Sapele

Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)

Common Name(s): Sapele

Scientific Name: Entandrophragma cylindricum

Distribution: Africa

Tree Size: 100-150 ft (30-45 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft³ (715 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .55

Hardness: 1,480 lb_f (6,580 N)

Bending Strength: 16,030 lb_f/in² (110,550 kPa)

Elasticity: 1,700,000 lb_f/in² (11,720 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.6%, Tangential: 7.4%, Volumetric: 14.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.6

Color/Appearance: Medium to dark reddish brown or purplish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Besides the common ribbon pattern seen on quartersawn boards, Sapele is also known for a wide variety of other figured grain patterns, such as: pomelle, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing, and fiddleback.

Grain/Pore: Grain is interlocked, and sometimes wavy. Sapele has a fine texure and small pores.

Durability: Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance. Sapele is susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining operations, (i.e., planing, routing, etc.), resulting in tearout due to its interlocked grain. It will also react when put into direct contact with iron, becoming discolored and stained. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it turns, glues, and finishes well.

Smell: Sapele has a distinct, cedar-like scent while being worked.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Sapele has been reported as a skin and respiratory irritant. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price Range: Should be moderately priced for regular plainsawn or quartersawn lumber, though figured lumber and veneer can be extremely expensive, particularly pomelle or quilted Sapele.

Comments: Sapele is a commonly imported wood species both in lumber and veneer form. It is sometimes used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany, and is sometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany,” though it bears no real relation to either Swietenia or Khaya genera.

Some common uses of Sapele include: veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items.