Laminated Rubberwood: From Latex Trees to Decorative Veneer
Wood Dictionary
The name Laminated Rubberwood might initially suggest a soft rubber sheet. Here, “rubber” refers to the tree from which natural rubber is collected. The trade name combines rubberwood as a timber with the idea of joining components into a laminated material for decorative use.
The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.
Name and basic information
- Trade name and English description
- Laminated Rubberwood / Rubberwood laminated veneer MORI KOUGEI: Laminated Rubberwood A4 Product
- Common name of the source wood
- Rubberwood (timber of the Pará rubber tree) FAO：The rubber tree
- Typical scientific name and family
- Hevea brasiliensis / Euphorbiaceae. This is general botanical background, separate from identification of an individual piece of timber. FAO：The rubber tree / ITTO：Rubberwood
- Product form
- A4 veneer sheet backed with washi paper. It is not a thick laminated board or a rubber sheet. MORI KOUGEI: Laminated Rubberwood A4 Product
Rubber from the sap, wood from the trunk
The Pará rubber tree is cultivated for latex, the raw material of natural rubber. Timber obtained from its trunk is called rubberwood. Elastic rubber products and the wood of the trunk are different materials. One of the tree's interesting qualities is that it supplies materials serving such different purposes. FAO：The rubber tree
A further role for the wood
FAO references describe the use of timber from trees replaced after their latex production declines. Advances in drying and preservation have helped establish rubberwood for furniture and interior components. This links plantations grown for rubber with materials used in woodworking. That general history does not, however, identify the country, plantation, or certification of the timber in our sheet. FAO：The rubber tree
Working with the character of a laminated material
The word laminated includes the idea of combining several components. Its appearance is therefore considered differently from the continuous grain of one large board. Our product is a thin sheet sold under the name Laminated Rubberwood; this does not mean that the arrangement or joints of the components can be specified freely. View the photographs as examples of the material's overall impression. MORI KOUGEI: Laminated Rubberwood A4 Product
The same material looks different when used over one side of a small box, a furniture edge, or a small area of marquetry. Rather than planning to match the photograph's pattern, consider which area of the sheet you receive you want to show. Thinking in advance about contrasts with surrounding woods and the direction of lines will help bring the finished composition together. MORI KOUGEI: Laminated Rubberwood A4 Product
Choosing it as a thin A4 sheet
MORI KOUGEI sells this as a washi-backed sheet measuring 210 × 297 mm and approximately 0.25 mm thick. It adds wood character to a supported surface and has a different role from laminated timber used for furniture frames or thick tops. Rather than assuming that cracking and warping will be minimal in all circumstances, consider the substrate, adhesive, and finish together. The product page provides application guidance and specifications. MORI KOUGEI: Laminated Rubberwood A4 Product
View the Laminated Rubberwood A4 veneer sheet ↗
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This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.