Big Mahogany Boards what to do?

[Keith Avery]

About a year ago, I bought a stack of what I thought was mostly poplar at an estate auction. The bottom of the pile had 5 large boards. Four of them are 28" wide and about 9 ft long. The fifth is about 24" wide and 10 ft long if I remember right. I put pictures of these on a while back and was told they were Honduran Mahogany. I am still(been a year) getting my shop setup and haven't really done any woodworking in 7 years and my skills are novice at best. What should I do with these boards? I think my current plan is to keep them for many years until I get much more skilled and then make something as I would hate to ruin these boards. Anyone got any good project ideas? These boards are unbelievably flat and are s2s planed to about 3/4 of an inch. Thanks for any ideas.

[Dave MacArthur]

Keep them for something special sounds smart... that 28" wide really wants to be displayed in the top and sides of something nice, where you can see the full width of the board without bookmatching. Maybe a wide dining table for the 24" board, 58"x 5', almost a square?

Other thing that comes to mind where a great wide board can be displayed is a headboard /footboard for a bed, and it's a use where mahogany would do well.

Here's a thread by Mark Singer who made a split top Wenge dining table I remembered, maybe something like this. At 3/4", you would have to put an apron around it I'd think but using something like maple or wenge to offset the color might make it look very nice.
Wenge Dining Table Finished - Sawmill Creek (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDAQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sawmillcreek.org%2Fshowthread .php%3Ft%3D44907%26highlight%3Dwenge&rct=j&q=zebrawood%20dining%20table&ei=GC0QTY90iNCwA7yErbgC&usg=AFQjCNEZXrIe9HwIwcG-eLqHjck0C8EuXA&cad=rja)

[Kent A Bathurst]

Keith - Sorry, they simply aren't useable, and they are taking up a lot of room in your shop. I, on the other hand, have some room open on the lumber rack and will help you out. Where you located?:D

[Karl Card]

I hear you on the ruinning them. I have several boards that need to be made into something very nice and I just hold onto them until I reach the right experience leve. Experience is the one thing that you cant buy, but then if you could it would not be fun..lol mahogany is nice, I have some african mahogany, genuine mahogany that is 8/4 and just waiting for a perfect project to come along.

[Prashun Patel]

My fear is that they may appear pretty flat, but jointing them truly flat may remove a lot of material. Since yr already at 3/4" and only s2s, you might lose precious thickness during final milling.

If it were me, I'd consider (gasp) ripping it into narrower boards. Just something to consider.