Khaya (African Mahogany)
Khaya, also known as African Mahogany, is an excellent choice for furniture and cabinetwork, boat-building, joinery, veneer and plywood, paneling, and shop fixtures. Khaya’s heartwood is light pink or brown but darkens upon exposure to a rich red or brown. Khaya is durable with good nailing and gluing properties. It dries rapidly with little degrade and is easy to slice and peel.
| Khaya (African Mahogany) Specifications | ||||||
| Common name | Scientific name | Color | Grain pattern | Features | Common uses | Specific gravity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Khaya or African Mahogany |
Khaya Ivorensis | Heartwood light pink or brown but darkens upon exposure to red or brown | Straight to interlocked, producing a stripe figure | Texture medium to coarse, lustrous, moderately durable, variable working properties (sharp, thin-edge cutters recommended) | Furniture and cabinetwork, boat-building, joinery, veneer and plywood, paneling, and shop fixtures |
Basic specific gravity (oven dry weight/green volume) 0.44; air-dry density 32 pcf |
| Weight | Machining | Gluing | Nailing | Finishing | Grade | Specs |
| Janka side hardness 640-735 lb for green material and 830-860 lb for dry. Amsler toughness 178 in- lb for dry material (2=cm specimen) | Good |
Good | Good | Excellent finish readily obtainable | FAS |
4/4 through 12/4 x RWL |