RIBBON STRIPE SAPELE

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Heartwood is a golden to dark reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Besides the common ribbon pattern seen on quarter-sawn boards, Sapele is also known for a wide variety of  other figured grain patterns.

WORKING PROPERTIES

Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining  operations, (i.e., planing, routing, etc.), resulting in tearout due to its interlocked grain. It will also react when put into direct contact with iron, becoming discolored and stained. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it turns, glues, and finishes well.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance. Moderate insect/borer resistance.

MAIN USES

Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items..