South American Mahogany

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Got about 20bf of South American Mahogany (Swieitenia macrophylla, genuine mahogany) from the Hardwood Store. Two 5/4 boards (10"w x 12'l x 1"t, S4S). It's my first time seeing mahogany in person; pretty nice stuff with a fairly uniform grain.

Two pieces finished with 1) Waterlox, left and 2) pure tung oil in MS. Interesting, the pure tung oil finish is a bit more reddish.
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Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Jeff, without doing the reverse on the back of these boards how do you know whether it is the finish or the board that is contributing to the color?
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Jeff, without doing the reverse on the back of these boards how do you know whether it is the finish or the board that is contributing to the color?
Fair point, I'll put some tung oil on the back of the board.
 

EXKid

New User
Mark
I have some mahogany from my grandpa’s stash, and I recall him coveting whichever source was harder to get back in the 80s. Philippine? I think what I have is Honduran.

Anyways it’s great to work on a lathe. Rich color, cooperative always straight grain, plays well with the light. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with it for years. 8/4 and 2 pieces are 18x18 one about 6x18.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Philippine? I think what I have is Honduran.

Honduran mahogany is probably the best of the species available today and the species grows in much of South America.

 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
what happens if you put the waterlox OVER the tung oil?

The Waterlox looks about the same on the other side of either board. It's the wood in the board, not a difference between pure tung oil or Waterlox. BTW, Waterlox is tung oil. My 2 boards look the same without any finish, but they're probably not from the same tree so there's some variation that I didn't think of (duhhh?)

 

ncfromnc

New User
neil
Sweitinia mahoghani is the original "Genuine" mahogany. If you get some of that in your hands.....wow...it blows the macrophylla away!
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Sweitinia mahoghani is the original "Genuine" mahogany. If you get some of that in your hands.....wow...it blows the macrophylla away!

I've never seen it. It's an endangered and protected species nowadays and no lumber has been available for decades.

 

ncfromnc

New User
neil
I've never seen it. It's an endangered and protected species nowadays and no lumber has been available for decades.

It is not allowed to cross international borders (CITES app. 1). It's native range extends into southern Florida and the keys. Sooner is available from Sawyer's with a permit. It is also available from lumber already in the USA in specialty shops, Craigslist etc. I found some listed on Craigslist a few years ago. Very dense, very beautiful.
 

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