Sapele for workbench?

[Matt Lau]

I was looking into wood for my workbench.
Surprisingly, I can get Sapele 8/4 cheaper than Maple or White Oak.

Would Sapele work for a workbench?
I'm thinking of using it for the legs of a Moravian.
I have a laminated maple top (from a love seat that's air dried about 40 years.)

Ironically, good VG doug fir is about 3x as expensive as hard maple...about 4x as expensive as the Sapele!

Go figure!

[Mark Gibney]

I can't think why sapele would not be good wood for your bench legs. It could make a striking contrast with the maple top.

I'm biased in favor of using locally sourced wood, well local to north America, as opposed to wood sourced far away, but I've used quite a bit of European beech in my time....

[Stanley Covington]

Looking at the wood database, it looks like it is as least as good as hard maple (whatever that is).

http://www.wood-database.com/hard-maple/
http://www.wood-database.com/sapele/

Not quite as stiff or as hard as maple, but much much stronger in crushing. Less shrinkage radial and tangential. Much more rot/bug resistant, but it looks like it would be pain to work by hand. Can't find any details about glueability, but it is not on the usual lists of troublesome wood. If it wasn't such a dark wood, it might be much better than maple for a benchtop. it would certainly work for legs/spreaders.

2 cents.

[lowell holmes]

I use sapele to make rocking chairs, not work benches. :)

[sean contenti]

I'm a suspicious SoB, so I'd be trying to figure out just *why* this sapele is so cheap. It certainly isn't up in my neck of the woods. First inclination would be to buy a bunch to stockpile for future use, then build a bench of something that might be more expensive now, but that I won't be regretting using on a bench in a few years.

Are you close to where it's being harvested, and so can expect a reasonably steady cheap supply? If so, go for it. It's, (imo), quite good looking wood, especially if you get some that's got a bit of figure.

Is it cheap due to some weird one-off local supply issue? Buy and pile in the garage.

Is there something wrong or strange about this batch, and the yard is trying to get it moved cheap?

[John K Jordan]

I'm a suspicious SoB, so I'd be trying to figure out just *why* this sapele is so cheap. ...

That was my second thought. My first was "where do I find some?!"

Is it really sapele or is someone selling it as sapele? Or maybe sugar maple is sky high in your area. Curious, how much is the sapele and where are you in the country/world? (If you live where sapele grows maybe put your location in your profile here to keep blood pressures low. :))

This is a good article on mahogany look-a-likes and substitutes: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/mahogany-mixups-the-lowdown/

I like sapele for woodturning. Seems to me it would make a gold-plated workbench.

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JKJ

[Pat Barry]

Seems a tad ridiculous to use a somewhat exotic wood for legs on a workbench. Just get some lumber from HD and use the sappelle for a nice box or gift project

[Mike Baker 2]

Seems a tad ridiculous to use a somewhat exotic wood for legs on a workbench. Just get some lumber from HD and use the sappelle for a nice box or gift project

This. as an instrument builder who struggles to afford decent wood for the task, I think I would cry bitter tears if I saw that.
But......if you're buying, it's your choice.
But I'm with some of the others; I'd buy as much of that as I could afford to and stockpile.
SPF from Lowes or Home Depot makes a great bench, and would make a great bottom half as well.
MHO.

[Brian Holcombe]

Price out Ash.

Personally, I prefer a light colored to medium colored workbench.

Sapele is awful stuff to work by hand.

Doug Fir is often looked on as construction lumber but the good stuff is extremely good and comes at a cost. I pay $12/bf for VG doug fir locally.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Nothing wrong with making a pretty workbench. If you are going to build beautiful things, you might as well have a beautiful bench to do it on. As long as you are not going to be afraid to get glue on it or accidentally saw a kerf or slip a chisel or gouge into it from time to time, build it beautiful. My issue with sapele for the top would be that it likes to tear-out, and also the color- it's going to be rather dark for a top. I would use it for the legs. In fact, I DID use mahogany for my bench legs and leg vise chop. It is beautiful ribbon stripe. I get it for $8/bft, and it was all i could get locally in big thicknesses. (Keep in mind where I live, so things are different for me.) I had to ship the ash, and with all the shipping it came out close to the price of the mahogany. For the reasons I mentioned above regarding sapele, I did not want to use it for the top. I really LOVE the ash, and I'm so glad I went with ash for the top.

[Jake Hillestad]

Those suggesting ash are on the right track. I don't know what part of the country you're in but in much of the midwest they are practically giving it away do to the emerald ash borer. In my area any of it that is actually getting milled is pretty primo stuff - anything that isn't is getting chipped for the most part.

[Matt Lau]

Thanks for the tips.
http://moorenewton.com/specials/

As for why it's so cheap--these guys supply to cabinetmakers and industry....not very open to public.
If they don't sell within a certain period of time, it's a loss.
To get access to wood, they need to sell a certain amount.
1. They're shorts...which is great for fitting in my subcompact car.
2. It's about $2.96-$3.96 a BF. Maple is about $4.95.

I'm just thinking of it because it's pretty and cheap.
If it won't work for workbench legs (Moravian), I may still buy some for guitar/ukulele necks.

Otherwise, maybe Maple or Ash? I very much respect Brian's tips.
The top is a 1.5" thick slab of maple that I found off Craigslist (forclosed house) when I was dead broke and traveling for work as an on-call dentist.

I'm also thinking of stocking up on some walnut shorts...but really need to organize my workshop!
I'm thinking french cleats?

Can I start another thread to ask for help in organizing/optomizing my workshop. Or should I start that in the workshop section?

[andy bessette]

All the sapele I've bought around here has been beautiful, straight grain, even color, easy to work. Lovely stuff.

[Matt Lau]

For what it's worth, my home depot has the most twisted, cupped, crappy wood that I've seen!

I'm an instrument builder too, and tend to hoard wood (trying not to).
One project I may try to do is a Moravian/Underhiill hybrid in Port Orford Cedar---stable, light, and IMHO beautiful.
Maybe I'll call it "Stan" and bring it to the beach for beer and tacos.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

For what it's worth, my home depot has the most twisted, cupped, crappy wood that I've seen!

I'm an instrument builder too, and tend to hoard wood (trying not to).
One project I may try to do is a Moravian/Underhiill hybrid in Port Orford Cedar---stable, light, and IMHO beautiful.
Maybe I'll call it "Stan" and bring it to the beach for beer and tacos.


I have literally picked up boards at HD and had them break in two in my hand due to knots going edge to edge. I have picked through multiple stacks of 2x4's to find just ONE decent (not great, but decent) one.

[Stanley Covington]

That was my second thought. My first was "where do I find some?!"

Is it really sapele or is someone selling it as sapele? Or maybe sugar maple is sky high in your area. Curious, how much is the sapele and where are you in the country/world? (If you live where sapele grows maybe put your location in your profile here to keep blood pressures low. :))

This is a good article on mahogany look-a-likes and substitutes: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/mahogany-mixups-the-lowdown/

I like sapele for woodturning. Seems to me it would make a gold-plated workbench.

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JKJ

Beautiful work JK! Did you make those, or did the young lady in the photo?

I have never used it. Any silica to eat blades and cutters?

Any nasty resins to gum- up tools and/ or weaken glue-bond?

From what I read online, the interlocking/ crazy grain makes it difficult to work by hand. What has been your experience?

Thanks

[John K Jordan]

Beautiful work JK! Did you make those, or did the young lady in the photo?
I have never used it. Any silica to eat blades and cutters?
Any nasty resins to gum- up tools and/ or weaken glue-bond?
From what I read online, the interlocking/ crazy grain makes it difficult to work by hand. What has been your experience?



I've seen no issues with sapele in turning, no gum, no excessive tool wear. I've also never used it for anything but woodturning so I can't comment on working by hand. It cut cleanly on the lathe and was easy to sand and finish. The wood, at least that I've used so far, has a nice chatoyance when viewed at changing angles, hard to see in a still photo but maybe this angle gives a hint:
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I made these at the same time. Due to the wide rim these may look small but the larger one is over 18" in diameter and the smaller is 14".
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I have enough 8/4 sapele left to make one, maybe two more platters, then I'm going to have to find out where Matt Lau lives and go visit. :)
(Hey, I'd drive a long way just to see a sapele workbench!)

Thanks for the kind words about the platter. I turned that platter in 2009 while hanging out with turner Frank Penta, using a variation of Frank's multi-axis base instructions. The young lady in the photo was holding it for the photo to show the size. We wanted a photo to put on ebay - we auctioned the platter as part of a fundraiser. It was a sad story - our friend's friend (her best friend from high school) had terminal cancer at 30 years old and was leaving very two young daughters. Someone started a fundraising campaign to help her daughters. It was a good use for the platter. The fundraising effort resulted in a considerable amount for the kids.

JKJ

[Stanley Covington]

I've seen no issues with sapele in turning, no gum, no excessive tool wear. I've also never used it for anything but woodturning so I can't comment on working by hand. It cut cleanly on the lathe and was easy to sand and finish. The wood, at least that I've used so far, has a nice chatoyance when viewed at changing angles, hard to see in a still photo but maybe this angle gives a hint:
382514

I made these at the same time. Due to the wide rim these may look small but the larger one is over 18" in diameter and the smaller is 14".
382515

I have enough 8/4 sapele left to make one, maybe two more platters, then I'm going to have to find out where Matt Lau lives and go visit. :)
(Hey, I'd drive a long way just to see a sapele workbench!)

Thanks for the kind words about the platter. I turned that platter in 2009 while hanging out with turner Frank Penta, using a variation of Frank's multi-axis base instructions. The young lady in the photo was holding it for the photo to show the size. We wanted a photo to put on ebay - we auctioned the platter as part of a fundraiser. It was a sad story - our friend's friend (her best friend from high school) had terminal cancer at 30 years old and was leaving very two young daughters. Someone started a fundraising campaign to help her daughters. It was a good use for the platter. The fundraising effort resulted in a considerable amount for the kids.

JKJ

Thanks for the insight and heartwarming story.

It sounds like a great wood, and beautiful too. Not too dark for a workbench top. If Matt can get Sapele for less than maple, it sounds like the perfect solution, assuming of course, the retailer is not trying to pull a fast one.

The workbench is the most important tool a woodworker owns, and while there is no need to waste money on it, using the best materials one can obtain is a sound investment IMO. I doubt he will be able to get a better wood at a cheaper price near where he lives. If the wood is beautiful too, then that's a big bonus.

[Matt Lau]

Hey John,

It's Newton Moore in San Leandro, California.
These guys have been around a really long time, and are a legitimate supplier mainly to cabinet/furniture guys.
No weekend hours. No cutting service. No delivery.

My understanding is that Sapele works very similar to Mahogany.
High silicate content (or as high as mahogany). Interlocked grain. Definitely not wenge---which is a pita...or African blackwood.

[Brian Holcombe]

Mahogany captures a broad range, which mahogany do you refer? It works nothing like Honduran from my experience, maybe something like African "mahogany" (which is not actually a mahogany). Certainly easier than wenge, almost everything is easier than wenge.

[lowell holmes]

Here is a chair made of sapele.

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/category/homestead-heritage-school-of-woodworking/

I made that chair at Homestead Heritage In a Paul Sellers class. It sits in my living room today,

Here is more information on sapele wood

http://www.wood-database.com/sapele/

[Ted Phillips]

Matt - I built my workbench base out of sapele for the same reasons you cite. When a cabinet shop has shorts available, they can be a great bargain. Some of my stock was also "sticker stained" which reduced its price even further. I forgot what I paid, but it was under $3/BF. It made a great bench for not much cash.

I concur with Brian - some batches of Sapele have really wonky grain. I got a huge amount of tearout when I was milling and joining my bench. It didn't really matter much, though, because it isn't a show piece. It looks great and is very sturdy.

TedP

[Matt Lau]

I think you're right, Brian. If you ever get the chance, try the old-growth cuban stuff...it's darned impressive.

As for the sapele, I went to the lumberyard--and they were out.
The specials were running for a few months, so most of them were picked clean.

However, I scored some hard maple 8/4 that seems too nice to use for a workbench.

[steven c newman]

IF you should ever come upon an old barn being torn down.....ask about getting one or two of the beams.....last ones I got were 6"x 6" Sycamore. I used four sections for an "English" style bench one year ( before the current bench was made).....I also used a slab from another as the chop for my leg vise....still in use.

Just keep an eye out....

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A friend of mine still uses this bench ( was too heavy to take to my shop.)
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Seems to work nicely as a lathe bench...
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That be my older lunch box planer, as well...I trade tools for lumber.

[Matt Lau]

382706
Surprisingly, I can upload photos in Safari--not Chrome.

Some of the chatoyance is due to my Honda Fit's windshield.
However, the wood is pretty beautiful IMHO

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

Have bought some Sapele also known as African Mahogany. It does have interlocking grain. Basically, tree grows in one direction first half a year, and in opposite direction other half... Pretty much like Zebrano. Tangential cut surface is usually OK to hand plane (with cathedral grain shape). But radial (with stripes) is not so... It is also not very dense, so, even with chip breaker properly set you will see one stripe shiny, one stripe hairy and so on.