JATOBA - Woodturning (ASMR)

The Jatoba tree, scientifically known as Hymenaea courbaril, is a majestic evergreen native to Central and South America, thriving in tropical regions from southern Mexico to northern Brazil. Often reaching heights of 30-40 meters, it boasts a dense, umbrella-shaped canopy and a sturdy trunk that can grow up to 2 meters in diameter, frequently buttressed at the base. Its heartwood, prized for its durability and striking reddish-brown hue, is widely used in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry, earning it the nickname "Brazilian Cherry" in the timber trade, though it’s unrelated to true cherry trees. The tree also produces a hard, pod-like fruit with an edible pulp, colloquially called "stinking toe" due to its pungent odor, and a yellowish-red resin known as copal, valued for its use in varnishes and traditional medicine. Revered for both its ecological and economic contributions, the Jatoba stands as a vital species in its native forests.

The Jatoba tree (Hymenaea courbaril) yields a hardwood renowned for its exceptional properties, making it a favorite among woodworkers and turners. Its heartwood, ranging from a rich reddish-brown to a deep magenta, boasts a Janka hardness rating of around 2,690 lbf, placing it among the tougher tropical hardwoods—nearly twice as hard as red oak—offering superb durability and resistance to wear. The wood’s interlocking grain and fine to medium texture, while contributing to its strength and natural luster, can pose challenges in woodworking, often requiring sharp tools and careful handling to avoid tear-out during cutting or turning. For woodturning, Jatoba is prized for its ability to take a high polish, revealing subtle golden undertones and intricate patterns, ideal for crafting bowls, pens, and decorative spindles, though its density demands patience and skill to shape smoothly. The tree itself, growing tall and straight in tropical forests, provides large, workable logs, but its natural oils and silica content can dull tools over time, a trade-off for its stunning finish and longevity in finished pieces.