[Mholtz2323]

Hi everyone.

Thanks in advance for your help. I bought this door which was returned by a customer brand new for $200. It is solid wood and super heavy.
At first, they said it was finished mahogany.
Then, I came back the next day and found out it's unfinished and that it might be cherry, but they aren't sure.
What type of wood is it? I'm sure it's tough to tell by photos, so i tried to take the best pictures possible.

Thanks again

Mike

Sorry if the pics are big...first time posting.

 

[mike1950]

Sure is not cherry- my bet would be some kind of unfinished mahogany.

 

[phinds]

color, if accurate, says it sapele or sipo. Based on the grain it also might be mahogany but the color seems off for that.

EDIT: you can check out the differences on my site.

 

[cabinetman]

Sure is not cherry- my bet would be some kind of unfinished mahogany.

+1. :yes:

.

 

[Mholtz2323]

Thanks for the help. They first said it was mahogany and based on your opinions, Its probably mahogany.
Is that easy to stain a darker color?
At $200, I still hope it was a good deal. It's made really well and the detail is so amazing. Kind of happy it isn't cherry because I want to stay away from that reddish tone cherry has. Although in person there is a hint of red to it.
Thinking about staining it maybe a charcoal color.

Thanks for the help

 

[phinds]

Thanks for the help. They first said it was mahogany and based on your opinions, Its probably mahogany.
Is that easy to stain a darker color?
At $200, I still hope it was a good deal. It's made really well and the detail is so amazing. Kind of happy it isn't cherry because I want to stay away from that reddish tone cherry has. Although in person there is a hint of red to it.
Thinking about staining it maybe a charcoal color.

Thanks for the help

So did you do a comparison based on my site?

 

[mike1950]

This door started out the same color as yours.

 

[phinds]

This door started out the same color as yours.

And it is ... ? Mahogany, presumably?

 

[Mholtz2323]

That's really nice. Can you go into detail about the finishing process?
Does mahogany take stain well?
Thanks

 

[Mholtz2323]

So did you do a comparison based on my site?

Looked on the site. Could either be santos, genuine, or Central American mahogany. There are some other woods it looks close to.

 

[mike1950]

That's really nice. Can you go into detail about the finishing process?
Does mahogany take stain well?
Thanks

Easy to stain. that is a dark mahogany gel stain by general.

 

[Mholtz2323]

Easy to stain. that is a dark mahogany gel stain by general.

Never stained anything before. Is a gel stain what I should go with? If so, why?
Thanks

 

[mike1950]

Never stained anything before. Is a gel stain what I should go with? If so, why?
Thanks

Everyone has their opinion but I think it is easy to use. Wipe it on and wipe it off. You can use the clear gel to seal hard to stain woods like cherry and they turn out consistent. Probably ask 5 people and get 6 opinions though. :laughing:

 

[[email protected]]

This is definitely Luan Mahogany.

 

[Mholtz2323]

This is definitely Luan Mahogany.

I know of Luan to be cheap wood used for hollow core doors. I'm not an expert but I know this door is not that.
Had it been cheap I wouldn't have taken it had it been free.

 

[Steve Neul]

Looks like Philippine mahogany also known as luan to me.

 

[phinds]

Looks like Philippine mahogany also known as luan to me.

Looks like a solid door to me and luan is almost exclusively found as veneer on VERY cheap doors, which this does not look like.

 

[Steve Neul]

Looks like a solid door to me and luan is almost exclusively found as veneer on VERY cheap doors, which this does not look like.

Yes a lot of it is veneered but luan is available in 8/4 at a lot of hardwood suppliers. They just prefer to call it Philipine mahogany. When I worked at a door company we made a lot of luan doors. The wood may be very soft but is very stable. I think it makes good doors.