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Common
Name: |
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Honduras
Mahogany
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Botanical Name: |
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Swietenia macrophylla |
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Other Names: |
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South
American Mahogany
Caoba (throughout Latin America)
Acajou (French-speaking areas)
Often named after the country it came from (i.e. Brazilian Mahogany,
Peruvian Mahogany, etc.) |
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Species
Distribution: |
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Scattered
areas throughout central and South America including some Caribbean
islands. |
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Endangered?: |
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The species
is secure in El Salvador and Honduras, but it has become
endangered or extinct in some regions of South America. (Bolivia, Brazil
(some regions), Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua,
& Panama.) Honduras mahogany trees once had a
distribution covering most of South America. Supply of the wood is
still plentiful thanks in part to plantation harvesting. |
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Tree
Characteristics: |
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Height of 150' with trunk
diameters as large as 6'.
Honduras mahogany prefers dry forests and can also be found in high
elevation stands. |
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Wood
Characteristics: |
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Straight grain with a fine even texture.
Honduras Mahogany is relatively free of voids and pockets. |
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Color: |
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Reddish brown to medium red which
darkens to a deep reddish-brown with time. |
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Workability: |
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Excellent! Honduras mahogany is
one of the best woods for machining, cutting, and planing. Tools
should be kept sharp, and a low angle should be used when planing
Mahogany with a wavy grain pattern. Honduras Mahogany can be sanded
very easily and efficiently. Routered edges are crisp and sharp.
Honduras Mahogany also turns well on a lathe. |
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Finishing
Qualities: |
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Excellent! Honduras Mahogany readily
accepts a wide range of common stains and finish. |
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Durability: |
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Very Good! The wood is strong and
dense. It will dent with a sharp hit from a solid blunt object.
Slightly less durability than Red Oak. For outdoor applications such
as patio furniture and wooden boats this boat is an excellent choice
for its combination of strength and rot resistant properties. The
popular Chris Craft wooden boats were built from mahogany until the
early 1960 when it was replaced by fiberglass. |
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Drying: |
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Honduras Mahogany can be air-seasoned and
kiln-dried without appreciable warping or checking. Movement
after manufacture is rated as small. |
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Kiln
Schedules: |
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T6-D4 - 4/4 stock
T3-D3 - 8/4.
Shrinkage: radial 3.0%; tangential 4.1%; volumetric 7.8%. |
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Weight: |
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Air-Dried:
30-52 pounds per cubic foot. |
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Stability: |
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Excellent in
kiln dried lumber. |
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Uses: |
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Fine furniture, cabinet making, plywood,
turning, boat building, outdoor furniture. |
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Comments: |
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Honduras
Mahogany has become a valuable cash crop for many South American
countries. Plantation farming is working to supply the demand for this
versatile lumber. Many other species, such as Lauan, are marketed
as "Mahogany", however they often come from other wood
families. |
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Price: |
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Moderate |
