Sapele wood originates from the tree of the same name, alternatively known as sapelli, penkwa or undianuno. It is not to be mistaken for its namesake, the Nigerian city!
Native to tropical Africa, the sapele tree is found in countries across the continent, ranging from Sierra Lione to Angola going South, and Congo to Uganda towards the West. Sapeles grow typically up to 45m or 150 feet high, with leaves -- deciduous in the dry season - that grow in 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet being 10cm long and 4cm wide. The wood from the Sapele tree is characteristically reminiscent of mahogany, with a similar reddish - brown colour and similar uses, being from the same family. It is commercially important, with uses ranging from furniture to, believe it or not, historically the propeller blades of WW1 German zeppelins!
One of the main uses of Sapele wood is for hardwood flooring; the wood is renowned for its interlocking grain, which changes direction frequently and at irregular intervals. The main use prior to WW1 in Europe was for crafting German cabinets. Today the wood is a very desirable choice for manufacturing various classes of furniture, from sapele doors to window frames, as well as flooring. It is also a common choice for creating decorative veneers on high grade furniture such as cabinets and bookcases.
One of the more surprising uses for the timber includes the production of musical instruments, including guitar bodies and the necks of ukuleles, and harps. Sapele wood is also used by American car manufacturer Cadillac for its interior wood trimmings.
Often used as an alternative to genuine mahogany, sapele shares many of that hardwood's classic features. The wood is moderately durable - more so than a true African mahogany -- similar in colour, and about as strong as oak. It is almost twice as hard as genuine mahogany! Sapele wood finishes well, which is one reason why it is so expansively utilised in the construction of furniture and for creating decorative mouldings and panelling.
Sapele can be described as the 'cream of the crop' of African hardwoods, both because of its popularity and usefulness, and also because of its sustainability and size. Naturally a large tree, sapeles have a straight structure with no branching below 80 feet, as well as a trunk that can grow in excess of 6 feet in diameter. Sapele is also what is known as a highly stable lumber - classified so due to the interlocking pattern in which the grain grows, which cancels out a lot of movement, typical across the grain. This results in a medium density and hard wood, which is predictable and hence stable, from the process of being felled all the way to the drying kiln. This reliability is transferred through the low rate of shipping damage - and hence waste - through to final instalment. Indeed, one of the reasons that this wood is so popular in and suitable for door and window material is because of its stability and near completely resistance to the weather and rot.
To top it all, sapele wood is growing in popularity, with consumers more than ever aware of it benefits, particularly when it comes to good old fashioned hardwood style!
Sapele doors are particulalry popular at the moment
Finden sie hier mehr zu Tonhoelzer
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen