Machining Mahogany

[Prashun Patel]

I've got a fantastic 1/2 sheet of 3/4" mahogany plywood that I'd like to make a console tabletop out of.

I'd like to edgeband it with something complimentary.

I thought about doing the rest of the table in mahogany too. Never worked with solid stock mahog before. Does anybody have caveats? I heard it can be tricky to machine.

If not mahogany, what else would you use for the edgebanding and legs/apron?

THANKS IN ADVANCE.

[Alex Shanku]

The mahogany I have used was among the most pleasurable types of woods to machine/plane/chisel etc.

[Brent Smith]

Hi Shawn,

I find true Mahogany to be one of the easiest woods to work with. African Mahoganey, sometimes, tends to splinter a bit when sawing, but this can be easily handled with a ZCI.

I've always found walnut to be a good match with Mahogany, if you don't darken the Mahogany with stain. Another wood I think goes well with it is Paduak. It looks good from the start, but really starts to be a great match as the Paduak darkens and takes on more of a brown color.

[Greg Cole]

+1 to what Alex said.
In general it machines, shapes, planes etc nicely. If it's straight grained it's a pleasure to work.
I have some that has some more figure to it that will tear out regardless of cut depth or feed direction and it gives me fits with hand planing too, it's as though the grain switches direction with no warning....

[Jeff Duncan]

What kind of Mahogany is it? Makes a difference as to how well it machines/looks.
SA Mahogany works very well and IMHO is a very nice wood to look at.
There are several African varieties randomly called mahogany by some retailers. Some work well, some a little more difficult, but still not bad.
As far as complimentary woods that's a very personal decision. I did a bed and headboard once for a designer that was mahogany and cherry. I wasn't overly excited by the combination at first, but they did end up looking very good together. If I was building for myself I'd probably just stick with mahogany by itself.
good luck,
JeffD

[Peter Quinn]

You really need to pay attention to the grain on mahogany. As other have noted true South American mahogany tends to be more stable and predictable. In fact it machines like butter. Look for vertical grain material, or pattern grade as it may be called. African has a different color and can have severe grain switch backs that can prove troublesome to machine. With sharp knives and light passes it is not a huge problem generally. I always skew my passes on the jointer and planer, and typically make edge banding using the drum sander to avoid planing wood that thin.

Sapele might also be a decent choice for edge banding depending on the desired aesthetic effect and the color of your plywood. Sapele is in the mahogany family, comes from Africa, and tends to be a bit darker and harder than other members of the mahogany family.

Generally speaking, to my eye nothing matches mahogany like mahogany itself for an elegant piece of furniture.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Mahogany is one of my most favorite looking woods. It machines pretty well too.

Last year, I made a bath vanity and mirror surround from African mahogany. First time for the African stuff. No issues noted. It also accepted stain very nicely.

-Jeff :)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/DSCF1232.jpg

[Prashun Patel]

Very nice. What did you stain it with?

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I believe the stain was Minwax 'red mahogany' from Home Depot. Nothing fancy. Then a few coats of wipe on satin polyurethane. No grain fillers. No pre-conditioners.

By the way, that's not bird poop on my brother's shirt. :)

-Jeff :)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/DSCF1003.jpg

[glenn bradley]

The mahogany I have worked machines quite well following the usual grain rules.