SCIENTIFIC NAME
Swietenia macrophylla. Derivation: The genus name is in honor
of Gerard von Swieten (1700 to 1772), a German physician. The specific
epithet is Latin meaning large leaf.
FAMILY
Meliaceae, the mahogany family.
OTHER NAMES
genuine mahogany, American mahogany, true mahogany, caoba (Spanish), acajou
(French), Honduras mahogany.
 |
|
DISTRIBUTION
Although commonly called Honduras mahogany, because it was first shipped
to England from that colony as early as the late 17th century, this species
is native from southern Mexico to Brazil.
THE TREE
Growing to heights in excess of 150 feet with diameters of over 6 feet,
bigleaf mahogany is one of the more impressive species in the rain forests
of Central and South America. Despite its great size, however, it tends
to be sparsely distributed. Forest tracts containing populations of only
3 to 4 mature trees per acre constitute rich and commercially valuable
stands of this species.
THE TIMBER
Since bigleaf mahogany is such a popular wood, it is often used as a comparative
standard in describing other woods. In reality, though, this timber is
extremely variable. Its color may range from light grayish-tan to "mahogany"
red. Also, with a range in average reported specific gravity of 0.39 to
0.56 (ovendry weight/green volume), equivalent to an air-dried weight
of 29 to 43 peE, it can be as soft as yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera
WDS 162) or harder than most red oaks. Because of this variability, a
lot of look-alike woods have been successfully marketed as mahogany. Although
not an absolutely reliable clue, true mahogany can usually be identified
by its storied rays. On the flatsawn surfaces, short but dark ray flecks
end to form wavy horizontal bands across the board. Owing to its. extreme
variability in terms of density, its strength properties are also quite
variable. At the low extreme, bigleaf mahogany is barely adequate for
use in some furniture applications. It is not particularly elastic, but
it has a good strength-to-weight ratio.
SEASONING
With a volumetric shrinkage of only 7.8% (green to ovendry), this species
is one of the most stable of all commercially important cabinetry woods.
Additional average reported shrinkage values (green to ovendry) are 3.0%
radial and 4.1 % tangential. Because it is not highly susceptible to blue
staining, it is easy to air dry with little risk of degrade.
DURABILITY
The durability of bigleaf mahogany is excellent. It has superb weathering
properties and is used extensively in boat building.
WORKABILITY
Bigleaf mahogany ranks among the finest cabinetry woods in the world.
Its working characteristics are outstanding in nearly all woodworking
processes, including cutting, shaping, turning and sanding. Due to its
moderately coarse texture, filling may be necessary in order to achieve
a glass smooth finish, but bigleaf mahogany accommodates virtually all
finishing methods.
USES
Uses include fine furniture, interior trim, paneling, cabinetry, turning,
carving, model making, veneer and boat building.
SUPPLIES
At the moment, this species is readily available and moderately priced.
Unfortunately, there is no way it will remain so given current levels
of demand. Initial efforts to grow this species on a plantation basis
have not been entirely successful in that, when densely planted, it is
susceptible to insect attack. Efforts to cultivate it outside its native
range (and away from its natural predators) may prove successful. At the
very least, though, I suspect we can anticipate a gap in its availability
during the 21st century that will be at least decades in duration. The
facts suggest this species should be taken out of service as a high volume,
general construction timber and conserved for only the most precious applications.
Information from A
Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Second Edition, James H.
Flynn, Jr. and Charles D. Holder, Editors. Forest Products Society, Madison,
Wisconsin, 2001.
Photographs from MDArtworks