Wood of the Month - African Mahogany
African Mahogany Khaya ivorensis
African Mahogany is usually light pinkish-brown when freshly cut, darkening on exposure to deep reddish color, often with a purple cast. The grain can be straight, but is typically interlocked, showing a striped figure on quarter sawn surfaces. The texture is variable, often moderately coarse, with a high, golden luster. Grows in tropical areas of West Central and East Africa.
African mahogany has medium crushing strength, low bending strength, very low stiffness and resistant to shock loads. It is generally easy to work with hand tools. Interlocked grain can cause tearing when planning and there is a moderate blunting effect on cutters. It turns, sands, bores, glues and nails satisfactorily, but non-ferrous fastenings are recommended to avoid iron staining. Carbide tooling is recommended. The wood stains and polishes very well.
Metro Hardwoods Stocks:
Flat Cut Lumber - 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4
Quarter Cut Lumber - 4/4, 6/4, 8/4
P/S MDF core Hardwood Plywood - 1/4", 3/4", 4' x 8'
Industry News - Lacey Act Update
The Lacey Act is a U.S. wildlife protection statute designed to combat illegal trafficking in wildlife, fish and certain plants. The 2008 Farm Bill, effective May 22, 2008, amended the Lacey Act by expanding its protection to a broader range of plants and plant products, including trees and wood products. As such, it will impact our industry. Regulators continue to fine-tune the implementation of this act. Most recently, the Lacey Act was amended to delay the implementation dates for numerous product categories including particleboard and MDF. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated in a September 2, 2009, release that, “Several commenters contended that identifying composite and recycled or reused materials (e.g., medium density fiberboard, particleboard and scrap wood) to the genus and/or species level would be difficult and in some cases, impossible. This delay will allow the federal government more time to evaluate options for enforcing the declaration for these goods.” Please note this delay does not apply to hardwood plywood. Although the act will have an impact on the wood products industry, the specifics are still a moving target. Look to Metro Hardwoods for up-to-date information about the Lacey Act and its potential effects on your business.
If you would like more detailed information about the Lacey Act, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act. When you arrive at the site, scroll down to “Lacey Act Amendment: Implementation Questions and Answers.” For the most useful and concise information, see the last section, “Complete List of Questions and Answers.”
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