Camphor wood is so highly prized in Indonesia that in ancient times all the camphor trees were property of the emperor and it was a capitol offence to cut one down. In China Camphor wood is used for chests because the oil in the wood repels insects. It is also the wood of choice for Chinese puppet heads, I suspect for the same reason. Camphor trees are a popular street tree and if planted with a ring to force the roots to grow down before going out they make excellent street trees. They are not prone to disease or shedding limbs and are a fairly slow growing tree that does not get as tall as many other trees of a similar age. The wood can be a bit tricky to dry as the sap wood contains a significantly higher moisture content and can cause cracks and internal tension if not cut correctly. Once cured the sap wood is a beautiful creamy yellow and as stable as the heartwood. The heart wood is so varied in its colors and so vibrant that if not for the scent it might be confused with canary wood. The scent is very strong when first cut and if turned on a lathe can almost be over powering, if nothing else it will clear your sinuses. In working Camphor it planes well by hand and carves well, but does not take crisp detail well and is not what I would call a structural wood. To preserve the wild colors it should be sealed immediately after planing and then any joinery performed. The wood I have is very dear to me as it is a tree that is seldom removed. This tree was removed from in front of a friend of a friend of a friends house in Mountain View when the street was widened.
©Robin Corell 2005