M - N

This is a new wood to the San Francisco Bay region, introduced about 1927. When it becomes better known it should become popular for specialties in furniture, fixtures, turnery, novelties, and interior trim. The color and figure vary considerably. The wood is easy to work and holds its shape well. The native name, pronounced with five syllables with accent on the "u", has been shortened in the trade to "Macuba wood."

Common Name(s) : Macrocarpa, Macro The species originates in California.  In New Zealand, the species is grown throughout the country, primarily as shelter belts on farms. There are no specific forests of Macrocarpa, and there have not been any commercial plantings. In New Zealand, the timber is graded into Clears grade, Dressing grade, and a Utility grade. The timber machines and sands well and is suitable for end use applications requiring a high quality finish. Macrocarpa performs well in furniture manufacture, joinery manufacture, panelling, and flooring. The Utility grade is a general purpose grade suitable for a diverse range of low grade applications. 485 kg/m3
Durablity Heartwood Moderately durable above ground Sapwood Non durable Prone to shrinkage and distortion Stable
AVAILABILITYSupply is limited, and sizes larger than 150x50 are very difficult to source.

Trade or Common Name: Madero negro, blackwood, madre de cacao Local Name: Madero negro  
The Tree: In the same family as Cocobolo, Madero negro is a narrow-crowned, medium-sized or sub-canopy, deciduous 
rainforest tree, sometimes reaching 60 feet in the natural rainforest. Madero negro is leguminous, or nitrogen-fixing. 
Status: Originally exploited for its durability in contact with the soil, Madero negro now occurs only rarely in the natural 
forest. It has been planted ornamentally because of its beautiful pink flowers. It is also sometimes seen in cacao plantations, 
because its ability to fix nitrogen enhances the growth of the cacao. The Wood: Madero negro is very hard, black or dark 
brown, with a beautiful small fleck. It turns well and takes a high polish. Madero negro is very resistant to insects and fungus. 
Uses: Because of its strength and durability in contact with the soil, madero negro was originally prized for corner fence posts 
and as supports for houses, but it is now used for its beauty in furniture, turnery, and artisanry.

see Madrone,  Pacific

see Madrone,  Pacific

Also known as madrone, coast madrone, madrona, madrono, and arbuti tree. Grows along the Pacific coast of United States and Canada. Straight to irregular grain with a fine texture. Light pink to pale reddish brown heartwood and cream colored sapwood with a pink tinge. Resembles pear in texture and apple in color. Heavy, hard, and strong with moderate stiffness and shock resistance. Tends to warp during drying but once dried, it is stable in service. Low decay resistance. Works reasonably well in spite of its hardness. Turns well. Gluing can be challenging, especially if wood not completely seasonsed. Stains easily and polishes to a beautiful sheen. Used for bowls, novelties, turned articles, tool handles, inlay, core stock, paneling, flooring, and interior furniture. Madrone burls prized for decorative veneers and pipes.

see Madrone,  Pacific

see Madrone,  Pacific

Also known as evergreen magnolia, southern magnolia, sweet magnolia, cucumber wood, black lin, bat tree, and bull bay. Grows in United States and Britain. Generally straight grained with a close uniform texture. Light to dark brown heartwood tinged with yellow or green and yellowish white sapwood. Resembles yellow-poplar. Moderately heavy, hard, strong, and stiff with good shock resistance and steam bending properties. Low natural decay resistance. Turns and otherwise machines well, resists splitting, and glues very well. Finishes easily - often painted. Requires little sanding. Stable in service. Used for venetian-blind slats, cabinet frames, interior furniture and trim, toys, novelties, turned bowls, food containers (does not impart taste or odor), boxes, pallets, doors, dowels, veneer, and pulp. The best known of our native magnolias, because the tree is evergreen and because of its showy flowers. Widely planted in parks and on lawns. A native of the southeastern states. Occasionally reaches a size of 41/2' x 135', but averages 3' x 100'. The wood resembles that of yellow-poplar and is used as a substitute for it. It is somewhat harder than that of yellow-poplar, but is easy to work and holds its shape well. Sometimes it is streaked with black. Used for cabinets, special refrigerators, models, furniture, fixtures and veneers

see Magnolia

see Magnolia 

see Magnolia

New Zealand

Whiteywood

Trade or Common Name: Mahogany, true or genuine mahogany, bigleaf mahogany, Honduras mahogany  
Local Name: Caoba Botanical Name: Swietenia macrophylla Family: Meliaceae The Tree: In the natural rainforest, 
Mahogany is a very large canopy tree, sometimes reaching over 150 feet in height, with trunks sometimes more 
than 6 feet in diameter above a large basal buttress. It is a generally open-crowned tree, with gray to brownish-red 
fissured bark. Status: Mahogany is perhaps the most valuable timber tree in the whole of Latin America and has 
been heavily exploited for most of this century. Mahogany is becoming increasingly rare, and is already extinct 
in parts of its original range. It is listed as threatened in "Arboles Maderables en Peligro de Extinción en Costa Rica" 
and is listed in CITES Appendix III. The Wood: Mahogany varies from yellowish, reddish, pinkish, or salmon colored
 when freshly cut, to a deep rich red, to reddish brown as the wood matures with age. Mahogany is fine to medium 
texture, with uniform to interlocking grain, ranging from straight to wavy or curly. Irregularities in the grain often produce 
highly attractive figures such as fiddleback or mottle. Mahogany polishes to a high luster, with excellent working and
 finishing characteristics. It responds well to hand and machine tools, has good nailing and screwing properties, 
and turns and carves superbly. Uses: Mahogany is regarded by many as the world's premier wood for fine cabinetry, 
high-class furniture, trimming fine boats, pianos and other musical instruments, sculpture, joinery, turnery, figured 
and decorative veneer, interior trim, and carving.American mahogany. True mahogany. The most 
 popular of the fancy 
cabinet and furniture woods. In the U.S. it is only 
 found in Southern Florida. Its range, however, includes the West Indies, 
the 
 Gulf coast of Mexico and the coast of Central America. Sometimes attains 
 maximum size of 5' x 200'. Several tropical 
woods resemble the true 
 mahogany, but none equal it for technical qualities or beauty. The wood is 
 strong and durable 
and seasons well. It is used for patterns, cabinets, 
 interior finish and fixtures. 

see Sapele

Also known as Honduras mahogany, true mahogany, genuine mahogany, bigleaf mahogany, cao, caoba, cobano, acajou, and aguano. Grows from southern Mexico to Brazil. Generally straight grained, but sometimes roey, wavy, or curly, with a fine to coarse, uniform texture. Pale pink to dark reddish brown heartwood and yellowish white sapwood. Variable, but generally moderate weight, hardness, and strength. Low stiffness and shock resistance. Very good stability and decay resistance. Moderate steam bending rating. Excellent working properties, including cutting, turning, shaping, sanding, and gluing. Finishes easily with a variety of finishes, although filling may be required for ultimate smoothness. Renowned for high-class cabinetry and furniture. Also used for paneling, turnery, carving, patterns, dies, model making, veneers, flooring, boat building, and musical instruments. Honduran Mahogany is the world's traditional choice for the finest furniture and millwork. It is used only occasionally for flooring as it lacks sufficient hardness to hold up traffic. WFI offers Royal Mahogany as our closest substitute visually as well as our Santos Mahogany. Honduran Mahogany offers a medium degree of color variability from pale orange/browns through to darker orangey browns. Honduran Mahogany undergoes a large degree of color change, with pronounced darkening from a light orangey brown when fresh cut to deep mahogany color as it fully ages

Also known as akuk, bandoro, benin mahogany, degema, lagos wood, acajou, khaya, Nigerian mahogany, Ivory Coast mahogany, and Gold Coast mahogany. Grows throughout West Africa. Interlocked or straight grain, often with a ribbon figure, and a moderately coarse texture. Creamy-white sapwood and reddish brown heartwood, often with a purple cast. Moderately heavy and hard with medium bending and crushing strength, low stiffness and shock resistance, moderate decay resistance, and good stability in use. Poor steam bending rating. Works fairly easily although interlocked, woolly grain can be troublesome. Glues, nails, and screws satisfactorily. Stains and polishes to an excellent finish. Used for furniture, cabinetry, high class joinery, interior trim, boat building, vehicle bodies, paneling, plywood, and decorative veneers. Generally cheaper and more abundant than American mahogany.

see Mahogany, African

brown / red medium moderately durable 540 kg m-3 high quality joinery, furniture, boat building

see Mahogany (So. Amer)

see Mahogany, African

see Mahogany (So. Amer)

see Mahogany, African

Light Red Lauan Heartwood is pale straw colour when first cut. Sapwood is often indistinguishable from heartwood. Texture is even and coarse. Grain is usually interlocking, giving striped figure on the radial surface. Internal lining, Finishing material, joinery The timber is used for plywood, furniture, joinery, and internal mouldings. Light Red Mahogany is easy to work if tools are kept sharp. Interlocking grain needs careful dressing. This timber nails and glues well . Sapwood is susceptible to lyctid borer attack. Heartwood is not sufficiently durable for external use and is resistant to impregnation with preservatives.550 kg/cu.m

see Cherry, Black

see Mahogany, African

Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Guatemala, & MexicoSantos Mahogany is rich dark mahogany colored wood, which is a superior choice to genuine mahogany, (which it resembles in color), given Santos Mahogany’s hardness and color fastness. Santos Mahogany exhibits a medium range of color variation between a light orangey/brown with yellowish overtones to a dark reddish/purplish brown.  Most of the specie falls into the medium to dark orange/brown mahogany tone. Santos Mahogany undergoes a slight degree of color change with a  slight muting of the color range over time.

see Sapele

see Sapele

see Mahogany (So. Amer)

Khaya anthotheca

ranges in colour from light brown to dark red, straight grained with areas of interlocking grain.

Timber seasons well and is used for cabinet making, veneers and high class joinery and furniture

Non durable

Yellow Stringybark (Queensland) White Mahogany is similar in appearance to tallowwood being yellow-brown with a distinct and paler sapwood. Texture is medium and even with a grain which is commonly interlocking. Markings of distinction are moth grub holes and occasional gum veining. Structural, External cladding White Mahogany is used for framing and decking above ground in both protected and unprotected contexts. Other uses include pole and heavy engineering construction work, shipbuilding and for sleepers. A durable tough timber that is hard to work. White Mahogany has a heartwood that is very durable. The sapwood is not susceptible to lyctid attack. 1000 kg/cu.m

Mahogany, Dark Red Phillipine Purplish Brown Heartwood displays various shades of red. Sapwood is quite distinguished from heartwood being a cream to pale grey. Texture is even and coarse with an interlocking grain given to a ribbon figure when sawn radially. Internal lining, Finishing material, joinery Dark red mahogany is used in internal and external joinery, furniture, boat building and plywood products. Dark red mahogany is easy to work. However, tools must be kept sharp. This timber glues and peels well. Heartwood moderately durable and may be used above ground externally if in a fairly protected environment. Do not use in the ground. 650 kg/cu.m

see Teak, Burmese

 Black maire / White Maire

Aka African Cherry, Baku, Makore, Douka, Ukola Central Africa along the western coast Sierra Leone to Cameroon Grows mostly in the high rain forests reaching heights of 180 to 200ft. Trunk diameters from 4-10 ft. Medium texture with straight fine grain Heartwood is pink to pinkish-brown. Sapwood is lighter Makore has a high silica content that can cause blunting of cutting edges. Excellent finishing properties and good gluing properties. Heartwood is highly durable and resistant to insect attack. Stability: Excellent Furniture, cabinetry and turning. Used often in veneer form. Also used often in marine plywood and boat building. The fine dust from Makore may cause nose and throat irritations and/or dermatitis Makore Definition: African hardwood kind. Color: light red, easily after-darkening. Characteristics: hard wood ( hardwood ), very flexibly ( elasticity ), to work on well shrinks only moderately ( decrease forms of the wood ), weather-proof, resistantly against insects and mushrooms . Use: Ship and boat building, doors - and window construction , veneers , furniture, interior fittings, plywood , foot and parquet soils. Disadvantage: Wood dust provokes the mucous membranes 

see Rosewood, Indian

Sapwood is yellowish and sharply defined from the heartwood, which is brown with a distinct reddish tinge. Grain is fairly straight. Texture is moderately fine and even. Used for heavy construction, boat construction, posts and shingles. It is a popular substitute for the more durable Belian 

see Meranti,

Persimmon From Japan Attains a height of 30 feet and a diameter of 22 inches. The heartwood is very hard and black and used as a substitute for ebony. Sapwood because of striations is used as an ornamental wood in cabinet making, wood mosaics, etc.  

Tree of 10 the 35 meters of height, gift in the Amazon region. Its wood is used for internal use in the civil construction, compensated, boxes and packings, scaffolding of furniture, etc. 730 kg low to moderate durability

A hard and heavy wood, similar to Yacal but lighter in weight and not as durable. Used in building construction, shipbuilding, piles, planks and masts. 

New Zealand

Limited supply from non commercial sources only. densite 595 kg/cum

Very good for steam bending - easy tio work

Renowned for its delicious fruit, mango is a common tree in most tropical countries. Growing to girth measurements often exceeding 18 feet (5.4 meters), Mango trees supply a ready source of large, reasonably soft, stable timber for use in all facets of the timber craft industry. This timber is particularly susceptible to and is encouraged to accept, spalting. This is a natural phenomena produced when some species of timber are subjected to semi-moist conditions over extended periods. Mildew, watermarking and the forerunners of rot begin to appear, therefore care must be exe