Mahogany
Mahogany is a fine-grained reddish-brown tropical hardwood (EN 13556 SWMA/SWMC; khaya coded KHY), density about 0.55 g/cm³, with roughly 90 MPa tensile strength, a 10.3 GPa elastic modulus and 0.13 W/m·K thermal conductivity.
Reference datasheet — Mahogany is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Mahogany tempers and conditions
Mahogany is supplied in 3 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green / unseasoned | Take freshly sawn or in-transit wet stock only for rough machining or as feedstock for subsequent drying: strength is about 20–35 % lower and the weight much higher. | 70 | 1.5 | 0.22 W/m·K | ||
African mahogany (Khaya spp.), kiln-dried | Pick this kiln-dried Khaya species as the mainstream commercial substitute at roughly one third the cost; properties are close, but interlocked grain tears more and stability is slightly lower. | 93 | 1 | 0.14 W/m·K | ||
Cuban / West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), kiln-dried | Choose this kiln-dried Swietenia mahagoni for antique furniture restoration and high-end instruments; denser, harder and finer-textured, but supply is very limited and CITES-controlled. | 100 | 1 | 0.15 W/m·K |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Mahogany is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
KD12Default | Kiln-dried, 12 % moisture content | Surface finish |
What is Mahogany?
Mahogany is a fine-grained reddish-brown tropical hardwood (EN 13556 SWMA/SWMC; khaya coded KHY), density about 0.55 g/cm³, with roughly 90 MPa tensile strength, a 10.3 GPa elastic modulus and 0.13 W/m·K thermal conductivity. It is specified for dimensional stability, low shrinkage and easy carving and machining (machinability 90), and is stocked as kiln-dried boards at 12 % MC, green timber and veneer. Maximum service temperature is about 100 °C, it cannot be welded, and interlocked grain in African material tears if tooling is dull. Sapele is the closest substitute on cost and supply. Mahogany has a density of 0.55 g/cm³ (0.0199 lb/in³), lighter than 70% of natural material grades. Mahogany has a tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi), stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.3 GPa (1.49 Msi).
What is Mahogany used for?
- Fine furniture
- Musical instruments (guitar necks/bodies)
- Boat building
- Veneer
- Cabinetry
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 88/100, better than 94% of natural material grades
- Easy to machine — 90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 70/100, better than 78% of natural material grades
Mahogany properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Mahogany has a density of 0.55 g/cm³ (0.0199 lb/in³), lighter than 70% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Mahogany has a tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi), stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.3 GPa (1.49 Msi).
Thermal5
Mahogany is rated for continuous service to 100°C (212 °F). It conducts heat at 0.13 W/m·K (0.0751 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 57% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4.5 µm/m·K (2.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical1
Mahogany has an electrical resistivity of 3×10⁹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is very good (70/100), better than 78% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Mahogany takes about 10 MJ of energy and emits 0.6 kg of CO₂ — less than 56% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 2%.
Manufacturability2
Mahogany's machinability is excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Working with Mahogany
Is Mahogany easy to machine?
Saws, planes, turns and carves very well with low tool wear. Where grain is interlocked, as in much African mahogany, use sharp high-speed cutters, orient cuts with the grain and take light finishing passes to prevent tear-out.
Can Mahogany be welded?
Not weldable; joints rely on PVA, epoxy or polyurethane bonding and traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery. Bonding behaviour is excellent and a correctly made glue line can be stronger than the wood itself.
Can Mahogany be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending ability is moderate — better than teak, weaker than white ash — so laminating thin resawn strips or vacuum-bag forming over a mould is the preferred route. Shrinkage on drying is low and warping tendency is small.
Mahogany chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| cellulosecrystalline cellulose microfibrils, main load-bearing phase | 42 – 48 | 45 |
| hemicellulosemainly xylan (hardwood) | 18 – 25 | 22 |
| lignincell wall matrix | 25 – 32 | 28 |
| extractivespolyphenols/tannins; give color and natural decay resistance | 2 – 8 | 4.5 |
| ashinorganic ash; silica content accelerates tool wear | 0.2 – 1.2 | 0.5 |
What surface finishes work on Mahogany?
Open pores need grain filler or a sealing primer before topcoating. Sand to 320 grit, then apply shellac, nitrocellulose or polyurethane for high gloss; the wood also takes dye staining for antique effects and oil/wax finishes.
How much does Mahogany cost?
Mahogany is a premium-cost natural material ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Mahogany — frequently asked
What is Mahogany used for?
Mahogany is typically used for fine furniture, musical instruments (guitar necks/bodies), boat building, veneer and cabinetry. In short: most stable cabinet hardwood; best carving hardwood; glue lines exceed wood strength.
What is the tensile strength of Mahogany?
Mahogany has a typical tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi) — stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Mahogany easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades). Saws, planes, turns and carves very well with low tool wear. Where grain is interlocked, as in much African mahogany, use sharp high-speed cutters, orient cuts with the grain and take light finishing passes to prevent tear-out.
Can Mahogany be welded?
Not weldable; joints rely on PVA, epoxy or polyurethane bonding and traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery. Bonding behaviour is excellent and a correctly made glue line can be stronger than the wood itself.
What surface finishes work on Mahogany?
Open pores need grain filler or a sealing primer before topcoating. Sand to 320 grit, then apply shellac, nitrocellulose or polyurethane for high gloss; the wood also takes dye staining for antique effects and oil/wax finishes.
Can Mahogany be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending ability is moderate — better than teak, weaker than white ash — so laminating thin resawn strips or vacuum-bag forming over a mould is the preferred route. Shrinkage on drying is low and warping tendency is small.
What is the maximum service temperature of Mahogany?
Mahogany is rated for continuous use to about 100°C (212 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Mahogany cost?
Mahogany is a premium-cost natural material ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-190), Ch.5 Mechanical Properties — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2010)
- Tropical Timbers of the World — USDA Forest Service (1988)
- EN 13556 — Round and sawn timber: nomenclature of timbers used in Europe (SWMA/SWMC) — CEN (2003)
- The Wood Database — Honduran/Cuban/African mahogany entries — wood-database.com (2023)
- ICE Database v3.0 / CES EduPack wood eco-properties — University of Bath / Granta (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.