Each tooth of a bandsaw blade has an opportunity to cool down before it strikes again. The bending strength (MOR) is 15,300 psi, the elasticity (MOE) is 1.82 million psi, and the hardness is 1510 pounds. Your mileage may vary. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it turns, glues, and finishes well. 'dimension2': 'Wood Explorer', }); Workability: Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining operations, (i.e., planing, routing, etc. There is a very slight aroma at times which smells a bit like cedar. Flatsawn lumber will move 1 percent with a 4 percent MC change. As might be imagined, this large tree produces tremendous volumes of clear lumber and veneer. Have something to say? Sapele is also a lustrous wood that works fairly well in all operations - planing, sawing, routing, sanding, etc." We used to rip all our staves down with a table saw, but now do this on a band saw. January 8, 2007, KnowledgeBase: Solid Wood Machining: General, KnowledgeBase: Wood Engineering: Wood Properties. When sanded smooth, the wood has a slight luster. Working sapele in the shop Although sapele resembles mahogany, you’ll find that jointing, planing, and routing can be more difficult because of its rowed grain. On the edge of its range, it has been harvested heavily and may be nearing extinction; however, in most of its range it is more plentiful and can be grown in plantations, assuring good supplies into the future with good forestry practices. Sapele "Gorgeous mahogany look-alike with a slightly finer texture than Honduras Mahogany, and a typically interlocked grain. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Notes on the workability and machinability of this exotic tropical hardwood. With most woods, if a board suffers tearout when you run it one way, running it the opposite direction usually solves the problem. It will also react when put into direct contact with iron, becoming discolored and stained. darkens with age if nottreated with finishing oils that will prevent oxidation One of the differences was in how we cut out the lumber. Kiln-dried wood has a density of 36 pounds per cubic foot. (Cabinetmaking Forum) Sapele is almost always 100 percent heartwood. Lumber planed to ¾ inch thickness 7 percent MC will weigh about 2-1/4 pounds per board foot. For some reason, boards ripped on the band saw tend to stay straighter. 'dimension9': '238809' Have you ever noticed the black burn marks that show up whenever you pause while ripping with a table saw? The interlocked grain on quartersawn surfaces produces the ribbon like pattern. When quartersawn or riftsawn, this interlocked grain creates a wonderful (and desirable) ribbon pattern on the face of the lumber. Quartersawn lumber that shows the ribbon stripe will actually be fairly stable in width, requiring a 6 percent MC change to produce a 1 percent size change. After sanding with very fine sandpaper (320-grit or higher) and blowing … Sapele may be dried at the sawmill, but it is not uncommon to bring the wet wood to the U.S. for drying. Lumber planed to ¾ inch thickness 7 percent MC will weigh about 2 … Sign Up for Woodworking Network Newsletters, Get the latest headlines delivered to you daily Subscribe, Species Spotlight: Sapele Features Straight Ribbons, Masterful craftsmanship: WallGoldfinger's 43-foot sapele conference table. Sapele is also a lustrous wood that works fairly well in all operations - planing, sawing, routing, sanding, etc." The direction of rotation also reverses from year to year. From contributor T: The wood is probably passing through the blade so fast that the heat does not have any time to build up. Tree diameters can reach 6 feet, although 4 to 5 feet are more common. As with many imported species, this wood is subject to attack by powderpost beetles which are common in tropical regions. There were no issues at all related to warp or twist. gtag('js', new Date()); The tree grows in the tropical rain forests of Africa, ranging from the Ivory Coast to Cameroon and eastward through Zaire to Uganda.