WOOD SPECIES:
Mopani
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Colophospermum mopane
OTHER COMMON NAMES:
Mopane, Mopani
TYPICAL USES:
Woodwind musical instruments, flooring, furniture
SOURCES:
Southern Africa
AVG BENDING STRENGTH:
17,600 psi
SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
1.00
AVG WEIGHT:
77 lbs/cu.ft.
COLOR:
Mopani wood exhibits a medium to dark brownish red color, with black streaks.
GRAIN:
Interlocked grain.
TEXTURE:
Mopani has a very fine texture with small pores.
MOVEMENT:
Minimal dimensional changes are noticed.
DURABILITY:
Mopani exhibits a high degree of resistance to insects and decay.
BLUNTING EFFECT:
Because of its high density, Mopani is considered extremely difficult to work, with a significant blunting effect on cutting edges.
CUTTING RESISTANCE:
Strong resistance to sawing, Mopani requires the sharpest tools and blades for best results.
PLANING:
Again, due to its high degree of density, Mopani requires sharp cutters, proper angles and reduced feed rates for the best machining results.
TURNING:
An excellent hardwood for most turnery projects.
BORING:
Hard dense wood is somewhat resistant to boring operations.
GLUING:
No reported issues.
NAILING:
Pre-drilling is highly recommended for any nail applications.
SCREWING:
Pre-drilling is highly recommended prior to screw placement.
STAINING:
Mopani reportedly responds well to most finishing applications.
