Botanical Name
Overview
FAS – (First and Seconds).
Joinery – Exterior, Joinery – Interior, Furniture, Flooring
Certification
FSC
3rd party legality COC
Origin
West and Central Africa
Density
640 kg/m3
Physical Structure
Sapele is much harder than African or American mahogany, and in resistance to indentation, bending strength, stiffness, and resistance to shock loads, is practically equal with English oak
Durability
Moderately durable
Drying
The timber dries rapidly with a marked tendency to distort. Quarter-sawn material is less liable to degrade in drying
Moisture Content
14% – 16% (+/- 2%)
Working Qualities
Medium – Works fairly well with hand and machine tools, but the inter-locked grain is often troublesome in planing and moulding, and a reduction of cutting angle to 15° is needed to obtain a good finish. It takes screws and nails well, glues satisfactorily, stains readily, and takes an excellent polish
Storage Advice
Under cover
Purchasing Cycle
12 month