African Mahogany

The wood is usually light pinkish-brown when freshly cut, darkening on exposure to a deep reddish coulour, often with a purple cast. The grain can be straight, but is typically interlocked, showing a striped or roey figure on quartersawn surfaces. Crotch and swirl figures are often present. The texture is variable, often moderately coarse, with a high, golden lustre. The sapwood, not always distinct from the heartwood, is creamy-white to yellowish.Typical dry weight: 33lb/ft3 (530kg/m3)Specific gravity: .53

Properties:

It has medium crushing strength, low bending strength, very low stiffness and resistance to shock loads. It is generally easy to work with hand tools. Interlocked grain can cause wolliness and tearing when planing, and there is a moderate blunting effect on cutters. It turns, sands, bores, glues and nails satisfactorily, but non-ferrous fastenings are recommended to avoid iron staining. It stains and polishes very well.

Seasoning:

The wood dries rapidly with little degrade, though if tension wood is present, serous distortion can occur. There is only small movement in service.

Durability:

Forest longhorn and buprestid beetles may attack logs and trees. The heartwood has moderate resistance to decay; the sapwood is vulnerable to the common furniture and powder-post beetles. The heartwood is highly resistant to preservatives, the sapwood moderately so.

Typical Uses:

Furniture and cabinetmaking, interior joinery, bank, office and shop fittings, boatbuilding. It is also sliced for veneers and rotary-cut for plywood.

Khaya ivorensis and related species (Meliaceae)

Also called:

akuk, bandoro, bisselon, eri kiree, ogwango, undianunu, n'gollon, zaminguila, oganwo, acajou. Also distinguished by country of origin: Nigerian, Benin, Senegal, etc. The term 'African mahogany' also includes other Khaya species: K. anthotheca, K.grandifoliola, K. senegalensis and K. nyasica

Grows:

Typical area of West, Central and East Africa

Weight per Board Foot:

3.2 lbs

Typical Height:

110-140ft (33-43m)

Trunk Diameter:

6ft (1.8m)