Sapele Wood
Description :
When newly cut, the heartwood)d is pink. but this darkens to a red-brown or purple-brown on exposure. The sapwood is clearly defined and is white to pale yellow. The grain is interlocked or wavy, with quite a fine texture and a high golden lustre. The can exhibit an attractive range of figure, with ribbon, bee’s wing and regular stripe on quartersawn stock, and fiddleback, mottle or roe on other cuts.
Properties :
Sapele has medium resistance to shock loads, medium Iksnding strength, high crushing strength, low stiffness and properties. It works well with both hand and machine tools, with a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. planes and moulds easily, but interlocked grain can tear if a reduced Cutting angle is not used. It bores, routs, carves, nails, screws, stains, varnishes and paints well, and sands very well. The wood glues fairly well, and can be brought to an excellent polished finish.
Seasoning :
It dries rapidly and is prone to distortion, although this is less of a problem with quartersawn stock There is medium movement in use.
Durability :
The heartwood is moderately durable and can be attacked by pinhole and marine borers, but is to preservative treatment. The sapwood is vulnerable to the powder-post beetle, and is moderately resistant to preservative treatment.
Typical Uses :
Furniture and cabinetmaking, musical instruments, office furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, stairs, window frames, boats, flooring and sports Decorative veneer from choice logs is used for marquetry, panelling and cabinetwork. Sapele is also rotary-cut for plywood.
