WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
Mahogany (Swietenia): density, weight and properties
Swietenia macrophylla, Swietenia mahagoni, Swietenia humilis
Mahogany (Swietenia) (Swietenia macrophylla) averages 600 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to CIRAD’s Tropix database. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 600 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 3.4French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 85 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 10,790 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 54 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 3.7%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 2.6%
- Fibre saturation point
- 23%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 600 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 600 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.42 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.48 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.89 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.96 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 9.73 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 23% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 1.4 mm (0.054 in) | 1 mm (0.038 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 2.8 mm (0.109 in) | 1.9 mm (0.076 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 2–3 on the EN 350 scale from 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable), as reported by Tropix. The rating applies to heartwood only.
Working and finishing
Machines easily with ordinary tools and holds nails and screws well. Swietenia macrophylla, S. mahagoni and S. humilis are listed in CITES Appendix II, so trade requires documents of legal origin (Tropix).
Typical uses
- Fine furniture and cabinetmaking
- Boatbuilding
- Musical instruments
- Mouldings
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Sliced veneer
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Eucalyptus grandis 600 kg/m³
- European larch 600 kg/m³
- Black walnut 616 kg/m³
Sources & references
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.