and legs, panels and veneer, CNC routed parts, kitchenware and small wood goods, wood packaging and boxes, pallets and crates.
Product lines in rubberwood: chair parts, sofa frames, RTA furniture kits, desk tops, furniture legs, wood dowels, edge glued panels, cutting boards.
Questions about rubberwood
Related guides:
- Rubberwood vs Birch vs Beech: Choosing a Species for Wood Parts
- Finger Jointed Wood: How Strong It Is and When the Joints Show
- Custom Wood Table Tops: Specifications That Get an Accurate Quote
Reference: Wikipedia: Rubberwood
Is rubberwood a hardwood?
Yes. It is a broadleaf tree and is classed as a hardwood. With a typical Janka value of about 980 lbf it is softer than oak or maple but harder than pine and poplar.
Why is rubberwood treated with boron?
The fresh wood is rich in starch and sugar, which attracts sapstain fungi and wood-boring insects. Boron compounds protect the wood until and after it is dried. Ask the factory how and when the stock was treated.
What do AA, AB and BC mean for rubberwood panels?
They are trade face grades. AA usually means two clear faces, AB one clear face and BC sound defects allowed. There is no single published standard, so compare photos and a written defect list from each factory.
Does rubberwood stain well?
Yes. Its even, pale color takes stain uniformly, so it is often finished to look like walnut, cherry or oak. Approve the stain on the production batch, since panels from different logs can absorb color differently.
Is rubberwood a sustainable choice?
It comes from trees that were planted for latex and are felled at the end of their productive life. Ask for chain of custody certification if your market or customer requires it.
Other plantation and tropical hardwoods
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