 Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
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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) Hardness: 1,480 lbf (6,580 N) Rupture Strength: 16,030 lbf/in2 (110,550 kPa) Elastic Strength: 1,700,000 lbf/in2 (11,720 MPa) Crushing Strength: 8,700 lbf/in2 (60.0 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.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small to medium pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; somewhat numerous; reddish brown deposits occasionally present; growth rings distinct due to terminal parenchyma; rays not visible without lens; apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggrregates, paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric, aliform (winged), confluent, and banded.
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.
Scent: 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/Availability: 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.
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Sapele (sanded) |
 Sapele (sealed) |
 Sapele (endgrain) |
 Sapele (endgrain 10x) |
 Pomelle Sapele |
November 1st, 2010 at 4:43 am
Hi there, could you tell me what is the best way to presenve and revive sapele wood on the exterior of my house?
I have patio doors and others doors made of sapele and they have gone horrible and whatever was put on them to treat them has gone all blistery.
I would appreciate your advise,
Thank you very nuch
Nazare
November 1st, 2010 at 9:51 pm
It sounds like the finish is the problem, and not necessarily the wood? Is the Sapele cracked or otherwise deformed?
If it is just the finish, I’d recommend stripping off the old finish, sanding it down to bare wood, and then refinishing it with several coats of a spar urethane for good protection from the elements.