Sapele Lumber
Entandrophragma Cylindricum
Sapele is in the same family as Mahogany and the same genus as Utile, and as a result it shares many of the same qualities with these woods.
Hailing from Africa, Sapele contains an interlocking grain that produces light and dark ribbon stripes throughout the boards. Sapele is commonly quartersawn to enhance these attractive ribbons, and it is often used as a veneer for plywood in this application. As a solid wood, it is relatively stable once dry, and it is frequently used in the construction of doors. Sapele is a fine exterior wood, although it is often painted in window and door applications because of its fine grain.
Sapele takes a moulded edge very well, and the flat sawn cut is best used for moulding applications due to its consistent appearance. Quartersawn Sapele’s ribbon texture does not produce as consistent a coloration as flat sawn, but quartersawn Sapele does boast increased stability.
Sapele is actually somewhat soft for a hardwood (although it is still harder than Mahogany), and it is therefore very gentle on tools. A word of caution to contractors and carpenters, however: be sure to take care while machining this wood. Sapele is a dusty lumber, and this fine dust can cause respiratory problems and skin irritation.
Despite the wood’s many positive attributes, the cost for Sapele lumber is usually around half of that of Genuine Mahogany. Sapele also tends to cost less than Utile. These factors help make Sapele a very popular lumber species for use in a wide variety of interior and exterior applications.
Sapele Wood Sources
We import our Sapele from West Africa and pay particular attention to only buy from specific regions in order to obtain the best colors and consistencies.
We import an even amount of flat sawn and quartersawn lumber but find that careful consideration must be taken with drying and re-drying to ensure stability. These drying schedules can even vary depending on where in West Africa we buy our Sapele.
SAPELE Lumber SPECIFICATIONS
| Character | Green | Dry | Units |
| Bending Strength | 10233 | 17895 | psi |
| Max Crushing Strength | 5115 | 8788 | psi |
| Impact Strength | 36 | 39 | inches |
| Stiffness | 1397 | 1704 | 1000 psi |
| Work to Maximum Load | 10 | 16 | in-lbs/in3 |
| Hardness (Janka) | – | 1510 | lbs |
| Shearing Strength | – | 2288 | psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.48 | 0.62 | – |
| Weight | 52 | 42 | lbs/ft3 |
| Density | – | 42 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | – | 5 | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | – | 7 | % |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | – | 14 | % |
