Honduran mahogany or not?

rexter

I’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the origin of this timber... optimistically wondering if it’s honduran as it is very light compared to smaller boards of Sapele I have. 

rexter

Can I lol myself?? 
I think it’s perhaps most likely Luan or meranti!!

WezV

Yeah, looks quite like meranti

rexter

Thanks wez, I got totally over excited as i found it today In my friends garage. An elderly neighbour of theirs gave it to them years and years ago - so whatever it is it’s pretty old - potentially 30+ years apparently - should be nicely seasoned. All very straight.

If it’s meranti I’m wondering if it would be strong/stable enough for necks? Have enough for about 25!

WezV

oh, if its old stock it does increase the chance of it being a proper  mahogany quite considerably.   It was an easy wood to get at one point 

 Looking on the PC now its certainly possible.   The pics look are a bit washed out which gives it the meranti colour,  but the grain patterns are more like a proper mahogany


I have built a body and neck out of Dark Red Meranti and it worked well.   Not a wood i would reject off hand, but the proper mahoganies are much better

you can see similar grain and medullary flecks on the quartersawn example here
http://www.wood-database.com/honduran-mahogany/

rexter

Yep was looking at that site earlier when I got it back to the workshop and it looks pretty much identical to those images - at least to me. That’s what got me thinking I could have something really nice! And yes definitely old stock - far as I know the neighbour had probably had it stashed a long time too.

it was an organ restorer who I talk woodwork with who had a look and said he thought it was luan - as I think he thought it was newly purchased. He’s got a 300 year old organ from Jamaica in his workshop at the moment, solid mahogany - must confess I was imagining it sliced into neck blanks while I was talking to him today!



Another piece





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