Mahogany vs. Cherry: What’s Right for My Project?

Woodworking can be a excellent offer of fun, and it’s amazingly fulfilling. However, it’s not often easy to know what kind of wooden to use if you are a newbie. Two of the most popular choices are mahogany and cherry. If you are questioning what the greater selection is, preserve studying as we consider a closer look at equally types of wooden and their benefits and down sides.

Overview of Mahogany

What It Is

Mahogany comes in numerous kinds, including Philippine mahogany, African mahogany, mountain mahogany, and Cuban mahogany. African mahogany is one of the most well-known types, with a pale-pink to dim-red color that darkens with age. The tree generally grows much more than one hundred toes tall and can generate far more than forty lbs . of dried wooden. A draw back of mahogany is that the harvesting and transporting it to The usa places a wonderful offer of strain on the atmosphere.

What It’s Good For

Mahogany is really popular due to the fact it is easily available and inexpensive. It is a softer hardwood that is straightforward to minimize and shape, producing it a good decision for furnishings. Doorways, windows, trimming, shelving, boats, devices, and other objects are also ideal for mahogany. The downside is that it is not as hard as other hardwoods, so it is not a excellent decision for substantial-visitors flooring or other surfaces that get a fantastic offer of use. It is also challenging for outside initiatives since the softer wooden is not that resistant to insects.

Overview of Cherry

What It Is

Cherry is an very well-known wooden that many people select since of its coloration. Like mahogany, its color darkens from a gentle gold pink to a darkish red. Exposure to light-weight is what woodworkers phone ripening, and it darkens the coloration. It darkens speedily throughout the 1st 6 months, but the process can continue for many a long time. It has a easy, close-grain sample, and a one board can have contrasting grain, escalating its charm.

What It’s Good For

Considering that cherry trees are popular in The united states, they are simple to find at any components keep, and the wood is generally not way too pricey. It’s a hardwood that is more resistant to dents and scratches than mahogany, creating it a fantastic decision for household furniture, cupboards, and add-ons like bowls, mixing spoons, photo frames, etc. Although it is more challenging than mahogany, it’s still not as very good a decision for flooring as other hardwoods like maple and oak, which are significantly harder.

What Are the Differences?

The main big difference between mahogany and cherry is that cherry is more challenging, so it will be a lot more resistant to injury. Mahogany is softer, so it’s less difficult to work with and shape. It also has a far more steady color primarily based on the tree’s age when reduce alternatively of mild exposure. Nonetheless, equally varieties are easy to find, are inexpensive, and seem fantastic. They are easier to operate with than some other hardwoods, like maple or oak, whilst remaining a lot more durable than pine, hemlock, alder, and cedar.

Which Is Right for You?

If you are a rookie functioning on your 1st handful of projects, mahogany is likely the greater selection due to the fact it is less complicated to shape and minimize. It will maintain up properly for home furniture, shelving, molding, photo frames, and much more. The coloration seems to be great even without staining, and it’s simple to find. When you gain much more knowledge, cherry is a great option for producing objects that you frequently take care of, like picket bowls, mixing spoons, door stops, and tabletops. It’s also a excellent choice for furnishings because the colour is eye-catching, but you will need to have to put together for it to darken more than time, particularly if it sees a large quantity of daylight.

Conclusion

The two mahogany and cherry are superb options for beginner and advanced woodworkers. They are simple to work with, easy to locate, and economical. Mahogany is softer, so it is great for beginners and wood-carving assignments while remaining strong and eye-catching ample to use for home furniture, which includes chairs and tables. Many folks also use mahogany to build musical instruments. Cherry is harder, so it’s great for generating objects that get a wonderful deal of use and that may get scratched or dented with softer wood. It’s also appealing and durable, so it is a good choice for household furniture and even counter tops.

Featured Graphic Credit score: Remaining Mahogany: Jason Gilkes, Shutterstock | Right: Cherry: mahc, Shutterstock