Bending strength properties of finger jointed Kelempayan wood (Neolamarckia Cadamba)

Finger joint is one of the most well-liked jointing that been used in wood industries. At the present, it was widely used in furniture manufacturing and industries as substitute material to replace solid wood that free of natural or drying defects, due to its depleting supply. The objectives of this study were to determine the bending strength properties of finger jointed Kelempayan wood (Neolamarckia Cadamba) at different tree portions and finger directions. Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAc) resin is used in this study. In this research, any natural defects or drying defects were removed from the wood (separated pieces), then they were glued together to form longer solid wood and using constant pressure for 48 hours before go through with bending test. The value for Modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) were recorded and evaluated. It was found that different tree portions (middle and bottom) and different finger directions (horizontal and vertical) did not affect the bending properties of finger joint (MOE and MOR value).