Meranti

Frequently called Philippine mahogany, this wood isn't mahogany at all.

Identifying, classifying, and naming native American hardwoods becomes

child's play compared to the complexity involving what many of us refer to
as Philippine mahogany. You see, in the world timber trade, the wood of
many species with similar characteristics can sometimes be lumped
together and sold under one name. That's the story behind Philippine
mahogany. The Philippine Islands, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, and
Southeast Asia, produce a great variety of hardwoods. But the most
volume comes from a group of tree species known commercially as
Philippine mahogany, due to the appearance of their lumber and the fact
that the word mahogany is widely recognized. However, none of these
species belong to the family Meliaceae that includes the New World
mahoganies of the Swietenia genus, such as Honduras mahogany.
Generally, the trees that supply the timber for Philippine mahogany lumber
and plywood belong to the huge plant family called Dipterocarpaceae. And
in that family, the Shorea species has five distinct, commercially important
trees named meranti.

Wood identification
In the Philippines, as well as elsewhere in their range, Shorea trees might
be called red or white lauan, tangile, almon, as well as the descriptive
"dark-red meranti" or "light-red meranti." But it is meranti (Shorea spp.)
that makes up the greatest proportion of timber that's sold as Philippine
mahogany. (Note: In botanical science, the letters spp. after the genus
name means that several species in that genus share similar appearance
and characteristics, e.g. Shorea spp.) Meranti traditionally grows in well-
drained soils at low altitudes. In ideal conditions, a meranti tree can reach
a 200' height and a trunk diameter of 6'. A lumberman's dream, it will also
be branch free for 90'. The bases of some trees feature the vanelike
supports called buttresses. Light-red and dark-red meranti produce
medium-to-coarse textured wood that ranges in color from pale pink to
brown and reddish-brown. The grain may be slightly interlocked. At about
36 pounds per cubic foot air-dry, meranti is heavier than Honduras
mahogany. However, it is not nearly as hard nor as strong, and lacks the
durability and stability of a true mahogany. And you may find brittleness in
some boards.

Uses in woodworking
Meranti represents a wood of world-wide commercial importance. As
veneer, much of it becomes plywood, plywood paneling, cabinets, and
hollow-core doors. In lumber form, meranti is worked into light structural
framing, moldings and trim, and low-cost furniture. Meranti has little
durability in outdoor projects.

AvailabiIity
Home centers and lumber retailers widely stock meranti plywood in a
variety of thicknesses. Already milled, it is available as moldings and other
interior trim parts. As lumber, you can buy select and better meranti (sold
as Philippine mahogany) in up to 2" thickness for about $2.50 per board
foot. Veneer should cost about 25 cents per square foot. If you have ever
machined genuine mahogany, which has been called the wood by which
all other woods are measured, meranti will let you down. However, it does
not possess any characteristics that could become particularly irritating.
Follow these tips for woodworking success.

Machining methods
 Medium-to-coarse-grained meranti rips easily, but unless you use a
smooth-cutting planer blade, expect to find a rather rough sawn
edge of tiny fibers that require sanding to remove.
 Plane meranti to thickness by taking shallow cuts to avoid chipping
and tearing.
 Not as hard as mahogany, and a bit brittle, meranti tends to easily
tear out or splinter in jointing. But unlike some types of pine and fir
that yield long splinters, those of meranti tend to be short.
  Crosscutting with either hand or power tools requires a fence or
backing board on the exit side to prevent splintering, known as
tearout. This also applies to routing across the grain. Always use
sharp bits and blades for the least amount of aggravation.
 On the scrollsaw or with a jigsaw, avoid ragged cuts by sawing with
a fine-toothed blade.
 Meranti, unlike some tropical woods (teak, for instance), does not
contain extractives or traces of silica, so all types of woodworking
glues work well.
 Screws (predrill for these) and nails hold well in meranti.
 Although this tropical wood accepts all types of stains and finishes,
you should fill its open grain to obtain the smoothest, most attractive
surface. Meranti holds paint well, too, but either fill first or use a good
primer coat over its open grain.
Carving cautions
 Makers of classical furniture loved genuine mahogany because it
could be carved in intricate detail. Not so with meranti. Chipping,
occasional brittleness, and its open grain defeat attempts at fine
detail that you might want to create.
 To avoid chipping, power carvers should use the less aggressive bits
when working meranti.
Turning tips
 Round down meranti with a 3⁄4 " gouge and a lathe speed no faster
than 1,000 rpm to reduce chipping the wood.
 The open grain of meranti tends to collect finishing material if you
apply it while the wood is spinning. The result is a wrinkled surface.
You'll have better luck turning off the lathe to finish.
Shop-Tested Techniques
Any exceptions-and special tips pertaining to this issue's featured wood
species-appear under other headings on this page.

 For stability in use, always work wood with a maximum moisture

content of 8 percent.
 Feed straight-grained wood into planer knives at a 90° angle. To
avoid tearing, feed figured or twisted grain at a slight angle (about
15°), and take shallow cuts of about 1⁄32 ".
 For clean cuts, rip with a rip-profile blade having 24-32 teeth.
Smooth crosscuts require at least a 40-tooth saw blade.
  Avoid using twist drills. They tend to wander in the wood and cause
breakout. Use brad-point bits and a backing board under the
workpiece to reduce wood tearout.
 Drill pilot holes for screws.
 Rout with sharp, preferably carbide-tipped, bits and take shallow
passes to avoid burning the wood.
 Carving hardwoods means fairly shallow gouge bevels-15° to 20°-
and shallow cuts.

Credit to source

https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/wood-species-2/meranti