Mahogany or??

[KimG]

I have just completed turning four small table legs for a customer who supplied the timber, it looked exactly like any Mahogany I have used before (done lots over the years) but it smelled completely different, all the Mahogany I have turned to date was quite soft, easy to finish and smelled a bit like chocolate, this wood was about the same as far as hardness goes, it did not like the skew chisel, it didn't matter which way I went, it was as though I was against the grain all the time (as these legs were parallel in shape that was a bit tricky) plus it's smell was very pungent and spicy, almost medicinal.

I am pretty sure I have come across this wood before and it could well be a variety of Mahogany, but I am curious to know just what it might be. I am pretty certain it isn't Sapele as the grain and grain patterns don't look right (Sapele I have used before looks quite "Stripy")

Any ideas?

 

[Paul.J]

Cedar perhaps?
Iroko,Sapele.Any piccys?

 

[Roger C]

KimG The wood is Melunak also known as Burmog comes from south east Asia looks like mahogany but is a problem to plane, hence skew not working well. Regards Roger

 

[Bodrighy]

All the mahogany I have turned, mainly from old furniture, has been spicy smelling, hard and very dusty.

Pete

 

[KimG]

I did at first think that Roger had the answer, (and indeed you may well have done so Roger) but on checking several online images of Melunak, it resembles mahogany in colour, but did not seem to have the same grain pattern, however, they were not the best images and probably not well representative of the wood.

However, Pete's reply got me thinking, all the Mahogany I have used to date has come from various joinery companies in the area, it being waste offcuts, so pretty much newly felled within the last 20 years or so, as such it is quite likely to have been African in origin, and absolutely a chocolate like smell (how do you describe that? sort of soft and rich)

Pete's description of Older mahogany having a definite spiciness makes me wonder if his Mahogany is more likely to be South American in origin and that this particular piece is a rare example of the same, I know it has been in the possession of the customer for some considerable time as he told me he could no longer find any record of the purchase, he too was intrigued by the difference.

Thanks for the replies BTW!

Some pics.

 

[Bodrighy]

The mahogany that I have mainly used has been old Honduras mahogany. My first experience of it was at school ** years ago LOL. I never forgot the spicy smell and a lot of the old wood I have had has been the same. It is an endangered species as far as I know and so not legally available commercially. I haven't knowingly used African mahogany so can't comment on the chocolaty type.

Pete

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Well, it could be the photos or my eyes, but the wood pictured looks more like iroko to me.

 

[gregmcateer]

Kim
Dunno what the wood is, but I do know you've a nice pair of legs !!
Shame it's not the challenge this month - I reckon you'd win, no prob.
Greg

 

[Paul.J]

I have used Honduras and Brazillian Mahogany,think even Cuban?? quite a lot in the past and never noticed any distinct smells from either,just very dusty wood to use/machine.
Whereas the likes of Iroko,Sapele,and others i've used do have a smell to them,and all red woods have a bad effect on me

 

[johnny.t.]

By its appearance and your description of the smell, I would be fairly confident that it is Santos Mahogany you have there. I can't find you a decent pic of any on google as its popular as a flooring and therefore in all the pics I can find it looks well varnished. But I have turned some myself and that is exactly what it looked like.

Found a pic!

 

[KimG]

Well thanks for the nice comment Greg, though I must admit the design of these leaves me totally uninspired, I was asked to produce two designs, this one was based on a photo of a table with similar looking metal legs, but I also drew up a very nice looking tapered leg, but the customer went with these, plain as a pikestaff in my eyes, but I made a reasonably good job of them. Natch there are in fact 4 legs!