Sapele |
Name |
Entandrophragma cylindricum |
Origin |
Tropical Africa |
Colour |
Heartwood is a golden to dark reddish-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 pommele, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing, and fiddleback. |
Grain |
The grain is interlocked, and sometimes wavy. Fine uniform texture and good natural luster. |
Rot Resistance |
Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance. Moderate insect/borer resistance. |
Typical Applications |
Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items. |
Density |
640 kg/m³ average |
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. |