Sepele Hardwood - Any good ?

[alec]

I have done a google but little information has resulted.

Would be grateful to know if this hardwood is suitable for exterior marine applications.

Many Thanks,

Alec


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[ex-Gladys]

It's spelt Sapele, also known as ribbon mahogany. It has a definite broad stragiht line banded pattern to it

<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras

Anderson 26 "Amber"

 

[tillergirl]

My woodworker's pocket book describes Sapele as a timber for interior furniture and veneers. Hardwood of course, comparable weight to teak. I can't find a reference to its durability at the moment. When I replaced my deck six years ago I used a sapele marine ply which was enormously heavy. It is glassed so it is not exposed so that isn't much of a test. I remember when cutting it, the dust was very aggresive and did give me a minor skin reaction.

Not much help, sorry.

Oh, I suppose I should add that I used some off cuts of the ply as thwarts in my dinghy and they show no sign of any problem.
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by tillergirl on 03/02/2004 20:24 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Stork_III]

SAPELE IS A REPLACEMENT FOR MAHOGANY WHICH IS IN SHORT, NON-RENEWABLE SUPPLY. NEARLY AS GOOD AS MAHOGANY BUT NOT SO GOOD AS TEAK.

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[Joe_Cole]

Try this

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.trada.co.uk/aT/web/standard/techinfo/tsg_view.html?SpeciesID=89>http://www.trada.co.uk/aT/web/standard/techinfo/tsg_view.html?SpeciesID=89</A>

Personally, I would only use it on a small job which wasn't too important.

Joe

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[steve28]

my large dinghy has sepele rubbing strakes transom and seat, it has been in all year use for four years, and has stood up well to the beating it has had.
No splitting or other problems.


steve

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[mickshep]

As a joiner I've used a lot of sapele over the years both inside and out, It is a reasonably durable timber. Having said that, in my opinion (for what it is worth) It is essential that for external/marine use you must specify air dried stock as apposed to the kiln dried crap supplied by many of the large DIY shops. IMHO this is just as important when dealing with any of the hardwoods available today, Kiln drying just takes all the 'goodness' out along with the moisture. No solid science to back the above statement, just more than a few years experience so only IMHO.

<hr width=100% size=1>"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me."

 

[steve_cronin]

SAPELE..

Is a grain pattern which occurs in mahogany.

Around 40 years ago I used it as a top and shelf for my woodwork O level piece, a sewing machine table. (got a grade 1!)

It gets it's striped appearance by virtue of the grain running in opposite directions on adjacent "stripes" Sadly when it got into the DIY stores the correct title of Sapeled Mahogany was shortened to "Sapele" and folks just got to think that there was a wood called sapele. A lot of the Contiboard sold in the 70s & 80s was called Sapele. It was even called Sapelle by one manufacturer of furniture then.

Because of it's grain structure, the solid wood was the very devil to plane with a hand smoothing plane because you had to virtually do each stripe individually.

Our Bavaria 42 has a lot of sapeled wood down below. Some is veneer and some is solid.

Dated, some say and it is also said that those with dark wood furniture and kitchens are usually people with no friends, but I tell you, do NOT follow the fickleness of fashion too closely lest you throw out what is becoming fashionable again. I was in a kitchen studio only last week and guess what? Mahogany (or some other "South American" or "Cape" hardwood in disguise) is back on the optional finishes lists again! (goes better with green marble than cherry, apparently)

Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: SAPELE..

is a town in Nigeria and the mahogany from there is called sapele. Wouldn't a grade 1 be a CSE?

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[steve_cronin]

Re: SAPELE..

the town in Nigeria is not the only source of sapele mahoganies.

In the late 1960s GCE grades given by the NUJMB were numeric (as far as I remember). My certificates were lost years ago. Their A level grades were alphas.

Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[richardandtracy]

Technical data:-

Strength 111 N/mm^2 in bending, 58.6 N/mm^2 compression parallel to grain at 12% moisure content, reducing by 2/3 when in green condition. This is comparable to beech. Durability defined as moderate. Source: HMSO Handbook of Hardwoods, 1972.
All in all, it's a little bit stronger than Teak when dry, and 10% weaker when wet. FYI, Teak's durability is defined as Excellent.

Regards

Richard.


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[ex-Gladys]

Re: SAPELE..

"Wouldn't a grade 1 be a CSE? "

Youngsters... What do they know.... When GCE's were real exams....O levels were graded 1-9, with 7,8,9 being fail grades. So a grade C GCSE is the equivalent of a 5/6 O level

A levels graded A-E,O,F the first section being passes, the O equating to an O level pass and the F a fail


<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras

Anderson 26 "Amber"

 

[richardandtracy]

Re: SAPELE..

When I took O levels the grades were A-F, U and X, with A-C being passes, U so bad it was unclassified and X being 'did not attend'. That was 1981.
CSE's were grades 1 to 5, with anything less than grade 1 being an effective fail.

My wife says her grade 5 CSE maths was the grade she's most proud of and worked hardest for (this is from someone with 6 A level grade A's and is now on her last year of an OU degree..).

Regards

Richard.


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[Gunfleet]

Re: SAPELE..

Re O levelel - I think it's just a difference in boards, Steve. As you imply, our 30 yr old certificates aren't very important! And I was never claiming sapele was the only source of sapele, only that it was the origin of the term.

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