Old Nick wrote in message . ..
On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 15:23:38 +0000,
(Robert Bonomi) vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email


"African mahogany", (aka 'meranti', and other similar species) typically,
a light, almost golden, brown. this is _much_ lighter (mass-wise)
than the other 'mahogany' woods. Like only 2/3 to 1/2 the weight,
per unit volume.

Almost balsa-like in some cases. I have seen meranti in a rack,
though, that had much darker, denser wood in with it. I assumed it was
heart wood. But it may have been something completely different?

There are hundreds of species of meranti ranging from some almost as
light and soft as balsa to others almost as hard and heavy as teak.

I was surprised to read here on rec.nahrm that lauan was sometimes
called 'white' mahogany since all the lauan plywood I had seen
was sort of a cocao color. Since then I have seen very pale
yellowish tan lauan locally. Lauan is a trade name for plywood
made from any of about 200 species of Asian/Pacific woods, mostly
from three genera of meranti.

--

FF