Is this *real* mahogany

[Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not]

I have what was sold as Honduran mahogany and it looks like it to me. What is bothersome is that parts of my boards refuse to be smooth..... I can sand (to 220, which is what I read is the max useful for mahogany) or scrape as much as I want and still there are these parts, typically an inch wide and between 6-12 inches long, that remain fuzzy. They don't "tear out" so much as just look fuzzy. A few months after finishing them with oil and shellac, those parts look as if they have sucked up all the finish and some are beginning to lighten up - a blond streak in brown hair, so to speak.

So, it this the behavior of some wood other than HM? Or is it sapwood? Or is it my bad finishing technique? ?? ??

Thanx

===== Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. ===== {remove curly brackets for email}

[Mike Hide]

I have used mahogany for many years and have experienced what you describe very seldom and never is what is classified as "honduras"mahogany . For that reason I never use anything but Honduras , that is the only way I can guarantee quality . Seems to me you have been sold some inferior quality stuff for honduras prices . You might ask the wood merchant top see his purchase order, if it was offered to him as honduras then he needs to check his sources ....mjh

-- mike hide

[Tom Watson]

True Honduran Mahogany gets as smooth as buttered silk, like slipping into the best girlfriend that you ever had.

What you describe is more akin to what goes under the tradename Philippine Mahogany, which is crankier than the worst wife that you could ever imagine, twice as hairy, and not really a mahogany at all.

As per the analogy, they come from different places and have different temperaments.

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

[George M. Kazaka]

Actually what you have is African Mahogany and it is usually passed off as Genuine Mahagony It is a good wood but can be a bear to work with. You will also note it is darker and can have some black streaks going through it.

Right now due to the Politcal Climate the supply of Honduras is going to Dry up and Prices are about to sky rocket if they haven't yet.

Phillipine Mahagony closer color to Honduras, it is a lot softer and is generally known as cheap shit.

Good Luck, George

[Tom Watson]

"That's a bold statement." (cf PulpFiction, Tarantino, 1994.)

How did you intuit that he was dealing with African Mahogany, as opposed to Philipine Mahogany?

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

[mttt]

Hmm - I'll be unproductive for the next 15 minutes while I reminisce about my own experiences here.

[Tom Watson]

Sorry, that didn't come out right.. Writing faster than I'm thinking.

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

[McQualude]

There is a wood condition, I have forgotten the obvious name. Anyway, there is nothing you can do, it will not go away, you can't sand, scrape or plane it out.

I found this reference in Brazilian Mahogany:

"Fairly easy to work. The presence of tension wood gives rise to fuzzy surfaces and deeply interlocked grain causes some grain tearing in quarter sawn surfaces."

[George M. Kazaka]

Phillipine Mahagony will not do what he described and African Mahagony is notorious for just that. I'm sitting on a few hundred feet of 8/4 African I bought about 5 years ago and do not want to use it for the exact same trouble he had with it, as I said it is a beautful hardwood but a bear to work.

Anytime I call in for Mahogany and they say Genuine, I always ask, Hondourus or African, It usually will be African, If it is Hondorus they will sate so and it will always reflect in the Price also.

George

[P van Rijckevorsel]

Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not the painter) schreef

• + + I can't say.

- as to if this is mahogany, who can tell from just a few words?

- there is a phenomenon called reaction wood, which will do weird things, but I cannot say I ever heard this being a problem in mahogany. Crotch pieces should have plenty of reaction wood and these obviously can be finished just fine.

- it is not sapwood, since this would have a different color

- it should not be interlocked grain, since although this will cause tearout it can sanded quite smooth (may take a long time in bad cases). Note that scraping would not do it, since the streak would have to be scraped in the opposite direction from the surrounding wood). If is interlocked grain then sanding thoroughly and refinishing (or just refinishing) should solve it.

My guess would be badly interlocked grain, since this will locally behave like end grain, but it is a guess only. PvR

[Eddie Munster]

Well I'm not feeling to good now....

I just bought a bunch of African Mahogany fairly cheap. Most of it has been planned and was real smooth so I thought I would chance it. Pay your money, take your chances. I was aware of it's reputation however. But you know how it is, I thought my experience would be different. Hope springs eternal.

John

Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not the pa> I have what was sold as Honduran mahogany and it looks like it

[Eddie Munster]

Well I'm not feeling to good now....

I just bought a bunch of African Mahogany fairly cheap. Most of it has been planned and was real smooth so I thought I would chance it. Pay your money, take your chances. I was aware of it's reputation however. But you know how it is, I thought my experience would be different. Hope springs eternal.

John

Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not the pa> I have what was sold as Honduran mahogany and it looks like it

[Mike Hide]

And when the wife reads this you will probably add "different people" :]

-- mike hide

[Mike Hide]

No doubt to the embargo on Honduras Mahogany . I read the other day that trees are being cut in the Amazon basin at a greater rate than ever before . Now when they clear land [generally worthless for grazing cattle and the reason it is clearcut] instead of bringing the Mahogany to market [ because of the embargo ] they will just burn it with the rest of the cut timber. The only people who are happy no doubt are primarily the American treehuggersand their lobby.

-- mike hide

[bob]

Home Depot was selling some crap wood under the name "Aspen" that does this same thing. You can sand the hell out of it, and it stays fuzzy. I took a load of it back for a refund - after I'd cut it to size and started sanding. Told then it was unusable, even painted. They took it back.

I've been buying "genuine mahogany" from a company that claims it comes from managed forests in South America. It's great wood, works easy, finishes great and it's cheaper than poplar or oak, if you're willing to buy it by the bundle.

Bob

[bob]

Tom,

Thank you for the very vivid articulation of Honduras Mahogany. I laughed for minutes.

Bob

[Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not]

Thanks to all who replied - I think George has the best description of what I have. I did get a lot of tear-out while planing but put it up to my technique. I didn't say the 'fuzzy' sections were darker (black streaks?), but they are. The weird part is that now one of my pieces has been around for a few months, those parts are still darker *except* for small areas where they are turning very light - even gray - as though they had slurped up the finish and were drying out. The only remaining questions is - does African Mahogany have the same kind of wormholes in it that I read about for the real stuff? FWW's recent article on Finishing Mahogany showed worm holes just like the ones in my suspect wood. I bought this wood by mail from a dealer recommended by several on the wreck. Not all the wood has this problem. The 8/4 HM I bought locally has had no problems - but it cost me three times the mail order price. Looks like I got half lucky with mail order.

===== Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. ===== {remove curly brackets for email}

[George M. Kazaka]

Hey Charles, If you got African I can buy that all day at about 3.50 per Bd Ft, Whereas Honduras is about 5.50 and if it 8/4 It will cost more.

Mahogany is a lot like cherry in so much It will darken with age and it does not take to long, I use what is called a water white acrylic lacquer that has absolutely no color to it when i open a 5 gallon can I can see the bottom of the can and see whatever color the can actually is. I have been doing work for a mens Clothing store for several years now and it has been all Mahogany and Birdseye Maple with a Clear topcoat. Everytime I bring them something new they ask me why I didn't stain it the same color, It is not much but noticable and I generally tell them to wait a while.

I have a hunch the extra */4 I have in the shop is going to end-up either in a paint job or being as how it is 8/4 it will make for a nice workbench, Nah to much work two saw horses and a sheet of ply work just fine.

Send Me a viable e-mail address and I'll send a few pics Good Luck, George

[Tom Watson]

I would have to disagree. I have worked with most of the woods that are tradenamed as mahogany, including Red Lauan (Shorea negrosensis) and White Lauan (Pentacme "various") which are often sold to the unsuspecting as Honduran Mahogany (Swietenia "various").

These two, in particular, will do exactly as described, depending on the cut.

Regards, Tom Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania

[P van Rijckevorsel]

Charles Bragg (no, dammit, not the painter) schreef

• + + What wormholes are these? Mahogany should not have any. PvR