Anyone Know Anything About "South American Mahogany"

[Corey Hallagan]

......vs African mahogany? Is it similar in it's turning charactaristics? Seems to be much lighter in color from the sample I have seen on the web. Appreciate any info.

Corey

[John Timberlake]

My guess is that the South American Mahogany is Honduras Mahogany, but from another country. But it could be a different species like they have for Brazilian Cherry, etc. Jim King might have some insite.

[Mark Rios]

Corey, IIRC from reading somewhere, I think it's from South America. Any more than that, I really don't know, sorry.





















:D

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks John. I will see if I can find further info. I was wondering if it is Honduras or about the same thing.

Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Corey I would think it would be Honduran Mahogany or a species of it. I bought some South American Mahogany and it looks identical to the honduran I bought. It turns pretty darn nice. I love the way it turns. As you know I am making a set of salad bowls out of the honduran.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks for the info B!

Corey

[Mark Singer]

The Honduras does not come from Honduras anymore it comes from other South and Centtral American Countries. African is really unstable wood...I don't reccommend it for furniture

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Mark. Is the African acceptable for turning? My plan for the mahogany is for small lidded boxes.
Corey

[Mark Singer]

Thanks Mark. Is the African acceptable for turning? My plan for the mahogany is for small lidded boxes.
Corey

I made a pool equipment enclosure from both Genuine and African and the African twisted....the genuine is still fine....I am not sure for turning

[Chris Barton]

Thanks Mark. Is the African acceptable for turning? My plan for the mahogany is for small lidded boxes.
Corey

Hi Corey,

I have not turned any "African" mahogany but, I have done flat work with it. I have not experienced the problems that Mark did but, it is not my favorite wood to work. I find the grain to be very porous, and non-discript. It also produces a "chemical" smell when machined. As one might expect, "African Mahogany" is not mahogany at all but another species that has a color and texture that resembles true mahogany, at a lesser price.

[Barbara Gill]

I don't have the answer either but have you ................................... Don't want the forum police to get me.:mad:

Edited to remove useless and insulting remark. AEH 11-12-06

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks guys for the help!

Corey

[Jason Christenson]

I am wondering if it is the same as "Spanish Cedar", the stuff cigar boxes are made of and humidors are lined with?

Jason

[Frank Fusco]

I found the below recently from a wood exporter. I've already posted it somewhere, hope y'all don't mind if I repeat.
Interesting.

<<The scientific world is very much in disarray when it comes to identifying tropical woods. One needs only to look at the web site of the US Department of Agriculture Tropical Forestry Lab to see the general confusion that exists in the ID of tropical species. Most woods have common names that vary from country to country and even river by river and community to community. You may be interested in the </SPAN>USDA Tropical Wood web site (http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/), I am sure you will find it interesting.

It may or may not surprise you to know that many species can have up to 30 or more scientific names. Over the years researchers have "discovered" a wood in one area and registered it with a scientific name not knowing that it had been registered many times before by other "discoverers" thus leading to the confusion we have today. With the recent spread of information via the internet this problem has become more clear to all and hopefully will be cleared up. >>>

[Tim Martin]

Hi Corey,

I have not turned any "African" mahogany but, I have done flat work with it. I have not experienced the problems that Mark did but, it is not my favorite wood to work. I find the grain to be very porous, and non-discript. It also produces a "chemical" smell when machined. As one might expect, "African Mahogany" is not mahogany at all but another species that has a color and texture that resembles true mahogany, at a lesser price.

Hi Chris, I have used African Mahogany quite a bit here in Oz, as it was introduced to Australia in the 50's and is now grown as a plantation timber in the Northern Territory.

I agree with you about not being a favourite timber to work with, quite soft and can produce 'furry' profiles even with a sharp cutter.
By far the most distinctive attribute of it is the incredibly strong odor that it produces when cut or routed and a little bit of extra heat is generated.

You described it as a very 'chemical' smell, which I think is Ammonia?

[Frank Fusco]

I found the below recently from a wood exporter. I've already posted it somewhere, hope y'all don't mind if I repeat.
Interesting.

<<The scientific world is very much in disarray when it comes to identifying tropical woods. One needs only to look at the web site of the US Department of Agriculture Tropical Forestry Lab to see the general confusion that exists in the ID of tropical species. Most woods have common names that vary from country to country and even river by river and community to community. You may be interested in the </SPAN>USDA Tropical Wood web site (http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/),I am sure you will find it interesting.

It may or may not surprise you to know that many species can have up to 30 or more scientific names. Over the years researchers have "discovered" a wood in one area and registered it with a scientific name not knowing that it had been registered many times before by other "discoverers" thus leading to the confusion we have today. With the recent spread of information via the internet this problem has become more clear to all and hopefully will be cleared up. >>>

For the record, Jim King wrote the above.
And, I believe a lot of woods are being shipped labeled as "mahogany" which really aren't. I was given some 'mahogany' and found it so hard to turn I am dissuaded from trying it ever again. And that difficulty is compared against old Osage Orange, Lignum Vitae, etc. Impossibly hard stuff, whatever the 'stuff' was.

[Jim King]

Below you will find a breif description of Western Mahoganies.

Spanish Ceder "cedrela odorata” is the same family but a totally different species.

They both are very easy to work with as flatwork , carving or turnings. Both are highly sought after in South America as they are easy to work with and are very acidic and for this termite proof.

My wife has collected furniture of the late 1800´s and very early 1900´s to fill our whole house and it is still solid. Attached is a photo of my desk of Spanish Cedar that was the Captains desk on one of the steamships taking the rubber to Europe. The bookshelves behind the desk are Mahogany , Swietenia macrophylla.

Mahogany when freshly worked or sawn is a very light color and will turn the dark reddish brown in a few months. The weight of Spanish Ceder is much less than Mahogany and lighter in color.

MAHOGANY MATTERS:

The U.S. Market for Big-Leafed Mahogany And Its Implications For the Conservation Of the Species Executive Summary, TRAFFIC North America, October 2000

Outside of Latin America, the United States is the world’s leading consumer of the American mahogany (Swietenia spp.) harvested in Latin America, and imports an estimated US$56 million of American mahogany annually. Big-leafed mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)—also known as genuine mahogany, caoba, mara (in Bolivia), or mogno (in Brazil)— is the most traded and coveted of the three American mahogany species. Conservationists are concerned that current harvest rates and practices may be pushing big-leafed mahogany in the same direction as Caribbean mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), which was once heavily traded but is now endangered and commercially exhausted because of past over-harvest.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Corey.......I bought some, glued it up and turned it. It turns quite well; holds detail quite well and finishes quite well.

[Corey Hallagan]

Note this was posted back in July. Since then I bought some and it is Hondura's Mahogany. I bought some 3 inch stock and it turned nicely but the box I was turning went into the junk pile.

Corey

[Joe Melton]

http://www.woodbook.co.uk

[Ron Sardo]

African Mahogany is also known as Khaya and it turns well. It does come from Africa

If I post a picture here of a turned khaya box, will that be considered hijacking this thread?

[Andy Hoyt]

Nope.

But it does deserve it's own thread. Do that, and then post a link to it here.

[Ron Sardo]

THanks Andy

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46100