Sapele – Pommelle
Wednesday, January 4th, 2006
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Sapele – Pommelle (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
A large hardwood from the wetter regions of central and west Africa, growing as far east as Uganda. The heartwood is reddish-brown to purplish-brown and the sapwood is pale yellow, sometimes being up to 4 inches (100mm) wide. The texture is fine and even and the grain is usually interlocked, producing a narrow and uniformly distributed stripe on the radial surface. The wood also has a slight cedar-like odour when freshly cut, but the logs are likely to contain ring shakes.
Sapele is of medium weight and is around 650kg per cubic meter. It is slow to dry and needs careful handling to minimize twisting and warping. Quarter sawing is preferred for better performance. The shrinkage is around 2 per cent radial and 4 per cent tangential.
Because of the interlocked grain, extra care is needed when dressing the wood, otherwise it’s relatively easy to work – gluing well and nailing satisfactorily. The wood is considered as unsuitable for steam bending, though good results can still sometimes be had – especially in instrument making.
The wood takes polish well, but care is needed to fill the grain.
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