Lignum Vitae: Wood So Bad-Ass, It's Used to Make Shaft Bearings for Nuclear Submarines (and More)
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How strong is lignum vitae wood?
4,500 lbfA trade wood, lignum vitae comes from trees of the genus Guaiacum which are indigenous to the Caribbean as well as the northern coast of South America. This wood has been used since the 16th century, combining strength, density and toughness at an impressive 4,500 lbf in the Janka hardness test.
Why is the lignum vitae called the Tree of Life?
The word “Lignum vitae” is latin for “wood of life” due to its historical use as traditional medicine for people of the Caribbean. It was used for the treatment of arthritis, coughing, syphilis, gout and chronic rheumatism and is used in blood-purifying compounds.
How much does lignum vitae cost?
Price: $8/LB (Prices for Lignum Vitae are per pound as opposed to board feet) Lignum Vitae is a Latin term for “wood of life” and is sometimes called the tree of life because of the various medicinal purposes it serves.
Which is the hardest wood in the world?
Meier's own list ranks quebracho, with a Janka score of 4,570 lbf, as the hardest wood in the world. Quebracho is found in Paraguay and Argentina.
Is lignum vitae toxic?
Allergies/Toxicity: Lignum vitae has been reported to cause skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Is lignum vitae a medicinal uses?
The common name, Lignum vitae (tree of life or wood of life), comes from its historic medicinal use as a remedy for conditions from arthritis to coughs to syphilis.
What is the most sought after wood?
Topping the list of most expensive woods in the world is Bocote, a flowering plant from the borage family that is mostly found in Mexico, Central and South America. Initially a yellow/brown shade, this wood darkens over time. It has a fragrant smell and is usually used for furniture and flooring.
What tree is worth the most money?
African Black Ebony treeAn African Black Ebony tree from Gabon could be worth a million dollars, if you can find one. Due to its high value many species of Black Ebony are now extinct or on the verge of extinction.
What is the most expensive wood in America?
Sequoia has attained the status of the most expensive wood in the world, costing up to €1500 per cubic metre. The tree, named in honour of the Cherokee chief Sequoyah, is an emblem of the United States. Its habitat is found almost exclusively in North America, more specifically on the coasts of California and Oregon.
What wood is hardest to break?
Lignum vitae is one of the heaviest, hardest woods in the world. By comparison, while wenge is still a rather hard and heavy wood, it's considerably lighter and softer than the lignum vitae—yet its modulus of elasticity (on average) is higher than that of lignum vitae.
What is the weakest type of wood?
With a density of 0.1 to 0.2 g / cm³, balsa is the softest wood in the world. PS rigid foam - which, among other things, is used as foam plastic polystyrene - has a similarly low density.
What is the strongest wood to build with?
The lumber industry uses a scale called the Janka Rating System. This scale measures and ranks the relative hardness of wood. Hickory is the hardest, commercially available common wood. Next in line are pecan, hard maple and white oak.
What is the meaning of Tree of Life?
In Turkish mythology, trees are symbols of rebirth, growth, and development. The Tree of Life symbolizes the earthly connection between the heavens and the underworld.
What tree is referred to as the Tree of Life?
Amid growing concerns about climate change affecting indigenous lands, the baobab is likely to resist the warming of the earth. It grows in hot, arid climates and is also known as the bottle tree, or the tree of life, for its ability to store up to 1,200 gallons of water in its trunk.
What is the Lignum Vitae mean?
tree of lifeThe Lignum vitae, meaning tree of life, is from the genus Guaicum (caltrop family or Zygophyllaceae) and is the National Tree of The Bahamas.
Why is the Lignum Vitae important to Jamaica?
Lignum Vitae(Guiacum officinale) is indigenous to Jamaica and was found here by Christopher Columbus. It is thought that the name “Wood of Life” was then adopted because of its medicinal qualities. The tree grows best in the dry woodlands along both the North and South coasts of the island.
What is lignum vitae?
Mallet of lignum vitae, all sapwood. Wood of Bulnesia sarmientoi. Lignum vitae is a wood, also called guayacan or guaiacum, and in parts of Europe known as Pockholz or pokhout, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. The trees are indigenous to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America ...
What is the Latin name for lignum vitae?
Name. Lignum vitae is Latin for "wood of life". The plant derives its name from its medicinal uses; lignum vitae resin has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions from coughs to arthritis, and chips of the wood can also be used to brew a tea. Other names for lignum vitae include palo santo (Spanish for "holy wood"), ...
What is the hardest wood?
Lignum vitae is hard and durable, and is also the densest wood traded (average dried density: ~79 lbs/ft 3 or ~1260 kg/m 3 ); it will easily sink in water. On the Janka scale of hardness, which measures hardness of woods, lignum vitae ranks highest of the trade woods, with a Janka hardness of 4500 lbf (compared with Olneya at 3260 lbf, African blackwood at 2940 lbf, hickory at 1820 lbf, red oak at 1290 lbf, yellow pine at 690 lbf, and Balsa at 100 lbf). The densest of all woods is Allocasuarina luehmannii. Krugiodendron typically has a higher density, among many other woods that vary by sample.
Why did John Harrison use lignum vitae?
The use of lignum vitae eliminates the need for horological lubricating oil; 18th-century horological oil would become viscous and reduce the accuracy of a timepiece under unfavourable conditions (including those that prevail at sea).
Why did Benvenuto Cellini use lignum vitae?
Benvenuto Cellini recounts using lignum vitae (presumably in tea form) to cure himself of a venereal disease (the so-called "French Evil") that had impaired his eyesight.
When did NPPD use lignum vitae?
In 1976, NPPD affiliates were still using lignum vitae when turbine bearing replacements were needed. Some of those replacements are likely to still be in service. Lignum vitae bearings are also found in larger units at several dams in the Pacific Northwest.
Who recorded the song "Lignum Vitae"?
Pete Seeger with his extra-long, lignum vitae banjo neck. Pioneering calypsonian / vaudevillian Sam Manning recorded a song titled "Lignum Vitae" in the 1920s. His reference was doubly salacious, referring to both the bark tea's contraceptive qualities and the phallic symbolism of the hard wood.
Why is Guaiacum officinale considered a tree of life?
Before polymers, alloys and composites, the wood of Guaiacum officinale, also known as tree of life, was extremely important due to its combination of strength, toughness and density. The common name, Lignum vitae (tree of life or wood of life), comes from its historic medicinal use as a remedy for conditions from arthritis to coughs to syphilis. These uses caused over harvesting, reducing native populations to the point that Lignum vitae is now listed as "Endangered" by IUCN (The World Conservation Union). It is native to most of the Caribbean (including Key West), a 'biodiversity hotspot' that supports exceptionally diverse ecosystems. Most of its native habitat has been devastated by deforestation and development.
Is Lignum Vitae endangered?
These uses caused over harvesting, reducing native populations to the point that Lignum vitae is now listed as "Endangered" by IUCN (The World Conservation Union). It is native to most of the Caribbean (including Key West), a 'biodiversity hotspot' that supports exceptionally diverse ecosystems.
What does "lignum vivitae" mean?
The name Lignum Vitae is Latin, and means tree of life, or wood of life , which is derived from the tree’s many medicinal uses. Scans/Pictures: For the endgrain zoom, I’ve slightly modified the brightness of the image to help show the details of the pores. Lignum Vitae (sanded)
What is the smell of Lignum Vitae?
Odor: Lignum vitae has a mild, perfume-like fragrance. (Though its scent isn’t quite as pungent nor as lingering as the closely related woods in the Bulnesia genus.)
What is the color of heartwood?
Color/Appearance: Heartwood color can range from a olive to a dark greenish brown to almost black, sometimes with a reddish hue. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light. Color of genuine Lignum Vitae tends to be darker than that of Argentine Lignum Vitae.
What is the heaviest wood?
Comments: The common name lignum vitae is Latin, and means “tree of life” or “wood of life,” which is derived from the tree’s many medicinal uses. Regarded as one of the heaviest and hardest woods in the world. Its durability in submerged or ground-contact applications is legendary—it has been used for propeller shaft bearings on ships, and its natural oils provide self-lubrication that gives the wood excellent wear resistance.
Is lignum vitae a restricted commodity?
Pricing/Availability: Trade of lignum vitae is restricted in CITES Appendix II, and prices for genuine lignum vitae are accordingly very high—and usually from questionable sources. Irregular chunks and turning blocks are sometimes sold by the pound instead of the more common board-foot measurement.
Is Lignum Vitae a good insect repellent?
Rot Resistance: Lignum vitae is reported to be very durable for outdoor use and is also very resistant to insect attack.
Is Lignum Vitae a porous endgrain?
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small to medium pores, few; exclusively solitary; mineral deposits occasionally present; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, vasicentric; narrow rays, Rot Resistance: Lignum Vitae is reported to be very durable for outdoor use and is also very resistant to insect attack.
Why did Lignum Vitae drop?
The reason that it saw a drop in use many decades ago was due to a steep decline in the population of the Guaiacum genus of trees that it is harvested from. Due to modern environmental restrictions and responsible harvesting, Lignum Vitae is available at reasonable prices again. I applaud Mr. Shortridge's efforts to sustain the species for future generations.
Where are Lignum Vitae bearings made?
Virginia-based Lignum Vitae Bearings calls their product "the world's only renewable (and greenest) bearing on the market.". Company President Bob Shortridge has acquired land in the Bahamas, one of the tree's native origin islands, and plants at least one Lignum Vitae tree for every block of the stuff that passes through his facility.
What is the densest wood in the world?
1. Lignum Vitae , Latin for "Tree of Life," is the national tree of the Bahamas. It's also the world's densest wood, and has such unusual properties that the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, has its aft main shaft strut bearings made out of the stuff. In addition to being strong, hard, heavy, dense, ...
How long do LV bearings last?
According to dozens of testimonials on the linked LV site, these bearings last 60+ years. One plant has been using a set since 1912. I'm not in this industry, but I surmised that this is much longer than most plastic or metal bearings last.
Is ligum vitae better than synthetic?
As far as I know, Lignum Vitae is a better choice than synthetic in any situation where the bearing is exposed to water, but not to sand or sediment. It is not as dense as steel or synthetics, so it won't endure exposure to sand or other dense debris. However, in applications such as hydroelectric dams, it is the ideal candidate as it is commonly less expensive, is self-lubricating, and lasts almost indefinitely even under pressurized water exposure.
Is Lignum Vitae water proof?
Lignum Vitae is Waterproof, Yes. To Ray Doeksen: Wood working is not altruism you nihilst!!!!!!
