Mahogany, Philippine Dark Red

Philippine dark red mahogany is a tropical hardwood typically found in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Part of the extensive Shorea species, it is a popular export timber and widely used as an alternative to teak.

The heartwood of the dark red mahogany comes in various shades of red, from pale pink to deep red brown. The sapwood is cream to pale grey and easily identified, with its uniformity of colour setting it apart. The wood is tightly grained with a very fine and even texture.

Philippine dark red mahogany timber is generally used for exterior and interior joinery, shopfittings, boatbuilding and flooring. Once treated it can be used for exterior cladding or other uses where exposure is a factor.

The timber works well, particularly with hand tools, however some adjustment to machine knives and saw blades may be necessary due to the variation in density and grain patterns when processing large or mixed volumes because of the slight differences in the individual species. The exceptional density of the timber can sometimes lead to more visible cracking but this is generally a rarity. Carving can prove a problem due to its brittle nature and fine detailing is difficult as it has a tendency to chip easily. It does, however, machine well.

Philippine dark red mahogany timber has medium bending and crushing strengths and a low stiffness factor making it susceptible to shock loads. The wood buckles severely during steam bending and care must be taken during seasoning, as distortion may be a problem. Drying will be moderately slow.

The sapwood is susceptible to powderpost beetles and marine borers and should be treated correctly in the manufacturing process.

The wood glues well and takes nails and screws, although some localised tearing of the grain can occur when being cross cut and pre-drilling is recommended near the ends to avoid splitting.