AFRICAN MAHOGANY
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Distribution
West tropical Africa from the Guinea Coast to Cameroon and extending eastward through the Congo basin to Uganda and parts of Sudan. Often found in the fringe between the rainforest and the savanna.
The Tree
Reaches a height of 100 to 130 ft, boles sometimes twisted or crooked with low branching; trunk diameters above buttresses 3 to 5 ft.
The Wood
General
Heartwood fairly uniform pink- to red brown darkening to a rich mahogany brown; sapwood is lighter in color, not always sharply defined. Texture moderately coarse; grain straight, interlocked, or irregular; without taste or scent.
Working Properties: Good working properties with hand and machine tools. Material with irregular grain difficult to dress to a smooth surface. Turns well, good nailing and gluing properties
Durability: Heartwood moderately durable; trees and logs liable to attack by longhorn and buprestid beetles; resistant to termites. Sapwood liable to powder- post beetle attack
Preservation: Heartwood is extremely resistant to preservative treatments; sapwood moderately resistant.
Uses: Furniture and cabinetwork, joinery, shop fixtures, flooring, boatbuilding, decorative veneers.
West tropical Africa from the Guinea Coast to Cameroon and extending eastward through the Congo basin to Uganda and parts of Sudan. Often found in the fringe between the rainforest and the savanna.
The Tree
Reaches a height of 100 to 130 ft, boles sometimes twisted or crooked with low branching; trunk diameters above buttresses 3 to 5 ft.
The Wood
General
Heartwood fairly uniform pink- to red brown darkening to a rich mahogany brown; sapwood is lighter in color, not always sharply defined. Texture moderately coarse; grain straight, interlocked, or irregular; without taste or scent.
Working Properties: Good working properties with hand and machine tools. Material with irregular grain difficult to dress to a smooth surface. Turns well, good nailing and gluing properties
Durability: Heartwood moderately durable; trees and logs liable to attack by longhorn and buprestid beetles; resistant to termites. Sapwood liable to powder- post beetle attack
Preservation: Heartwood is extremely resistant to preservative treatments; sapwood moderately resistant.
Uses: Furniture and cabinetwork, joinery, shop fixtures, flooring, boatbuilding, decorative veneers.
