Mahogany untreated sleepers, any good for turning?

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Alie Barnes

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Hi

I have been offered some untreated mahogany sleepers (at least that what i am told) are these any good for turning or shall i stay well clear of them?

Thanks
 
By untreated I assume you also mean unused on railway tracks. If so it's always worth a try.
Real mahogany, Swietenia genus, turns beautifully and can be bought these days (well it can in Australia) as it's plantation grown in Fiji.
 
It may not be Mahogany a lot of a timber called Keruing is used as sleepers, lorry trailer beds and window/door cills, it can be very hard and is very resinous. It will only take a oil type finish and in the past I've found it will bleed resin when it gets warm.
Good luck hope they are Mahogany
 
jim1950":1nbxrxuv said:
It may not be Mahogany a lot of a timber called Keruing is used as sleepers, lorry trailer beds and window/door cills, it can be very hard and is very resinous. It will only take a oil type finish and in the past I've found it will bleed resin when it gets warm.
Good luck hope they are Mahogany

If it is as above is it still worth using??
 
They are very red. Is it any Good???
Jarrah tends to come from Derek Cohen's neck of the woods and he uses it for furniture.
It was used in England for flooring as well as sleepers. A manager of a wholesale suppliers I knew in the UK called it Australian mahogany.
I've never used it myself though there are some bits somewhere in my shed. Turn a spindle and let us know how you go on.
 
I have some railway sleeper Jarrah and it turns just fine. As stated by JimB it is a deep red, but can be rather featureless unless you have some burr or cracks to add character.
Duncan
 

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