WOOD SPECIES:
Mahogany, African Mahogany
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Khaya anthotheca
OTHER COMMON NAMES:
African Mahogany, Lagos Wood, Nigerian Mahogany, Ghana Mahogany, Ivory Coast Mahogany, Benin Mahogany, Grand Bassam Mahogany, Benin Wood, Ogwango, Acajou d Afrique, Ngollon, Khaya, Krala, Acajou Blanc, Munyama, Dubini, Dukuma Fufu
TYPICAL USES:
Turnery, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, boat building, veneers, edging and trim.
SOURCES:
Africa
AVG BENDING STRENGTH:
12,000 psi
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
0.50
AVG WEIGHT:
38 lbs/cu.ft.
SAPWOOD COLOR:
Often indistinct from the heartwood, African Mahogany sapwood tends to be pale white or yellowish in color.
HEARTWOOD COLOR:
Heartwood coloration ranges from dark pink to reddish brown.
GRAIN:
African Mahogany grain can be straight, irregular or interlocked.
TEXTURE:
Medium to coarse texture with open pores.
LUSTER:
African Mahogany exhibits a high, natural luster.
MOVEMENT:
Very stable hardwood with little to no dimensional movement.
DURABILITY:
Moderate durability to decay with susceptibility to insect infestation, specifically termites, powder-post beetles and the common furniture beetle.
BLUNTING EFFECT:
African Mahogany exhibits a moderate blunting effect on cutting tools.
CUTTING RESISTANCE:
Sawing operations such as crosscutting and band sawing present little to no difficulty.
PLANING:
Depending on the degree of grain interlocking, planing operations may require a reduced cutting angle to prevent tearing. As in most cases, sharp cutters are recommended.
TURNING:
Turning characteristics are typically above-average with the best results obtained from sharp tools and proper speeds.
BORING:
With the exception of especially interlocked grain patterns, African Mahogany responds well to most boring applications.
GLUING:
African Mahogany takes well to most gluing operations.
NAILING:
No known issues. Pre-drilling is recommended.
SCREWING:
No known issues. Pre-drilling is recommended.
POLISHING:
African Mahogany polishes to an excellent natural finish.
STAINING:
Finishes well with most stain or dye applications.
STEAM BENDING:
African Mahogany is not recommended for steam bending.
