if you haven't worked with sapele lumber before,check out what you've been missing. it's a lot like mahogany, but it's much moreaffordable. and the boards are big and clear, which makes it a great wood for furnitureand cabinetry. and the best part of sapele is the ribbonstripe figure you get with quarter sawn lumber. to get the ribbon figure, the log is cut ina way that makes the tree's growth rings perpendicular to the faces.the tree grows in western africa to towering heights of 100 feet and the logs can be asmassive in diameter as 6 feet. fortunately for woodworkers, it's not onlybeautiful it's also a joy to machine and finish. you can see that the basic operations - likesawing and routing - go very smoothly and
cause no trouble.so you might be wondering, "what does it take to make the ribbon figure look its absolutebest in a project?" here are three ways to finish sapele for a great look.the first is a simple clear finish using shellac sealer and spray lacquer.and it looks pretty nice. what how the figure jumps out with just onecoat of sealer. the second finishing method is a little moreadvanced, and it helps you get a little bit different color. we start with dye, then alittle sealer, then stain. an amber dye that's diluted way down to abouta ratio of 1:6 dye to reducer will establish a light, even color. you just flood it onand let it dry.
this is about what sapele should look likewhen the dye is dry. the next step is to apply a very thin coatof sealer. this should be a 1:4 ratio of denatured alcohol to sealer.all we're trying to is control the stain in the next step.here's an oil based stain with a deep red color. but any color will work that suitsyou. this adds just a touch of color and contrast to the stripey figure in sapele.the process is really simple. you wipe it on, and right away wipe it off.the result is a pleasing color that accentuates the figure. from here all you have to do islet it dry overnight, and finish it with lacquer or varnish.and finally, here's a third way to finish
sapele that gives it a lot of punch. and thisis pretty easy, you just apply a danish oil, let it dry, then you top-coat it with yourfavorite finish on top. as you can see, the oil really makes the ribbonsjump out. by now i hope you can see how beautiful andversatile sapele really is, and how you use the wood in a future project.read real customer reviews, see customer projects of sapele, and order securely online at woodworkerssource.com