Sapele wood movement, board-foot & weight calculator
- Janka
- 1,510lbf
- Density
- 38.4lb/ft³
- T/R ratio
- 1.6
- Spec. gravity
- 0.55
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is an imported species. It has a Janka side hardness of 1,510 lbf, a specific gravity of 0.55, and an air-dry density near 38 lb/ft³ (615 kg/m³) (mechanical values at 12% moisture content). It shrinks 7.4% tangentially and 4.6% radially from green to oven-dry (T/R ratio 1.6), so a 12-inch flatsawn board moves about 0.18 in (≈ 3/16 in) across a 6-point moisture swing (about 6%→12% MC).
Compute Sapele: movement, weight & board footage
Every number below is worked from Sapele's own shrinkage and density figures, not looked up from a table — change the width, moisture swing, or board size in the calculators linked alongside.
Cross-grain movement by board width
| Board width | Flatsawn (tangential) | Quartersawn (radial) |
|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 0.03″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.018″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 3″ | 0.044″ (≈ 1/32 in) | 0.028″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 4″ | 0.059″ (≈ 1/16 in) | 0.037″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| 6″ | 0.089″ (≈ 3/32 in) | 0.055″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 8″ | 0.118″ (≈ 1/8 in) | 0.074″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| 10″ | 0.148″ (≈ 5/32 in) | 0.092″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| 12″ | 0.178″ (≈ 3/16 in) | 0.11″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| 16″ | 0.237″ (≈ 1/4 in) | 0.147″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Need a different width or moisture swing? Run the movement calculator preloaded with Sapele. At a T/R ratio of 1.61, Sapele is stable — it moves moderately more across the face than through the thickness — normal behaviour for a furniture hardwood, and predictable if boards are acclimatised before milling.
Board footage & weight, standard sizes
| Nominal size × length | Board feet | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1×4 × 8′ | 2.67 bd ft | 8.5 lb |
| 1×6 × 8′ | 4 bd ft | 12.8 lb |
| 1×8 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 17.1 lb |
| 1×10 × 8′ | 6.67 bd ft | 21.3 lb |
| 1×12 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 25.6 lb |
| 2×4 × 8′ | 5.33 bd ft | 17.1 lb |
| 2×6 × 8′ | 8 bd ft | 25.6 lb |
| 2×8 × 8′ | 10.67 bd ft | 34.1 lb |
Different length or size? Run the board foot calculator or the weight calculator, both preloaded with Sapele.
Seasonal movement by city
| City | Driest month (EMC) | Most-humid month (EMC) | EMC swing | 12″ board movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | Jun · 4.4% | Dec · 9% | 4.6 pts | 0.136″ (≈ 1/8 in) |
| Chicago, IL | May · 12.3% | Dec · 15.1% | 2.8 pts | 0.083″ (≈ 3/32 in) |
| Miami, FL | Apr · 12.2% | Sep · 14.4% | 2.2 pts | 0.065″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Boston, MA | Apr · 11.5% | Sep · 12.8% | 1.3 pts | 0.038″ (≈ 1/32 in) |
| Denver, CO | Jul · 8% | Dec · 10.5% | 2.5 pts | 0.074″ (≈ 1/16 in) |
| Seattle, WA | Jul · 12% | Dec · 16.9% | 4.9 pts | 0.145″ (≈ 5/32 in) |
Driven by Sapele's tangential shrinkage of 7.4%. These are outdoor equilibrium-moisture figures, so they are an upper bound — a climate-controlled interior swings less. How this is calculated.
How Sapele compares
Ranked against the 196 species in the Wood Handbook tables this site carries.
- Hardness: at 1,510 lbf, Sapele is harder than 75% of the 157 species with a Janka figure.
- Weight: at 38.4 lb/ft³ it is heavier than 54% of the 170 species measured — an 8-foot 1×6 board weighs about 12.8 lb.
- Stability: its T/R ratio of 1.61 is more even than 72% of the 196 species here — as humidity changes, 28% of them hold their shape more evenly.
See Sapele plotted against every species we carry: the full Janka hardness chart and the full density chart .
Species with a similar working profile
Closest matches on hardness, weight and stability together — useful when Sapele is unavailable or priced out.
- Honeylocust is a common substitute for Sapele : nearly identical hardness, 9% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
- White Ash is a common substitute for Sapele : 13% softer, 9% heavier, and similarly stable in service.
- Iroko is a common substitute for Sapele : 17% softer, about the same weight, and more stable in service.
- Black Walnut is a common substitute for Sapele : 33% softer, about the same weight, and more stable in service.
| Species | Janka | Density | T/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeylocust | 1,580 lbf | 41.9 | 1.57 |
| White Ash | 1,320 lbf | 41.9 | 1.59 |
| Iroko | 1,260 lbf | 37.7 | 1.36 |
| Black Walnut | 1,010 lbf | 38.4 | 1.42 |
About Sapele
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is a large African tree that occurs from Sierra Leone to Angola and eastward through the Congo to Uganda. The heartwood ranges in color from that of American mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) to a dark reddish or purplish brown. The lighter-colored and distinct sapwood may be up to 10 cm (4 in.) wide. The texture is rather fine. The grain is interlocked and produces narrow and uniform striping on quarter-sawn surfaces. The wood averages about 674 kg m–3 (42 lb ft–3) at 12% moisture content, and its mechanical properties are in general higher than those of white oak (Quercus alba). The wood works fairly easily with machine tools, although the interlocked grain makes it difficult to plane. Sapele finishes and glues well. The heartwood is rated as moderately durable and is resistant to preservative treatment. As lumber, sapele is used for furniture and cabinetwork, joinery, and flooring. As veneer, it is used for decorative plywood.
Durability & sustainability
Decay resistance: the Wood Handbook rates Sapele heartwood moderately resistant to fungal decay . Ratings are for heartwood only and the table's own note cautions that resistance varies substantially within a species; treat this as a general indicator, not a guarantee, especially for ground contact. Wood Handbook, Chapter 14: Biodeterioration of Wood (Arango, Lebow, Glaeser), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 14-1. Public domain.
Properties
| Specific gravity | 0.55 |
|---|---|
| Janka hardness (side) | 1,510 lbf |
| Density (air-dry, 12% MC) | 38.4 lb/ft³ (615 kg/m³) ovendry-weight basis: 34.3 lb/ft³ |
| Weight per board foot (air-dry) | 3.2 lb |
| Radial shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 4.6% |
| Tangential shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 7.4% |
| Volumetric shrinkage (green→oven-dry) | 14% |
| T/R ratio (stability indicator) | 1.6 |
Shrinkage is total green-to-oven-dry (Table 4-4); strength values are at 12% MC. Full bases and the derivation formulas are on the methodology page.
Data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), public domain.