The author does like to from scratch, ruclips.net/user/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.
My father was a pattern maker for a large motor manufacturer for 30 years and was a lifetime woodworker. For him, there was only one wood, GENUINE Mahogany.
Thank You!! I started making wood furniture as a hobby mostly during covid lockdown to keep my sanity.... progressed to now from shelf-2-trunk-2-Dresser-2-a kiten cabiner -2-a bar with (mock) stained glass doors..... and no eager to venture into new woods.... purple heart, mohagony, walnut to create some pieces..... and this clip surpassed my expectations as far as an intro into Mahogany..... btw, just bookmarked your website after also seeing stuff on walnut & canarywood!!!
I have a sweetenia grow in my back yard here in West Palm Beach, Florida that I planted in 1978. It’s about 30 feet tall. I just Like to go out in the yard and look at it and think back to the day I planted it.
In the process of starting a woodworking shop and besides the box box stores and cedar, not familiar with the different woods. I really appreciate these videos. They are excellently done, the guys comical and easy to understand. Thank you. Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks, Mark, for a great clip defining the many characteristics of mahogany and their uses. I've been a cabinet maker/woodworker for nearly 30 years and have experienced the merits of each you've mentioned. In the 19th century Victorian era, mahogany was used in high end interior and exterior millwork in residential applications - in lue of heart pine. Even back then they painted (exterior) mahogany millwork and it's endured. In fact, some of the shipping companies employed their sailors as craftsman in the northeast's New England states during the fishing off season, building a number of the stately homesteads still standing throughout that region today. Mahogany was their finish wood of choice for the elite/affluent customers because it was a) a status symbol for its beauty & origin & b) back then plentiful, although expensive. I typically use mahogany as paint-grade replacement for window/exterior door components for longevity & serviceability, because of its inherent characteristics; yeap, it's much more expensive than the go to/preferred pressure treated (yellow pine) repairs - which over time will fail and seems typical w/my contemporaries now days. Although I have yet in all those years to have a call back for repairs done w/mahogany. The key there is using the right primer as most of the species have an inherent oil that won't allow a bond w/paints, then (2) top quality top coats. The comical thing to me is fellas typically use yellow pine (pressure treated) today for exterior door jamb or window sill repairs, but the osmosis treatment of the wood (saturation) won't allow for paint to bond adequately for months out. Yellow pine always shrinks and checks after the osmosis process, by nature, and the paint won't bond to it long term when it's still green/wet - even if you start w/a "dry" piece of y.p., it's not holding up, at least not in the long run. I've used sapele extensively with exterior projects, "NOT painted btw...", mainly for its longevity and wearability with use, exposure to the elements, as well as its inherent beauty. It holds up wonderfully stained/oiled like teak, as patio furniture, beautiful gates, and garden architecture, but especially as an entry door to a home. It makes a majestic entrance when stained, then sealed with a durable exterior clear top coat. The key is how its maintained, with respect to moisture and uv rays with a quality finish top coat applied. It does weather quite well - if the homeowner is vigilant. Care must be taken to maintain its beauty - as does any exterior millwork, due to harsh exposure w/the elements. As an aside, I believe it's the heaviest of those mentioned - and by far the most brutal on all your cutting edges; jointer, planer, and shaper knives, router bits, as well as your saw blades and scrapers. I promise it doesn't sand like pine either...Although when it's finish sanded off properly, and a durable top coat of finish(s) is applied, it's drop-dead-gorgeous, especially with entry doors. Just be sure to use heavy jamb material (not finger joint pine...)AND, heavy duty hinges - large ones w/(ball bearings) at that... I enjoy an occasional re-run on the silver screen, not so much w/an irate customer.
i am a retired Architectual Woodworker and in the early 90s the rage with Architects and interior designers was Sapele wood traditionally we used a Coversion Varnish with a tint and ill be truthfull most people had no idea it wasnt Mahogany i did restore a Antiques Wooden Cabin Cruiser that was built out of Honduras Majogany and for many years it was rumored that the Chrus Craft boat company bought and used the very last shipment sent to America ?? who knows they basically stopped building Wooden boats in 1972 i believe was their last one they rolled off the assembly line i believe you could use the Sapele to do Superstructures and interior trims etc and i even did that on a couple of spots on my old boat i refrained from using any below the waterline just because i do believe with the right finisher and products you can make the Sapele as pretty as you want for any furniture or trim
Mark...Really love these videos. So much good information about the different types of wood and how to work with them best. Please keep them coming. Thank you!!
Holy cow. Thank you! I'm a custom kitchen/bathroom designer in Indiana. Our shop (yes; we also manufacture on-site) got a call today for an African Mahogany kitchen and bathroom. In at least the last six years, the most exotic request we've gotten is a toss-up between bamboo and walnut until today. I knew NOTHING about the different species of mahogany. I DEFINITELY didn't know anything about how it handles. This was quick, and concise. THANK YOU!
Interesting video. I've used a few of these species for building my stave and segmented drum shells. One other wood that is often called Mahogany is Utile, or "Sipo Mahogany" which is very similar to Sapele, but has a more coarse grain with bigger open pores. I would have mentioned the stability of these different species as one of the reasons genuine Mahogany is so popular is that it's extremely stable and hardly moves at all once kiln dried.
Thanks for this educational video. Here in the Philippines, we've planted around 2 thousand mahogany trees in our farm. Lumber is reddish and extremely hard but gives out a smooth sheen.
Gosh, in late to this class... You have all the right formulas to be a great Educator, with proper Orientation & presentation... you delivered and made me feel like it was a one on one chat! Thanks, it was great!
Mark, thanks for the explanation regarding the differences between "mahogany" woods and the demonstration on finishing the different woods. I'm going to attempt a cabinet made from sapele and I really appreciate the time and effort you put in making this video.
This is a win for me! I love this type of video. Not least of all because you have knowledge, coupled with enthusiasm. Thank you! Oh, and, I love African Mahogany and Sapele! They're both beautiful and a joy to work with. There's a trait to African Mahogany that I learned with my first project with it. When sanded and finished, the layers of different cell types are amidst translucent, as you turn it different directions, you can see into different layers of the wood. I had a piece on the lathe, under a new light...I just put oil on it, and as the lathe was slowing down, I saw the grain pattern and depth for the first time. It was love at first sight. (Sigh) excuse me.....I need a tissue....
I love working with sapelle, I picked up quite a bit of it cheaply off eBay a while back and have made all sorts out of it. It looks great and complements a few other woods very nicely
I've busy making a solid guitar body out of Sapele at the moment. Gorgeous ribbon figure. Hectic tear-out though and heavy, but promising a great guitar sustain :)
1950’s Gibson Les Paul body and necks were made from Honduras Mahogany from British Honduras now known as Belize. It was aged and stored in British Honduras, and kiln dried at Kalamazoo, MI. Fingerboards were Brazilian Rosewood and tops book matched flamed maple caps. You could probably source this wood buying beat up old 50’s furniture. Cheapest way.
I have zero experience working with mahogany so I’ve been doing my research and came across this informative video. In Southern California, it’s Extremely difficult to locate genuine mahogany. The majority of the time, it’s African Mahogany that I’m seeing at my local lumber yards. I’ll just have to keep on searching. Thanks for sharing this video and all of your knowledge with us.
Mark your doing a great job explaining and showing the difference between all types of wood most of us viewers are looking for and enjoy watching so if you think you went in the weeds for a little bit then brother feel free to always get in the weeds because we get to understand and learn a little longer so great work.
I live in Puerto Rico and i have the luxury of working with genuine mahogany and another exotic woods for tou guys in the states, like Blue Mahoe, and my Favorite wood Capa Prieto or Spanish Elm for you guys! Y enjoy very much the video!
Thanks Mark. Don't worry about getting into the weeds. This was great and informative. Most importantly, now I know why my recent mahogany project was splitting and chipping on my router table. All this time, I thought mahogany was mahogany but upon inspecting the grain and pulling out my year's old receipt, I see that it was African Mahogany, which you confirm is susceptible to those problems.. Now I know to be careful.
Coming from the guitar section. Wanted to listen to different mahogany, but learned here so much mire! Great! How about someday a short vid knocking on planks of roughly the same size, but diff. mahogany types and derivates. Guitarists would love that.
You killed it man. Thank you for putting this video together. I have a couple board feet chunk of African mahogany I picked up at a sale and didn’t know it’s qualities until your video. Killer production too!
HI! Can't remember the mahogany preferred for boat use. Made good hull planks, and absolutely beautiful fixtures and furniture. Great in sun and weather. Still have projects from the seventies. Expensive!
well done video. I worked a short time for a furniture maker who imported stuff from Ecuador. It had a grain like mahogany but varied greatly in color and hardness. some of it was like styrofoam. I called it mystery wood. They cut anything they could drag home. I still have some of it.
I've been involved with fine woodworking for nearly 50 years and for nearly 30 years worked almost exclusively with Honduras Mahogany. I worked with dark red Philippian mahogany before that but that disappeared long ago. I became spoiled with Honduras Mahogany, had an incredible supplier literally right next door to me here in the Pacific Northwest. For years Hondo was reasonable priced, came in amazing dimensions and was by far the most warm, beautiful, workable, stable material possible. It became unavailable sometime after hurricane Katrina and so Sapele became the next mahogany of choice. Sapele still comes in incredibly large dimensions but not nearly so stable. Fortunately I had put together enough of a stash years ago where I can still do special projects out of Honduras Mahogany. I see some Hondo commercially available on occasion but it's usually very poor quality plantation grown material. I wouldn't know it was Honduras if it wasn't labeled as such.
Good video, I recently finished a project with Sapele ribbon, finished it with satin arm r seal. It is a beautiful wood and affordable. I prefer the Sapele ribbon because it has a tighter grain that does not need a grain filler for a smooth finish. I had several projects with African mahogany and it required a grain filler due to the large open pores.
Dude, you explained everything like a pro and I learned quite a bit. I’m a wood nerd working for Martin for 30 years and tone-woods are my life. Thank you for your knowledge. MJ
Thanks Brother, Love Your Content I'm a "Newbie" to Figured Wood (Navy & DOD Machinist/Designer) Learning the Skills & Proper Tools to Work without Tear Out Ambrosia Maple, Curly & Fiddleback Maple, Quilted Flame Cherry. Currently Solar KILN Drying. But Looking to acquire a Spiral Helicoil Carbide Cutter Head Joiner/Planer Combo, But Still Learning the Hand Pland & Card Scraper Skills a Techniques Thank You
Memory lane: Back in high school wood shop in the 60’s the wood-of-choice was mahogany; it was 6/4, rough on both sides. The planks were 12 - 14 foot long, it cost us the students 18 cents a running foot !
Interesting topic. I am recently moved in here in the Philippines and retired. I have a small workshop here. We have about 9 acres of hillside on the property, with a fair number of trees on it. We have also replanted several areas that had been cleared many years ago. De-brushed a bit and planted a fair number of Mahogony and another local they call Acacia Auri which seems to be a member of the walnut family and does have some kind of nut annually, though not harvested for some reason. Would be watching your channel in case you have or mention Philippine Mahogony with some details on it. We have almost 100 small mahogony both as volunteers as well as some transplants here. We do not plan to harvest these, but there are construction projects around my small island and we try and salvage any of the good trees cleared and make rough sawn lumber with it. Rough as in, chain saw lumber, so not very straight and the word consistent should not be used with it... We also have a wood I have never seen, and it is quite common here and is considered a trash tree so often cut. It is called Matamban. It is so hard, one must use concrete nails to fasten and it doesn't smell very good. It is quite light in color, lighter than pine with almost no movement as to grain. Looks quite plain freshly planed. It does have a bit of grain, after stain and varnish. Extremely heavy, reminding me of Osage Orange except for the color. It is dense enough that I do not think that in green conditions it is going to float in water. Similar to Osage Orange. Ever seen or heard of it?
You failed to mention that genuine mahogany is swetinia mahogoni is in fact still available from the south pacific, where it was transferred by the monks when their order was relocated from Cuba to the south pacific. I have bid on it, it is VERY EXPENSIVE.
Man! I wish you guys were closer to Arkansas. I've been trying to match a peice of existing furniture to build a coffee table and end table for my grandmom and I apparently dont know squat about wood! Lol I've seen walnut and now mahogany that I thought was a match. Biggest problem was that I thought it was stained maple at first so i put 2 weeks of work into building the tables from scratch only to find out I was wrong. Super disappointing
Fantastic! Appreciate you taking up this topic on mahogany with your encyclopedic knowledge of woods and plywood's. I feel like I'm in the shop and you're teaching a class. Keep up the good work!
Thank you. This was very informative. I have liked khaya in the past, although there are things i didn't love about it. I actually use sepele on about half of my projects now. Where i am, it is way cheaper than walnut (and often prettier in my opinion), and also cheaper than oak or maple. It also goes well with a variety of woods, like canarywood, oak or maple.
Excellent material. I love mahogany because I grew up surrounded by it. I´m talking about Cuban mahogany, which like you said, is the original one. Its Taino name is caoba and its scientific name is Swietenia mahagoni. For those who haven't seen caoba, it's dark brown/redish. Last time I checked, they are hybridizing it for reforestation purposes in Cuba with the Honduran and African (khaya) mahogany. During colonial times, I think it was Philip III who commissioned the construction of the Escorial palace using Cuban mahogany, which went almost extinct.
Thanks Mark, good info. I have a Minnesota house built in 1958 that has all beautiful mahogany trim and doors. What kind of mahogany would they have used back then? Thanks.
Year ago I used to travel with the Army a lot, mostly in Latin America. My Dad was a woodworker so I would have false bottoms put in conex containers or build crates from local hardwood and paint the outside OD green. When I got the conex back I would reclaim the wood and take it to my Dad. At the time I never thought about the potential environmental impact. But my Dad did build some beautiful stuff with it.
LOVE your teaching style and as one critic put it the “jerky jump-cut” editing. Kudo’s to you and your video production team. THis was educational & entertaining.
Great info. I've been using sapele for many years now and it's great to work with. Made a headboard, nightstand and shelf for a bedroom set with it and it came out great! Keep the videos coming!
What species is Ipe specifically? Is that just a brand?I've used it several times as decking and it looks just like"mahogany" super heavy and dense. It smells like cheerios when drilling or cutting.
Cut down a cuban mahogany tree in my yard 2 yrs ago about 35yrs old was to close to the house and had hurricane damage. Saved some gave some away rest went to the dump, there is still 6" sticking out of the ground. Still have a tall skinny in the back. Live in south Florida
This couldn’t be better timing. Yesterday I reclaimed some “mahogany” from a table where the top was a different species than the legs. Your videos are always an instant click for me!
So cool, thanks! Not sure I can help with IDing the legs or not but it's worth a shot if you have a pic. Send to cmilstein@macbeath.com and mstephens@macbeath.com and we'll give it a shot
Hey Mark, great job on the video. As a complete wood nerd, I really appreciate when you "get into the weeds" about this stuff. In fact, from what I understand, the RUclips algorithm prefers videos right around the 10 minute mark, so in a way this was a bit on the short side, haha! I've been a weekend-warrior woodworker for almost 2 decades now, and I've used a lot of exotic materials for all sorts of small hobby-scale projects, but I've never used Mahogany. Partly because it's so expensive these days. The next time I see a sale on Sapele at my local supplier, though, you can be sure I'll pick some up. There are tons of great resources on the Internets about the source of different wood species, but none of those give us the visceral connection to the material that your videos do, so keep it up. The more I watch, the more I feel like I'm almost qualified to use them! PS: You should add a point about rarity, protected species status, and toxicity - sometimes these points explain a wood's availability.
Good video, My Dad had an Uncle that brought my Dad 4 pcs. of Cuban Mahogany (When he used to go to Cuba -1955) my Dad made a Mantel piece from the 4" x 60" wood- Very Rich in color, easy to maintain (I use a lot of "Ribbon Striped Saple" in my Heirloom Quality Custom Woodwork) Thanks Again for the informative video
I just built a desk using Sapele and I loved it! The local wood shop sold it as Mahagony, so I had a couple of questions that your video helped answer. Good stuff!
This is great stuff Just fantastic.As a boater,we hear about okume ply and Philippine mahogany in cold molded triple planked boats.All boat builders are concerned with weight vs strength. As for looks, what you see the most of is teak. You never really see the bones of these boats. Lot different from the double planked Cypress boats my grandfather used to build in Florida. They would last 4-5 years. Then they's strip them and build a new one.
Great video. Agree with many comments, I love the detail and the attention to the qualities of these woods and what makes them unique. When your dealing with “rich mahogany” it’s nice to know what really makes it rich.
Good video which I enjoyed very much, and learned a bit too,. Some of these woods are difficult to get in the UK, what we do get a lot of is Meranti, sometimes called Philippine Mahogany and Utile which maybe what you call African Mahogany. I am building a boat at the present and using both of these for the interior trim
I’m looking for a great plywood like the Baltic birch you talked about in a previous video but with exotic facing like mahogany or walnut. Are these even made?
Yes it’s made, but difficult to source especially today in the aftermath of the China-US trade war. Plywood manufacturing is in a bit of turbulence you could say. If you just need a sheet or two you’re probably better off veneering what you need with paperback veneer. If you need a truckloads worth, that would be a different story.
Great video. I looked up Sapele a while back because I have a Taylor guitar with solid Sapele back and sides. I learned more from your video and like my guitar a little more now😄. Thank you!
Great & informative video! A lot of info packed in and explained in a very fast and easy to understand way. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. Kudos to the editor, loved it!
I have a piece of sapele that used to be an old painted shelf board in a closet. It was probably in there since the 50s. So I cleaned up the paint and noticed the perfectly straight ribbons on the full length of around 36" and probably 8" wide. Now it is a window sill extension so the cat won't fall off the normal 3.5" sill. :)
That's a good tip. Man, there's a long "preflight" checklist to go through when making a video. The stabilization switch on the lens is easy to forget to check.
I have some rough spots on my mahogany door jambs. If I sand them smooth do I have to sand all the jambs to be the same or if I leave them will the new sanded areas mellow with uv rays?
thanks mark. great info. i build 6 string lap steel guitars elect. i choose sapele bout 7 years ago. great wood to work with.an not only that the tone qulity is over the top.
Ty for this because I haven’t worked with mahogany before and I have a repair of a mahogany table coming up and now I know what to look for when I get the wood for it
I've been working with chinaberry wood recently, and its fantastic! also in the mahogany family (melia azederach) it resembles burmese teak, and is buttery smooth under a router. open grain needs pore fill, but the grain is refractory and jewel-like with a gloss finish - looks about ten feet deep... makes for really competent looking tigers eye finishes (and trust me im not that competent with complicated finishes) and its everywhere - in the southern us, chinaberry is a vile invasive species that dumps toxic yellow berries all over everything... my neighbor has one 60 ft tall that craps up my backyard every year... they grow in texas without even being watered... i can drive down my street and spot 5 of them... but no one is milling/kilning it - i got my meager supply (which is almost gone now) from a place called greenwood milling in san antonio - it was salvaged from a chinaberry tree at the san antonio zoo that was cut down during a recent renovation... i've seriously begun thinking about improvising some sort of mill and kiln operation in my garage just to get my hands on more... oh and the wood contains neem oil, so its insect resistant, and it smells like cake baking in the oven when torrified... great stuff
Thanks for Interesting information! ....I've always believed there must be many different types of fantastic trees which are purposing being ignored as potential lumber sources because of profit motives or other hidden lumber agendas; and your comments certainly support my beliefs. .....I'm now wondering how this Chinaberry wood might work as a very cheap, but highly effective Teak alternative for boat decking??? ....I'm also looking at using Sapele Mahogany as a cheap, but highly effective Teak alternative for boat decking???
I've got some big boards roughly 30"x40"X1 1/4 thk it's almost black. When I swed through a piece it was the same color through and through. Is it mohagany? It do s have a very fragrant smell tho. P.s I came from the Carolinas as a dresser of some sort. Over 100 yo. I'm wondering if it may be Brazilian ? I thought it may have been some sort of rosewood tho. Can you provide help in identifying this?
Dude stumbled upon your channel love the for mat been in the building trade 25 plus and starting to move into cabinets and furniture. I've always been an remodeler of kitchens and baths.
Mark, loving your videos. I live in Fort Collins, CO but spend a week or so a month in the Phoenix metro area. Have bought hardwood at your Tempe store a number of times. Hope maybe I can shake your hand sometime. Great stuff!
I live in AZ and I love walking into WWS and shopping for "exotic woods" Been doing a thing where every Christmas I pick a new wood and send out picture frames with a picture of the year to the whole family. This year was Jatoba man that was splintery on the router table.
Great video. As an amateur electric guitar builder, I run into lots of debates about which of these is "real" mahogany for the purposes of building the best guitars, with Honduran being the one we get all excited about. I presume you can't get Cuban or Honduran (from Honduras) because of over-harvesting and it becoming endangered in those areas?
Correct. There is some of the Cuban variety that grows in Florida but it’s only harvested from “opportunistic events” like from trees that fall in storms. So it’s not exactly available on demand. Any mahogany today that’s referred to as Honduran is probably just a colloquialism; same species but not actually from Honduras. Honduras was over harvested long ago. Fortunately today there are a lot of protections in place to prevent over harvesting in other locations.
Let's hear it for mahogany! *BOOM* 🔥🔥🔥
Who can say "disappointingly pale" 5 times fast, huh?
_Fact check: __3:50__ - __4:41__ we misspelled "Khaya"_
Great and easy to follow info, thanks!
The author does like to from scratch, ruclips.net/user/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.
My father was a pattern maker for a large motor manufacturer for 30 years and was a lifetime woodworker. For him, there was only one wood, GENUINE Mahogany.
Sapele is my favorite it has so many types of beautiful shine patterns
Dude, you're awesome. As a beginner at woodworking, your descriptive videos for the various hardwood is incomparable. Thanks and keep it up.
Excellent, just happy to help 👍
You answered questions about mahogany I didn't know I had! This was a fantastic video! Keep them coming!
Thank You!! I started making wood furniture as a hobby mostly during covid lockdown to keep my sanity.... progressed to now from shelf-2-trunk-2-Dresser-2-a kiten cabiner -2-a bar with (mock) stained glass doors..... and no eager to venture into new woods.... purple heart, mohagony, walnut to create some pieces..... and this clip surpassed my expectations as far as an intro into Mahogany..... btw, just bookmarked your website after also seeing stuff on walnut & canarywood!!!
Nice! Thank you, Joe
I like your level of detail and style of delivery in your videos. It's very educational for me!
I really like the finish of the Santos piece, nice color.
I have a sweetenia grow in my back yard here in West Palm Beach, Florida that I planted in 1978. It’s about 30 feet tall. I just Like to go out in the yard and look at it and think back to the day I planted it.
In the process of starting a woodworking shop and besides the box box stores and cedar, not familiar with the different woods. I really appreciate these videos. They are excellently done, the guys comical and easy to understand. Thank you. Any advice is appreciated.
Fantastic for a supplier to make such informative, educational, well presented & edited videos. Top marks 100 out of 100
Thanks, Mark, for a great clip defining the many characteristics of mahogany and their uses. I've been a cabinet maker/woodworker for nearly 30 years and have experienced the merits of each you've mentioned.
In the 19th century Victorian era, mahogany was used in high end interior and exterior millwork in residential applications - in lue of heart pine. Even back then they painted (exterior) mahogany millwork and it's endured. In fact, some of the shipping companies employed their sailors as craftsman in the northeast's New England states during the fishing off season, building a number of the stately homesteads still standing throughout that region today. Mahogany was their finish wood of choice for the elite/affluent customers because it was a) a status symbol for its beauty & origin & b) back then plentiful, although expensive.
I typically use mahogany as paint-grade replacement for window/exterior door components for longevity & serviceability, because of its inherent characteristics; yeap, it's much more expensive than the go to/preferred pressure treated (yellow pine) repairs - which over time will fail and seems typical w/my contemporaries now days. Although I have yet in all those years to have a call back for repairs done w/mahogany. The key there is using the right primer as most of the species have an inherent oil that won't allow a bond w/paints, then (2) top quality top coats. The comical thing to me is fellas typically use yellow pine (pressure treated) today for exterior door jamb or window sill repairs, but the osmosis treatment of the wood (saturation) won't allow for paint to bond adequately for months out. Yellow pine always shrinks and checks after the osmosis process, by nature, and the paint won't bond to it long term when it's still green/wet - even if you start w/a "dry" piece of y.p., it's not holding up, at least not in the long run.
I've used sapele extensively with exterior projects, "NOT painted btw...", mainly for its longevity and wearability with use, exposure to the elements, as well as its inherent beauty. It holds up wonderfully stained/oiled like teak, as patio furniture, beautiful gates, and garden architecture, but especially as an entry door to a home. It makes a majestic entrance when stained, then sealed with a durable exterior clear top coat. The key is how its maintained, with respect to moisture and uv rays with a quality finish top coat applied. It does weather quite well - if the homeowner is vigilant. Care must be taken to maintain its beauty - as does any exterior millwork, due to harsh exposure w/the elements.
As an aside, I believe it's the heaviest of those mentioned - and by far the most brutal on all your cutting edges; jointer, planer, and shaper knives, router bits, as well as your saw blades and scrapers. I promise it doesn't sand like pine either...Although when it's finish sanded off properly, and a durable top coat of finish(s) is applied, it's drop-dead-gorgeous, especially with entry doors. Just be sure to use heavy jamb material (not finger joint pine...)AND, heavy duty hinges - large ones w/(ball bearings) at that... I enjoy an occasional re-run on the silver screen, not so much w/an irate customer.
i am a retired Architectual Woodworker and in the early 90s the rage with Architects and interior designers was Sapele wood traditionally we used a Coversion Varnish with a tint and ill be truthfull most people had no idea it wasnt Mahogany i did restore a Antiques Wooden Cabin Cruiser that was built out of Honduras Majogany and for many years it was rumored that the Chrus Craft boat company bought and used the very last shipment sent to America ?? who knows they basically stopped building Wooden boats in 1972 i believe was their last one they rolled off the assembly line i believe you could use the Sapele to do Superstructures and interior trims etc and i even did that on a couple of spots on my old boat i refrained from using any below the waterline just because i do believe with the right finisher and products you can make the Sapele as pretty as you want for any furniture or trim
Mark...Really love these videos. So much good information about the different types of wood and how to work with them best. Please keep them coming. Thank you!!
You're too kind, thanks. So glad you enjoy them. 💥
Great job Mark! First time for me and I appreciate the level of "weeds" you still kept it interesting!
Holy cow. Thank you! I'm a custom kitchen/bathroom designer in Indiana. Our shop (yes; we also manufacture on-site) got a call today for an African Mahogany kitchen and bathroom. In at least the last six years, the most exotic request we've gotten is a toss-up between bamboo and walnut until today. I knew NOTHING about the different species of mahogany. I DEFINITELY didn't know anything about how it handles. This was quick, and concise. THANK YOU!
Interesting video. I've used a few of these species for building my stave and segmented drum shells. One other wood that is often called Mahogany is Utile, or "Sipo Mahogany" which is very similar to Sapele, but has a more coarse grain with bigger open pores. I would have mentioned the stability of these different species as one of the reasons genuine Mahogany is so popular is that it's extremely stable and hardly moves at all once kiln dried.
Good point! Thx
Thanks for this educational video. Here in the Philippines, we've planted around 2 thousand mahogany trees in our farm. Lumber is reddish and extremely hard but gives out a smooth sheen.
Gosh, in late to this class... You have all the right formulas to be a great Educator, with proper Orientation & presentation... you delivered and made me feel like it was a one on one chat! Thanks, it was great!
Mark, thanks for the explanation regarding the differences between "mahogany" woods and the demonstration on finishing the different woods. I'm going to attempt a cabinet made from sapele and I really appreciate the time and effort you put in making this video.
This is a win for me! I love this type of video. Not least of all because you have knowledge, coupled with enthusiasm. Thank you! Oh, and, I love African Mahogany and Sapele! They're both beautiful and a joy to work with. There's a trait to African Mahogany that I learned with my first project with it. When sanded and finished, the layers of different cell types are amidst translucent, as you turn it different directions, you can see into different layers of the wood. I had a piece on the lathe, under a new light...I just put oil on it, and as the lathe was slowing down, I saw the grain pattern and depth for the first time. It was love at first sight. (Sigh) excuse me.....I need a tissue....
I love working with sapelle, I picked up quite a bit of it cheaply off eBay a while back and have made all sorts out of it. It looks great and complements a few other woods very nicely
I've busy making a solid guitar body out of Sapele at the moment. Gorgeous ribbon figure. Hectic tear-out though and heavy, but promising a great guitar sustain :)
1950’s Gibson Les Paul body and necks were made from Honduras Mahogany from British Honduras now known as Belize.
It was aged and stored in
British Honduras, and kiln dried at Kalamazoo, MI.
Fingerboards were Brazilian Rosewood and tops book matched flamed maple caps.
You could probably source this wood buying beat up old 50’s furniture.
Cheapest way.
I have zero experience working with mahogany so I’ve been doing my research and came across this informative video. In Southern California, it’s Extremely difficult to locate genuine mahogany. The majority of the time, it’s African Mahogany that I’m seeing at my local lumber yards. I’ll just have to keep on searching. Thanks for sharing this video and all of your knowledge with us.
Mark your doing a great job explaining and showing the difference between all types of wood most of us viewers are looking for and enjoy watching so if you think you went in the weeds for a little bit then brother feel free to always get in the weeds because we get to understand and learn a little longer so great work.
Sam S thanks for the feedback, glad to know you’re getting some good info out of these videos
Mark, you are awesome! So look forward to these videos, you are helping this newbie so much!
Love the grain in sapele, 7:42 you can see how the checkering in the grain makes the camera bug out
I live in Puerto Rico and i have the luxury of working with genuine mahogany and another exotic woods for tou guys in the states, like Blue Mahoe, and my Favorite wood Capa Prieto or Spanish Elm for you guys! Y enjoy very much the video!
Thanks Mark. Don't worry about getting into the weeds. This was great and informative. Most importantly, now I know why my recent mahogany project was splitting and chipping on my router table. All this time, I thought mahogany was mahogany but upon inspecting the grain and pulling out my year's old receipt, I see that it was African Mahogany, which you confirm is susceptible to those problems.. Now I know to be careful.
Love all the info. Not boring at all. I’m trying to ID the wood on a cabinet I’m restoring so all information is helpful. Thanks so much!
Great explanation, Thanks. Glad to be a Rosewood member of Woodworkers Source
I made 2 Garden Benches out of Santos Mahogany and then finished them with Howards Feed N Wax and got rave reviews on them.
I could listen to your videos all day!!
Ya'alls need to open an outlet in southwest Atlanta. Please. Thanks. :-) Great video! Appreciate you sharing the knowledge, very interesting.
Coming from the guitar section. Wanted to listen to different mahogany, but learned here so much mire! Great!
How about someday a short vid knocking on planks of roughly the same size, but diff. mahogany types and derivates. Guitarists would love that.
Gall ee. Mark must be a true Texan.
Thanks for the video. Very informative.
Holy crap. Your videos on wood species are great. I've only seen this one and the one on walnut. Now I need to see what else is there.
You killed it man. Thank you for putting this video together. I have a couple board feet chunk of African mahogany I picked up at a sale and didn’t know it’s qualities until your video. Killer production too!
This kind of videos is so useful ! Thanks a lot. I'm a guitar maker and there is so much BS when it comes to mahogany.
HI! Can't remember the mahogany preferred for boat use. Made good hull planks, and absolutely beautiful fixtures and furniture. Great in sun and weather. Still have projects from the seventies. Expensive!
well done video. I worked a short time for a furniture maker who imported stuff from Ecuador. It had a grain like mahogany but varied greatly in color and hardness. some of it
was like styrofoam. I called it mystery wood. They cut anything they could drag home. I still have some of it.
I've been involved with fine woodworking for nearly 50 years and for nearly 30 years worked almost exclusively with Honduras Mahogany. I worked with dark red Philippian mahogany before that but that disappeared long ago. I became spoiled with Honduras Mahogany, had an incredible supplier literally right next door to me here in the Pacific Northwest. For years Hondo was reasonable priced, came in amazing dimensions and was by far the most warm, beautiful, workable, stable material possible. It became unavailable sometime after hurricane Katrina and so Sapele became the next mahogany of choice. Sapele still comes in incredibly large dimensions but not nearly so stable. Fortunately I had put together enough of a stash years ago where I can still do special projects out of Honduras Mahogany. I see some Hondo commercially available on occasion but it's usually very poor quality plantation grown material. I wouldn't know it was Honduras if it wasn't labeled as such.
I love mahogany. It's one of my favourite woods. The wood has almost a 3-d look to it.
Good video, I recently finished a project with Sapele ribbon, finished it with satin arm r seal. It is a beautiful wood and affordable. I prefer the Sapele ribbon because it has a tighter grain that does not need a grain filler for a smooth finish. I had several projects with African mahogany and it required a grain filler due to the large open pores.
Yeah, another good point! Sapele is nicer in that regard.
Dude, you explained everything like a pro and I learned quite a bit. I’m a wood nerd working for Martin for 30 years and tone-woods are my life. Thank you for your knowledge. MJ
Glad to help!!!!
Thanks Brother, Love Your Content
I'm a "Newbie" to Figured Wood (Navy & DOD Machinist/Designer) Learning the Skills & Proper Tools to Work without Tear Out Ambrosia Maple, Curly & Fiddleback Maple, Quilted Flame Cherry.
Currently Solar KILN Drying. But Looking to acquire a Spiral Helicoil Carbide Cutter Head Joiner/Planer Combo, But Still Learning the Hand Pland & Card Scraper Skills a Techniques
Thank You
Excellent info we use a lot of sapele in our work here in the U K 👍
Great on-camera persona. Love the work.
Memory lane: Back in high school wood shop in the 60’s the wood-of-choice was mahogany; it was 6/4, rough on both sides. The planks were 12 - 14 foot long, it cost us the students 18 cents a running foot !
I made a table in shop class in the 70's of Philippine Mahogany which was super exotic at the time.
Interesting topic. I am recently moved in here in the Philippines and retired. I have a small workshop here. We have about 9 acres of hillside on the property, with a fair number of trees on it. We have also replanted several areas that had been cleared many years ago. De-brushed a bit and planted a fair number of Mahogony and another local they call Acacia Auri which seems to be a member of the walnut family and does have some kind of nut annually, though not harvested for some reason.
Would be watching your channel in case you have or mention Philippine Mahogony with some details on it. We have almost 100 small mahogony both as volunteers as well as some transplants here. We do not plan to harvest these, but there are construction projects around my small island and we try and salvage any of the good trees cleared and make rough sawn lumber with it. Rough as in, chain saw lumber, so not very straight and the word consistent should not be used with it...
We also have a wood I have never seen, and it is quite common here and is considered a trash tree so often cut. It is called Matamban. It is so hard, one must use concrete nails to fasten and it doesn't smell very good. It is quite light in color, lighter than pine with almost no movement as to grain. Looks quite plain freshly planed. It does have a bit of grain, after stain and varnish. Extremely heavy, reminding me of Osage Orange except for the color. It is dense enough that I do not think that in green conditions it is going to float in water. Similar to Osage Orange. Ever seen or heard of it?
You failed to mention that genuine mahogany is swetinia mahogoni is in fact still available from the south pacific, where it was transferred by the monks when their order was relocated from Cuba to the south pacific. I have bid on it, it is VERY EXPENSIVE.
Man! I wish you guys were closer to Arkansas. I've been trying to match a peice of existing furniture to build a coffee table and end table for my grandmom and I apparently dont know squat about wood! Lol I've seen walnut and now mahogany that I thought was a match. Biggest problem was that I thought it was stained maple at first so i put 2 weeks of work into building the tables from scratch only to find out I was wrong. Super disappointing
Fantastic! Appreciate you taking up this topic on mahogany with your encyclopedic knowledge of woods and plywood's. I feel like I'm in the shop and you're teaching a class. Keep up the good work!
Thank you. This was very informative.
I have liked khaya in the past, although there are things i didn't love about it.
I actually use sepele on about half of my projects now. Where i am, it is way cheaper than walnut (and often prettier in my opinion), and also cheaper than oak or maple. It also goes well with a variety of woods, like canarywood, oak or maple.
So true, it looks great with just about anything! Thanks Karl.
Excellent material. I love mahogany because I grew up surrounded by it. I´m talking about Cuban mahogany, which like you said, is the original one. Its Taino name is caoba and its scientific name is Swietenia mahagoni. For those who haven't seen caoba, it's dark brown/redish. Last time I checked, they are hybridizing it for reforestation purposes in Cuba with the Honduran and African (khaya) mahogany. During colonial times, I think it was Philip III who commissioned the construction of the Escorial palace using Cuban mahogany, which went almost extinct.
Thanks Mark, good info. I have a Minnesota house built in 1958 that has all beautiful mahogany trim and doors. What kind of mahogany would they have used back then? Thanks.
Year ago I used to travel with the Army a lot, mostly in Latin America. My Dad was a woodworker so I would have false bottoms put in conex containers or build crates from local hardwood and paint the outside OD green. When I got the conex back I would reclaim the wood and take it to my Dad. At the time I never thought about the potential environmental impact. But my Dad did build some beautiful stuff with it.
LOVE your teaching style and as one critic put it the “jerky jump-cut” editing. Kudo’s to you and your video production team. THis was educational & entertaining.
Thank you much!
On the other side of the coin, I love the info as much as everyone else, and thanks, but I hate the "jerky jump cut". Take it under advisement.
Great info. I've been using sapele for many years now and it's great to work with. Made a headboard, nightstand and shelf for a bedroom set with it and it came out great! Keep the videos coming!
What species is Ipe specifically? Is that just a brand?I've used it several times as decking and it looks just like"mahogany" super heavy and dense. It smells like cheerios when drilling or cutting.
It's Brazillian walnut and very heavy. I had a load on a gooseneck trailer with a 550 ford and it barely pulled it. I had to put 100 psi in the tires.
Cut down a cuban mahogany tree in my yard 2 yrs ago about 35yrs old was to close to the house and had hurricane damage. Saved some gave some away rest went to the dump, there is still 6" sticking out of the ground. Still have a tall skinny in the back. Live in south Florida
Great video. Very informative. I like how show the differences between the finishes. Keep them coming. Thank you.
This couldn’t be better timing. Yesterday I reclaimed some “mahogany” from a table where the top was a different species than the legs. Your videos are always an instant click for me!
I’m still unsure what the legs are, though. The grain is characteristic of mahogany but incredibly light in color.
So cool, thanks! Not sure I can help with IDing the legs or not but it's worth a shot if you have a pic. Send to cmilstein@macbeath.com and mstephens@macbeath.com and we'll give it a shot
Hey Mark, great job on the video. As a complete wood nerd, I really appreciate when you "get into the weeds" about this stuff. In fact, from what I understand, the RUclips algorithm prefers videos right around the 10 minute mark, so in a way this was a bit on the short side, haha! I've been a weekend-warrior woodworker for almost 2 decades now, and I've used a lot of exotic materials for all sorts of small hobby-scale projects, but I've never used Mahogany. Partly because it's so expensive these days. The next time I see a sale on Sapele at my local supplier, though, you can be sure I'll pick some up.
There are tons of great resources on the Internets about the source of different wood species, but none of those give us the visceral connection to the material that your videos do, so keep it up. The more I watch, the more I feel like I'm almost qualified to use them!
PS: You should add a point about rarity, protected species status, and toxicity - sometimes these points explain a wood's availability.
Good video, My Dad had an Uncle that brought my Dad 4 pcs. of Cuban Mahogany (When he used to go to Cuba -1955) my Dad made a Mantel piece from the 4" x 60" wood- Very Rich in color, easy to maintain (I use a lot of "Ribbon Striped Saple" in my Heirloom Quality Custom Woodwork) Thanks Again for the informative video
I just built a desk using Sapele and I loved it! The local wood shop sold it as Mahagony, so I had a couple of questions that your video helped answer. Good stuff!
Eric Mitjans awesome, we’re at your service 👍
Great! I'm getting ready to build a desk with Sapele too... glad to hear it worked out well for you. Fingers crossed!
This is great stuff Just fantastic.As a boater,we hear about okume ply and Philippine mahogany in cold molded triple planked boats.All boat builders are concerned with weight vs strength. As for looks, what you see the most of is teak. You never really see the bones of these boats. Lot different from the double planked Cypress boats my grandfather used to build in Florida. They would last 4-5 years. Then they's strip them and build a new one.
Appreciate the tips on Mahogany. I have a ton of khaya ivorensis that I grew for 25 years in Florida. I'm getting ready to carve it now. 😊
Awesome! Thank you 👍
Thanks mark I’ve been doing this for many many years but if someone doesn’t show you it’s hard to know the difference
That is so very true.
Great video. Agree with many comments, I love the detail and the attention to the qualities of these woods and what makes them unique. When your dealing with “rich mahogany” it’s nice to know what really makes it rich.
Good video which I enjoyed very much, and learned a bit too,. Some of these woods are difficult to get in the UK, what we do get a lot of is Meranti, sometimes called Philippine Mahogany and Utile which maybe what you call African Mahogany. I am building a boat at the present and using both of these for the interior trim
Excellent video. Now I have a better understanding when offered different types of mahogany, beyond just the cost.
Are those just shop napkins you're using to apply the tung oil varnish?
I’m looking for a great plywood like the Baltic birch you talked about in a previous video but with exotic facing like mahogany or walnut. Are these even made?
Yes it’s made, but difficult to source especially today in the aftermath of the China-US trade war. Plywood manufacturing is in a bit of turbulence you could say. If you just need a sheet or two you’re probably better off veneering what you need with paperback veneer. If you need a truckloads worth, that would be a different story.
Great video. I looked up Sapele a while back because I have a Taylor guitar with solid Sapele back and sides. I learned more from your video and like my guitar a little more now😄. Thank you!
Ahhhh! A Taylor guitar.... yeah, very nice!
Robert Moriarty hah! I bought my Taylor 314c so long ago I had to look up what woods it’s made of. Sure enough Sapele back and sides.
I got a couple of hundred kilos of Sapele left over from a big window frame job several years ago, lovely stuff, still got a bit of it kicking around.
Great & informative video! A lot of info packed in and explained in a very fast and easy to understand way. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. Kudos to the editor, loved it!
I have a piece of sapele that used to be an old painted shelf board in a closet. It was probably in there since the 50s. So I cleaned up the paint and noticed the perfectly straight ribbons on the full length of around 36" and probably 8" wide. Now it is a window sill extension so the cat won't fall off the normal 3.5" sill. :)
Great videos for Woodworkers with ADHD. I love how every 5 minute you are told not to get bored.
Thanks for the very good videos.
Consider video stabilization in post if your handheld cam doesn't have it built in.
Cheers.
That's a good tip. Man, there's a long "preflight" checklist to go through when making a video. The stabilization switch on the lens is easy to forget to check.
Very nicely presented. Lots of really useful info.
Thx. Always great to see the finish on the stock as well as know the tendencies concerning UV rays. 👌🏼
I have some rough spots on my mahogany door jambs. If I sand them smooth do I have to sand all the jambs to be the same or if I leave them will the new sanded areas mellow with uv rays?
thanks mark. great info. i build 6 string lap steel guitars elect. i choose sapele bout 7 years ago. great wood to work with.an not only that the tone qulity is over the top.
Best video I found so far on the topic.
Another great video Mark. Thanks for sharing and keeping us in the know on all kinds of woods.
Thank you so much Bryan. 👍
Ty for this because I haven’t worked with mahogany before and I have a repair of a mahogany table coming up and now I know what to look for when I get the wood for it
Very informative, thanks...
How about a run down/ video on teak?
I've been working with chinaberry wood recently, and its fantastic! also in the mahogany family (melia azederach) it resembles burmese teak, and is buttery smooth under a router. open grain needs pore fill, but the grain is refractory and jewel-like with a gloss finish - looks about ten feet deep... makes for really competent looking tigers eye finishes (and trust me im not that competent with complicated finishes)
and its everywhere - in the southern us, chinaberry is a vile invasive species that dumps toxic yellow berries all over everything... my neighbor has one 60 ft tall that craps up my backyard every year... they grow in texas without even being watered... i can drive down my street and spot 5 of them...
but no one is milling/kilning it - i got my meager supply (which is almost gone now) from a place called greenwood milling in san antonio - it was salvaged from a chinaberry tree at the san antonio zoo that was cut down during a recent renovation...
i've seriously begun thinking about improvising some sort of mill and kiln operation in my garage just to get my hands on more...
oh and the wood contains neem oil, so its insect resistant, and it smells like cake baking in the oven when torrified... great stuff
Thanks for Interesting information! ....I've always believed there must be many different types of fantastic trees which are purposing being ignored as potential lumber sources because of profit motives or other hidden lumber agendas; and your comments certainly support my beliefs. .....I'm now wondering how this Chinaberry wood might work as a very cheap, but highly effective Teak alternative for boat decking??? ....I'm also looking at using Sapele Mahogany as a cheap, but highly effective Teak alternative for boat decking???
Thanks for the info. Direct, efficient, and to the point. You’re making good videos.
I've got some big boards roughly 30"x40"X1 1/4 thk it's almost black. When I swed through a piece it was the same color through and through. Is it mohagany? It do s have a very fragrant smell tho. P.s I came from the Carolinas as a dresser of some sort. Over 100 yo. I'm wondering if it may be Brazilian ? I thought it may have been some sort of rosewood tho. Can you provide help in identifying this?
I actually enjoyed the details you went into with the various types.
Dude stumbled upon your channel love the for mat been in the building trade 25 plus and starting to move into cabinets and furniture. I've always been an remodeler of kitchens and baths.
I am a “wood junkie” this explanation is well presented! Thank you
Arborist Blair Glenn
Is Honduras mahogany or genuine mahogany the same as caoba??
Mark, loving your videos. I live in Fort Collins, CO but spend a week or so a month in the Phoenix metro area. Have bought hardwood at your Tempe store a number of times. Hope maybe I can shake your hand sometime. Great stuff!
Great to hear Mike! I stop in about once a week to the store
Nice job. I learned a lot. There will be a lot less stress next time I buy "mahogany" at my lumber source.
I live in AZ and I love walking into WWS and shopping for "exotic woods"
Been doing a thing where every Christmas I pick a new wood and send out picture frames with a picture of the year to the whole family. This year was Jatoba man that was splintery on the router table.
Great video. As an amateur electric guitar builder, I run into lots of debates about which of these is "real" mahogany for the purposes of building the best guitars, with Honduran being the one we get all excited about. I presume you can't get Cuban or Honduran (from Honduras) because of over-harvesting and it becoming endangered in those areas?
Correct. There is some of the Cuban variety that grows in Florida but it’s only harvested from “opportunistic events” like from trees that fall in storms. So it’s not exactly available on demand. Any mahogany today that’s referred to as Honduran is probably just a colloquialism; same species but not actually from Honduras. Honduras was over harvested long ago. Fortunately today there are a lot of protections in place to prevent over harvesting in other locations.