African Mahogany
Hardwoods Choosing Guide by Tauqeer Hassan
When choosing a hardwood, it is most likely to be the appearance of the wood – its colour and grain structure – which will determine your choice for a particu¬lar woodworking project.
By far the most commonly available hardwood is mahogany. Originally, ‘true’ mahogany (Swietana) came from Central America (particularly Cuba) and this is known now as American mahogany. African mahogany (Kyaha) has broadly similar properties and comes from all parts of Africa, and, these days, other hardwoods, such as sapele and utile, are often categorised underthe mahogany umbrella.
All these woods have a distinctive warm reddish colour and are reasonably durable so can be used outside if treated with preservative. The mahogany family of woods are strong and easy to work with sharp tools and will take glue, screws and paint or varnish well. Their attractive appearance and close grain structure make them ideal for furniture making, but many do-it-yourselfers will be more likely to come across ‘mahog¬any’ as a veneer on a plank of chipboard.
Philippine mahogany – or lauan – is a much darker red wood than the other mahoganies.
Ramin is the other widely available hardwood. It is closely textured and has an even grain which makes it ideal for mouldings. A light yellow in colour, it can be stained easily to match other wood – a common use for ramin mouldings is as a lipping for shelves.
You may well be able to find other hardwoods available either from stock or to order, and it is worth knowing something about the pros and cons of the various types.
Ash is light in colour and has a straight grain, making it particularly suitable for tool handles (it also has a natural springiness). Also useful for making furniture where the wood has to be bent.
Beech is also straight grained and has a fine even texture. Widely used for tools and tool handles and also for furniture making.
Elm This is not so widely available since Dutch elm disease, but it is useful as a wood for making garden furniture.
Iroko is very similar to teak but is about half the price and does not have the oil texture. It is very durable so can be used outside and is also suitable for furniture making.
Oak British oak is expensive to buy these days (except possibly second¬hand) but is a hard durable timber which is ideally suited to use as fencing-posts. It is very difficult to work and its acid content is likely to corrode ferrous metal.
As well as oak grown in Europe, you may come across American White Oak (durable) and American Red Oak (non¬durable). Chestnut, known for its use in fencing, is sometimes used instead of oak.
Obeche is a light-coloured wood used for the insides of furniture, such as the sides of drawers. Like ramin, it can easily be stained and requires sharp tools to work it
Teak is one of the most attractive of hardwoods, but is prohibitively expen¬sive. Teak contains natural oils which make it extremely durable and resistant to decay, so it is particularly suitable for exterior furniture. For inside furniture, it has now largely been replaced by iroko. but is still used for thin veneers.
About the Author
Now, that you can choose a good hardwood, you can use it in a variety of ways. For this, you should know how to build a wooden boat and how to build a circular deck.
Pearl Masters Ltd. Ed. African Mahogany Drum Kit
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Mahogany Celtic Labyrinth Djembe Drum (Indonesia) $42.99 Create beautiful with a handmade djembe from Indonesia. Great gift idea for any percussionist or for small kids, the Celtic Labyrinth African-style rope-tuned wood djembe drum is crafted from one solid piece of plantation-grown mahogany wood. |
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Set of Six Safari Napkin Rings (Africa) $35.99 Set of six napkin rings is carved from African Mahogany, using simple toolsSet includes six (6) rings featuring a different animalNapkin rings are carved by hand using only rudimentary hand toolsJedando Modern Handicrafts |
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Matahari Professional Djembe (Indonesia) $199.99 The Matahari Pro African djembe drum is a professional level djembe that sounds absolutely fantastic and is built to perfection. This drum has been made with the utmost care and attention to detail to create a true work of art. |
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Duafe Djembe 12-inch Drum (Indonesia) $143.99 Duafe Djembe drum features a hand-carved African Adinkra symbolDrum features mahogany base and authentic goatskin headMusical instrument is carved with great care to provide unique texture |
