Shopsmith Forums

Sawchain

Mahogany turns great. On of my favorites to work with on the lathe.

Mark

as mb says it turns great. i've made a few pens from mahogany.

There are many different woods called Mahogany.
Some may turn great but others won't.
I believe there is Phillipine Mahogany. A Carribean Mahogany, a South American Mahogany.
I don't know which I have but I do know I can't turn it to save my life. It tears out, splits and the slightest catch will peel it right off a pen tube.
Also I believe some Mahogany has an oil in it like teak and others that makes glueing very difficult.

I like Mahogany furniture but I don't like Mahogany for turning.

I've made several projects from mahogany, turned pens, and a deskset, also made a stand for an antique urn. I think it's one of the best turning woods I've used, and it machines great too. I've used my woodshaper, planer etc with great success, hope this helps.

I thought I had posted here several days ago, but must have just reviewed the post and then left it.
To give a quick summary - Those interested in using mahogany should at least read Page 25 of this link. http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgt ... 3/ch01.pdf
It is a description of different species of mahogany, in the Wood Handbook of the Forest Products Laboratory - U.S.D.A.

Now all you have to do is be able to tell these species from each other by looking at the wood.

BTW You can also access the Wood Handbook from Nick's "Workshop Companion"

as there are bees in a hive. Well, maybe not that many, but quite a few. As that reference points out there are a number of Southeast dipterocarp species of the genus Shorea that have been called Philippine mahogany or just mahogany for a long time. They are as different in quality from the true mahoganies, (Swietenia, Sp) as night from day. That reference on page 25 gives a lot of useful information, but I might add there is actually a small mahogany growing in Florida, too small for commercial purposes. The mahogany found in the Dominican Republic is much harder and darker than Honduras mahogany.

That reference mentions plantations of Honduras mahogany being established. Unfortunately in the western hemisphere any concentration of species like mahogany or Spanish cedar (Cedrela - sometimes called cigar box cedar) planted close together will be attacked by a shoot moth, so before the tree reaches even 20 feet in height it starts forking, and the trees never really develop good growth. In Fiji where I was on a forestry job for the UN some 40 years back, they were having great success planting Honduras mahogany and got good cabinet wood out of it.

But the so-called Philippine mahogany - forget it.