Sapele

Botanical name: Entandrophragma cylindricum.
Grows in: Ivory Coast to the Cameroons and eastward through Zaire to Uganda.

Hardness/Janka: Janka:1500

General Characteristics: Heartwood a medium to fairly dark reddish brown or purplish brown; sapwood whitish or pale yellow, distinct. Texture rather fine; grain interlocked, sometimes wavy, producing a narrow, uniform, roe figure on quartered surfaces; lustrous; without a distinctive taste but with a cedarlike scent.

Working Properties: Works fairly well with hand and machine tools, tends to tear interlocked grain in planing, saws easily, finishes well, good gluing and nailing properties, satisfactory peeling and slicing.

Durability: Heartwood is moderately durable, resistance to termite attack variable. Sapwood liable to powder-post beetle attack.

Preservation: Heartwood resistant; sapwood moderately resistant.

Uses: Furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, plywood, joinery, flooring, paneling.