WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
Sapele: density, weight and properties
Entandrophragma cylindricum
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) averages 690 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
- 690 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 4.2French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 102 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 13,960 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 62 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 7.2%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 5.0%
- Fibre saturation point
- 29%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 690 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 | 690 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.63 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.85 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.48 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 5.7 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 11.2 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 29% (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 | 2.1 mm (0.084 in) | 1.5 mm (0.058 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.3 mm (0.168 in) | 3 mm (0.116 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 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 with ordinary tools, but interlocked grain tends to tear out when planing; a light, regular interlock gives the striped figure prized in sliced veneer. Tropix notes that the wood can stain when glued.
Typical uses
- Fine furniture and cabinetmaking
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Exterior joinery (windows and doors)
- Interior stairs
- Flooring
- Sliced veneer
- Boatbuilding
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Yellow birch 694.4 kg/m³
- European ash 680 kg/m³
- Hard maple (sugar maple) 705.6 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.