Mahogany - or is it...

[Canoez]

Around here when I get Mahogany, I usually wind up with Kyaha, "genuine" or Honduran (not sure the exact species on the last two...).

With the wide variety of available "mahogany" (Cuban, Sapele, Santos,Philippine, etc.) does anyone have any recommendations for a specific varietal for small boat trim? I'm concerned with getting a balance of good for the application (decent hardness and rot resistance) low cost and light weight - some of the denser versions can be about a pound more per board foot.

Also, with concerns about the future availability of woods, does anyone have a suggestion for an acceptable alternative? I've seen "Lyptus" which is a farmed Eucalyptus from South America (Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus urophylla.) Are there other better suggestions?

[TerryLL]

I've used quite a lot of Lyptus in non-boat items, and it doesn't bear much resemblance to H. mahogany. It's harder and much more brittle, pinkish in color. I can't say anything about its use as boat trim, except that it's really inexpensive.

Dark red meranti might be an option. It's a bit harder and heavier than H. mahog, and still available (West Coast) in long wide stock. Nice dark red-brown color, glues and finishes well.

A new wood I just tried is Cumaru, also known as Brazilian teak. Hard, heavy, very dense, but incredibly decay resistant. I think it would be terrific for rub rails, sponson caps, rail caps, etc. Nice dark red color with highly interlocked grain. Machines easily, finishes well.

[David G]

Mahogany.

Khaya is not mahogany, but it plays one on TV, i.e. it isn't a true mahogany - except in the minds of the marketing types. And, yes, it has some some similar traits.

I'm not sure what you're buying that's "genuine" unless it's Honduran. Honduran is also called: American Mahogany; Costa Rican; Brazilian; Central American; Peruvian, etc. The latin name is Swietenia macrophylla. This is what's used in most high-end furniture, and a lot of shipwright applications, and is probably what is meant (at least in this neck of the woods) if someone just says "mahogany."

Are you really buying Cuban mahogany? It's 99.9% unavailable around here. If so, that could be called by some "genuine."

Sapele is quite similar to Honduran, though slightly less durable and rot-resistant.

Santos, I don't know much about. I've seen it. It's pretty. Quite expensive.

Phillipine Mahogany is another one that's not really a mahogany. And it's not even one species, though I do think they're all Shorea. The Meranti that Terry mentions is one of these. They range from very light, which is typically rot-prone, and similar density to alder or soft maple - to the dark red, which is very nice boat wood. I use it a fair bit.

The only time I worked with Lyptus, it was to make some casing and baseboard for an addition. It turned out very pretty, but was, indeed, splintery. I don't get the sense that it'd be a good, durable boat wood - but I could very easily be wrong.

Haven't run into Cumaru.

Don't forget Douglas Fir (aka Oregon Pine). Other possible domestics: cherry; walnut; larch; cypress; white oak; white ash.

[paladin]

Philippine mahogany is a registered trade name, it's actually a tropical cedar and not very rot resistant. What Chris Craft called Philippine mahogany was actually tanguille, which just ain't available no more...Marcos saw to that.

[Canoez]

Are you really buying Cuban mahogany? It's 99.9% unavailable around here. If so, that could be called by some "genuine."


Not buying, but ran into some labelled that way at an estate sale. Was very nice stock, but there wasn't much of it. Probably pre-dated the revolution.


Don't forget Douglas Fir (aka Oregon Pine). Other possible domestics: cherry; walnut; larch; cypress; white oak; white ash.

White ash is another one that is going to be hard to find, I believe - there is a fungus which has been killing them. I've used Spanish Cedar as well, but it is soft and gets "dinged up" pretty easily.

[David G]

I've used Spanish Cedar as well, but it is soft and gets "dinged up" pretty easily.

That's why I didn't mention it... or Western Red Cedar. Here in the NW, we don't see much of other types of cedar, buy they might be considered as well.

Got curious about "phillipine mahogany." Here's what Wikipedia has to say.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_mahogany

[Thad Van Gilder]

cuban mahogany, swientia mahogani (iFRC), is available from small sawmills in southern Florida, where it still exists.

I don't know how you would tell the difference between that and s. macrophylia- hondoran mahogany

-Thad

[SMARTINSEN]

De. Jagels addresses this in a recent WB.

[paladin]

Tanguille is as close to mahogany as you will get and not be a true mahogany. During the Marcos administrations lust for money they virtually destroyed the tanguille forests. Once in a while one will show up at a sawmill, but it takes a very good trained eye to recognize the wood because of it's close similarity to Luan. In recent years I know of three large trees that found their way to sawmills on Luzon with loads of other trees and was sold as Luan. I received a call because I had someone looking out for a couple of trees for me.

[Jay Greer]

Cuban or San Domingo Mahogony aside from being hard and heavy posses a rare quality. When exposed to UV, it darkens rather than bleaching. It was the wood of choice for cabinet makers during the Victorian era and carves very well. It also takes a fine polish. Tanguille is a wood that I have used quite a little of for planking. While it was once an acceptable substitute for Honduras, it is not that pleasant to work, having grain that most often runs two directions at once. It also, for that reason, does not finish easily and is nearly impossible to plane or scrape when fairing a hull.
Jay

[Canoez]

Cuban or San Domingo Mahogony aside from being hard and heavy posses a rare quality. When exposed to UV, it darkens rather than bleaching. It was the wood of choice for cabinet makers during the Victorian era and carves very well. It also takes a fine polish. Tanguille is a wood that I have used quite a little of for planking. While it was once an acceptable substitute for Honduras, it is not that pleasant to work, having grain that most often runs two directions at once. It also, for that reason, does not finish easily and is nearly impossible to plane or scrape when fairing a hull.
Jay

The grain on the Tanguille sounds like the Lyptus. It has patterns of reversing grain direction across the face of the board and makes it very difficult to work with power tools. We had a board we were going to dress in the planer with very light cuts and a gently dampened surface to avoid tear out. It looked pretty nasty on the out-feed side. I can't imagine that carving the stuff would be much of a treat. :(