Mahogany: description, characteristics and differences between wood and oak. Tips on how to identify and select oil for processing

The term “mahogany”, widely used in furniture production, usually refers to elite types of wood. They have unique shades and patterns, which is why they are so highly valued. There is no specific species that is a supplier of valuable raw materials. This category includes breeds native to India, South and Central America, Malaysia and other remote parts of the world.

Where does the red tree grow?

Mahogany species are found exclusively in tropical forests. They are widespread in the south and center of America - countries such as Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, Mexico and the like.

Plants grow in swampy areas and on hills. The most valuable varieties of mahogany trees are found in Africa and Indonesia. Another place where it grows is Northern Australia.

Meet an amazing plant

Most often, the name "mahogany" is applied to a group of different types of trees that differ in their special color and wood properties. They grow in the tropical latitudes of America, India, Africa and southeast Asia. The following types of mahogany are especially popular:

• Mahogany;
• Amaranth;
• Keruing;
• Teak;
• Merbau.

Each of them has its own characteristics and advantages.

Mahogany

This type of mahogany is found in the Central American jungle. It is also known as American or Honduran mahogany. Its appearance is amazing: the plant reaches 60 m in height, the trunk diameter is approximately 2 m.

Red-brown wood of different shades and densities is stored under a thin layer of bark. Some specimens are quite hard, like red oak. Others have medium density and are equivalent to a regular chestnut. Mahogany supplied from Fiji is especially valued on the world market. There the tree is considered a national treasure.

Amaranth

Another “red giant” will grow in South America - Amaranth. The tree reaches a height of approximately 25 m, with a maximum trunk diameter of 80 cm. If you carefully examine the cut of the tree, you can see the original design. It is obtained due to the chaotic interweaving of plant fibers. Interestingly, fresh sawn wood is colored gray-brown, which can change during the oxidation process. These colors can be:

• reddish;
• violet;
• black.

Amaranth wood is valued for its ease of processing, wear resistance and ability to restore color after removing the top layer.

Keruing

The tree grows in the forests of Southeast Asia. Its height reaches 60 meters. The thickness of the trunk of an adult plant is almost 2 meters. Keruing's saw cut can be in the following shades:

• light beige;
• brown;
• dark brown.

At the same time, crimson or red inclusions are visible on it.

Products made from this type of wood are particularly resistant to various chemicals and moisture. The main reason is the presence of rubber resins. This fact can be taken into account when purchasing products from keruing.

Teak

This mahogany tree grows throughout the African continent and southeast Asia. Its wood has a uniform golden color and is characterized by the following properties:

• high strength;
• resistance to changing external factors;
• ability to withstand strong mechanical loads;
• durability.

The material is used for the manufacture of various types of furniture, in the construction of buildings and ships.

Merbau

The tree's habitat covers the northern latitudes of Australia and southeastern Asia. Cut merbau has an even and rich range of shades:

• light beige;
• brown;
• dark brown;
• chocolate.

Against this background, the golden veins stand out brightly, which looks truly beautiful. The material is resistant to insects, various fungi and changes in humidity.

Features of mahogany

For more than four hundred years, rare breeds of this plant have been used in the manufacture of luxurious, expensive furniture. Mahogany wood is prized throughout the world because it is easy to create intricate and large pieces. Its shade is incredibly attractive and rich, and its texture is very attractive in appearance.

This material is perfectly processed, glued and sometimes even bent. Thanks to such convenient characteristics, there are many more opportunities for creating beautiful products.

Mahogany is used to make musical instruments, smoking pipes, jewelry boxes and expensive accessories. Furniture made from it is often found in royal houses.

The most elegant and expensive countertops are made from this material. When guests arrive and sit down at the table, their eyes are immediately drawn to this amazing element.

Receipt[edit | edit code]

Wood and legs can be obtained by hand, but using an ax speeds up this process significantly.

1. Time for unenchanted tools in seconds.

Bonus chestedit | edit code

Oak logs can be found in a chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities of 1–3. In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in a chest with a 25.0% chance in quantities of 1-3.

Birch logs can be found in a chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities of 1–3. In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in a chest with a 25.0% chance in quantities of 1-3.

Spruce logs can be found in a chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities 1–3 and with a 65.6% chance in taiga houses in quantities 1–5. In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in a chest with a 25.0% chance in quantities of 1–3 and with a 69.3% chance in taiga houses in quantities of 1–5.

Jungle Logs can be found in a chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities of 1-3. In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in a chest with a 25.0% chance in quantities of 1-3.

Acacia logs can be found in a chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities of 1–3. In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in a chest with a 50.0% chance in quantities of 1-3.

Dark Oak Logs can be found in the chest with a 28.0% chance in quantities of 1–3 and in all chests of robber outposts in quantities of 2–3. In Bedrock Edition they can be found with a 50.0% chance in quantities of 1–3.

Hewn wood and straightening leg | edit code

RMB with an ax on a log or leg turns it into a hewn log or leg, which acts in the same way as regular logs.

Distinctive features of mahogany

Mahogany is a variety of species that are similar in the unique color of their trunk. It is mostly purple, both inside and outside. Sometimes the trunk of the plant can be bright red, violet-red, or bright burgundy.

Mahogany has several interesting features:

• It grows very slowly - no more than a couple of centimeters per year. But his life continues for several hundred years;
• It is easy to process, saw, brush, polish and grind. Mahogany wood is often used for decorative and artistic carvings;
• The wood dries incredibly quickly;
• The raw material is resistant to erosion and does not deteriorate even after decades. There are varieties that only become stronger over time;
• Durability. Objects made from mahogany remain beautiful for more than one century;
• The material has amazing strength and does not deform due to mechanical stress, high humidity and the influence of chemicals;
• Mahogany is not susceptible to attack by pests due to its strong fiber density. That is why it is also protected from fungus and rot;
• The texture of wood of different species is extremely original and unique, so when finishing you have to look for raw materials from the same batch.

Such differences make mahogany so attractive that it deserves the love of many craftsmen and luxury lovers around the world.

Properties of merbau wood: does not sink in water, cannot be destroyed

Many consider merbau to be the most durable tree in the world, which is indestructible. Properties of wood such as:

• The unique beauty of the texture (a special fiber pattern and amazing shades - from burgundy to milk chocolate - open up wide application possibilities).
• High density.
• Durability (higher than other breeds).
• Hardness – far exceeds the hardness of solid oak. Resistance to various mechanical influences.
• Not susceptible to moisture, insect pests or rotting. Merbau has proven itself excellent in the design of swimming pools, decks, mooring structures, and beach areas.
• The ideal surface of the merbau decking board, which is a perfectly smooth coating, without any flaws.
• Durability (classified 1-2, longer than other breeds that grow in South Asia). Over the years it only becomes stronger; the service life of wood products is unlimited.

These properties are due to the density of red wood.

Table of densities of wood of various species.

Yew wood

Yew is a small tree; The berry yew reaches a height of 30 m, and the pointed one - 15 (20) m and up to 1 m in diameter. But such sizes are observed in the oldest trees growing in the most favorable conditions. In practice, there are yews 10-12 in height, and sometimes in the form of bushes. The crown is often sharp, low-hanging, and very dense. The trunk is irregularly shaped, sometimes ribbed. The bark is thin, reddish-brown, and in old trees peels off in long thin strips. The needles are single, relatively wide, dark green on top, shiny, arranged in two rows on the shoots, very dense, soft.

The seed is ovoid, about 8 mm in diameter, with a hard dark brown shell, almost entirely enclosed in a bright red or pink apex. This is not a berry, but a modified cone, like other conifers. Here I would like to suggest to those who like to put various twigs, blades of grass and needles in their mouths: do not do this with yew - its needles are poisonous! But the pink, sweetish auricles are edible and contain no poison.

Yew tree.

Yew is the most shade-tolerant species; at a young age, yew can grow in conditions of the strongest shading. In green buildings it also grows in full light, but in trees suddenly exposed to light (after removing neighboring trees in the forest), shoots form on the trunks from dormant buds. The best grows in well-drained, fertile soils. Frost-resistant and wind-resistant. There is a lot of data in the literature about the very slow growth of yew and its long life expectancy (up to 3000 years).

It is difficult to check this, since old trees usually have a large hollow inside. The age we calculated for trees 50 cm in diameter on a stump did not exceed 300 years, and the height of 5-year-old plants was 80 cm.

Yew is very decorative: bright dark green needles, bright red or pink shoots; You can give its crown any shape with a haircut. All this makes yew indispensable in decorating various squares, boulevards, parks and squares. Especially many yews are planted in resorts and sanatoriums of the Black Sea coast. Yew is also used for landscaping in other places, but is still very rare. It is much more beautiful than blue spruce.

Young yew trees.

Characteristics of mahogany

This plant has some special qualities that make it so valuable, elite and expensive:

• Delightfully suitable for processing such as cutting, gluing, painting, varnishing. After any manipulation, the wood retains its texture and color;
• Excellent for polishing;
• Dries perfectly;
• Not subject to erosion;
• Able to last for a very long time;
• Has increased wear resistance;
• Not damaged by strong impacts;
• After long periods of storage, it does not deform or lose its shape;
• Very elastic;
• Resistant to high humidity and chemicals;
• Cannot be damaged by pests;
• Does not rot;
• It can withstand any bad weather without deteriorating due to the dangerous rays of the sun, strong wind or rain.

Thanks to all these qualities, many craftsmen value and love this raw material, and items made from this material have a very high price.

Standard sizes of edged boards

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According to GOST 24454-80, there are softwood lumber of standard dimensions. The thickness and width of the board is shown in the table. Deviations in the thickness of edged boards, timber and beams are permissible, but they cannot be greater than:

• ±1 mm for boards and bars up to 32 mm thick;
• ±2 mm for lumber from 40 mm to 100 mm;
• ±3 mm for thickness 110 mm and more.

There are also restrictions on width deviations: the deviation can be up to 2 mm for a width of up to 100 mm, and up to 3 mm for a width of 125 mm or more.

Standard sizes of edged boards are indicated for wood with a moisture content of 20%. For materials of higher and lower humidity vary. The amount of shrinkage is specified in GOST 6782.1.

In addition, the length of lumber is standardized. It can be from 1 meter to 6.5 meters. The gradation step is 25 cm. The permissible deviations in length are 25 mm or +50 mm.

In the new standard for the domestic market, other deviations from the standard sizes of edged and unedged boards are acceptable

Please note that GOST 26002 has been introduced, in which other deviations are allowed for the domestic market. But there is a note: by agreement with the consumer

That is, when purchasing a board of “standard sizes”, see GOST. In 24454-80 the requirements are more stringent. By the way, it establishes other grading criteria. So, it’s really worth asking what GOST the products are labeled according to.

Lumber is widely used in the construction of residential and industrial buildings. Wood is a durable, reliable, safe material. New technologies and processing methods ensure a long service life of wooden products. In the construction of buildings, they are used in the construction of foundations, partitions, ceilings, stairs, doors, and window frames. Lumber is the main raw material for making furniture.

In this article you will learn:

Applications of mahogany

Mahogany is used for the production of furniture, finishing of premises and products, making parquet, musical instruments, design elements, souvenir items and much more.

If a person has something made from this raw material, he is quite rich and has exquisite taste.

• In former times, any pieces of furniture made from this material could only be owned by aristocrats. Even now you rarely see them in a simple room.
• Not every craftsman knew how to work with mahogany correctly, so products made from it became even more valuable. They were decorated with luxurious decor: intricate paintings, ivory plates, and jewelry.

Now only a few countries are the main suppliers of mahogany. Previously, these plants were cut down in large quantities, which is why there were fewer and fewer of them.

It takes three to four hundred years to completely restore the felled areas of these trees. This is due to the fact that almost every breed grows extremely slowly. Over the course of a whole year, the trunk can rise only a couple of centimeters. Because of these features, in our time there are many restrictions on cutting down this plant.

How to choose the right variety

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Once the wood arrives at the warehouse, it is no longer checked for defects. When purchasing timber, a person must rely on regulatory control and his own knowledge. To make the right choice, you need to study the varietal characteristics and rely only on them.

Often, instead of digital values, wood grades are marked with the letters A, B, C. These designations correspond to the number of defects in the product.

Sometimes you may encounter the fact that a selective class is marked with the number 0, or with an ordinary horizontal line. The first class (1) is indicated by a dot, the second by two dots or two slashes. Third grade (3), by analogy, 3 dots or 3 vertical stripes. Each manufacturer labels their products differently.

Tips for choosing lumber:

If the products are required for outdoor use, then you should pay attention to the absence of deep cracks on them. As for knots, they significantly reduce the mechanical characteristics of wood. Closely spaced growth rings are a sign of material strength

If the rings run parallel to each other, then you can safely make furniture from such wood. Hardwoods are suitable for constructing stairs and flooring. You should not use selected grade timber where second- or third-grade raw materials will do.

You can determine the quality and type of wood visually, but it is better to purchase timber from a trusted supplier.

Use in the national economy

Mahogany wood is used to create high-quality furniture, interior design, finishing wall panels and making expensive parquet. Frames for windows and doors made from this material are installed in the palaces of kings.

A variety of decorative details, figurines, and mosaics are made from mahogany. It is also used to create amazing musical instruments.

Yew or red sandalwood garden furniture will be a wonderful decoration for a park or alley for many decades. Mahogany is also used for shipbuilding. Large ships, decks, boats and much more are made from it.

Types of oak

Northern red oak

Grows in Russia and Canada. It grows slowly, due to the cold climate, and tolerates lack of light and heat well. It does not bloom in such conditions.

Frost-resistant, wind-resistant. Demanding on soil. It should be rich in mineral and organic fertilizers. It does not like excessive moisture. The areas are planted with seedlings. Life expectancy is up to 200 years.

American oak

Distributed in the USA. It grows quickly and has a beautiful and dense crown due to the warm climate. Such trees bloom well and produce fruit, which leads to rapid spread throughout nearby areas.

Has phytoncidal properties. Lives from 150 to 200 years. But if you look at it from a scientific point of view, oak has more than 600 varieties. But only biologists can distinguish trees from each other.

Earlier we talked about another type of oak: chestnut oak.

Red oak propagation

Oak is easy to breed. It can be grown not only from acorns, but also from cuttings of rhizomes and seedlings.

Oak trees are planted in autumn or early spring.

An acorn easily grows into a tree.

Recommendations for growing:

• Only healthy and whole fruits are taken.
• Place in a shallow hole, cover with dry leaves for good ventilation and drainage, and top with soil.
• Once the red oak seedling has sprouted, it can be planted in the garden. Do this in early spring, while there are no leaves.
• By mid-summer the seedling will begin to grow.

• It needs care: weeding, watering, treatment for parasites.
• After the tree has grown, dry branches are cut off.
• In winter, during the first years of a tree’s life, it must be covered.

In subsequent years, the tree is able to survive the cold months well.

Applications of red oak

Application of wood

Oak wood is widely used in the production of furniture and other wood products.

For your information. Oak wood is valued for its elegant texture and good wear resistance, strength, and hardness. This is a very expensive material.

With good and proper care, oak products last more than 100 years.

The color of the wood has light shades, but oak wood darkens over the years.

The tree is difficult to process, but has a durable solid mass and is resistant to environmental influences.

1. Oak was used in the manufacture of furniture, barrels, doors, and flooring.
2. Used in shipbuilding and mining.
3. Wood has also found application in the leather industry, construction and as finishing materials.

Application in medicine

Oak is widely used in medicine:

1. In the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, colds and viral diseases, as an astringent and to improve the general condition of the body and enhance immunity.
2. What’s especially interesting is that oak forests are used as psychological relief in combination with aromatherapy.
3. The noise of the foliage is soothing, and the leaves and bark release substances that help relieve headaches and improve a person’s condition.

Application of oak leaves, flowers and acorns

Leaves and flowers also found a use.

During flowering, bees actively collect pollen and produce fragrant honey.

The leaves are used as a natural dye for dyeing fabrics and other items.

They are also used to make fragrant bath brooms.

It is better to collect young foliage in May.

Acorns are a delicacy for wild boars and pigs.

Many fauna representatives live in oak forests.

Grinding acorns produces nutritious and healthy flour for baking.

If you use oak as firewood, then such firewood will burn much longer, but using strong draft.

Sacred tree - oak

If you look far into history, the oak was considered a sacred tree. People worshiped him and considered him miraculous.

Interesting. Fairy tales and legends were written about the oak. In the oak thicket, the pagans performed secret rituals and sacrifices. Under no circumstances should this tree be cut down. This was followed by misfortune.

In cities, in the main squares there was always an oak tree, near which meetings were held and important events were announced.

Oak served people as food, medicine, a tool, and a weapon. It was used to make ink for writing. Nowadays, if an oak tree is more than 500 years old, it is considered a historical monument.

We advise you to pay attention to the common oak, which we wrote about earlier

Photo of mahogany

Technical properties

During processing, redwood logs are stripped of unnecessary sapwood and then sawn into planks. After molding, the resulting base is turned on lathes and hand grinding begins. Depending on further use, the boards are puttied and polished. The most important thing is to identify and emphasize the natural unique pattern of wood. Properly processed material does not lose its technical qualities and decorative properties for many decades.

The density of the pre-treated massif ranges from 560 to 870 kg/m 3 . Mahogany is famous for its set of unique qualities:

• Despite its high density, it lends itself to any type of manual and mechanical processing: it is well cut, turned, ground, polished. Reliably holds the inlay fasteners, does not crack or crumble;
• wear-resistant and durable: not subject to erosion, swelling, drying out, moisture, or rotting. Not damaged by bugs, fungus, excellent resistance to temperature changes, winds, direct sunlight;
• exhibits good elasticity;
• withstands shock loads, has high strength and compression resistance.

These qualities, along with excellent natural decorative properties, make mahogany one of the most expensive. Price for 1 cubic meter m. of material starts from 350 thousand rubles.

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