Mahogany SWMA
Grade
SWMA = 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.
Values for the SWMA condition
Other Mahogany tempers and conditions
Mahogany is listed in 3 conditions; see the grade overview at Mahogany.
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 |
SWMAThis page 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 |
What is Mahogany SWMA?
Mahogany SWMA is Mahogany in the SWMA grade — 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. Mahogany SWMA has a tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi), stronger than 85% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.8 GPa (1.57 Msi). Mahogany SWMA has a density of 0.64 g/cm³ (0.0231 lb/in³), lighter than 60% of natural material grades.
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 92/100, better than 100% of natural material grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 78/100, better than 83% of natural material grades
Mahogany SWMA properties
Typical room-temperature values for Mahogany SWMA; 14 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Mahogany reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Mahogany SWMA has a density of 0.64 g/cm³ (0.0231 lb/in³), lighter than 60% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Mahogany SWMA has a tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi), stronger than 85% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.8 GPa (1.57 Msi).
Thermal5
Mahogany SWMA is rated for continuous service to 100°C (212 °F). It conducts heat at 0.15 W/m·K (0.0867 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 52% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4.5 µm/m·K (2.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical1
Mahogany SWMA has an electrical resistivity of 3×10⁹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is very good (78/100), better than 83% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Mahogany SWMA 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 SWMA's machinability is excellent (85/100, better than 63% of natural material grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Mahogany SWMA
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.
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.
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 |
Mahogany SWMA — frequently asked
What is Mahogany SWMA used for?
Mahogany SWMA 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 SWMA?
Mahogany SWMA has a typical tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi) — stronger than 85% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Mahogany SWMA easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (85/100, better than 63% 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 SWMA 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 SWMA?
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 SWMA 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 SWMA?
Mahogany SWMA 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.
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. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.