What do you think of Meranti?
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I have recently got hold of some meranti, I have mixed feelings about it,
one one hand it can look nicer than sapele and seems easier to plane, on the other it’s very dusty and far more open grained, and quite soft for a hardwood, with quite varied colour, some of the pieces look gray, some of them golden, so a red dye might be needed on it.
I have enough to make an electric guitar and loads more for some furniture, all from an old door that was found in a house clearance given to me for free, so I can’t complain.
What are your thoughts on Meranti?
regards, Ben.
I had to look it up at Woodfinder just to see what it was.
I think here we call it Lauan when we use it in plywood and their are several different types. Here in the U.S. it’s known as a inexpensive subsitute for Mahogany or Philippine Mahogany even though it’s not a true Mahogany.
Like you said it’s free! Have some fun with it and show us what you made with it.
[quote quote=527722]I had to look it up at Woodfinder just to see what it was.
I think here we call it Lauan when we use it in plywood and their are several different types. Here in the U.S. it’s known as a inexpensive subsitute for Mahogany or Philippine Mahogany even though it’s not a true Mahogany.
Like you said it’s free! Have some fun with it and show us what you made with it.[/quote]
thanks Thomas, I am hoping to make the breadboard end chopping board with some of it, and there will still be mountains left over once that’s done, it’s nice to have too much wood for a change, it will keep me busy for ages.
Hi
‘Meranti’ is used generically in South Africa to refer to a few species of hardwood from Indonesia, the Philippinnes, and Malaysia. It’s the predominant hardwood available at big box stores. It generally has an interlocked grain and machines well, so it is used extensively for moulded skirtings and cheap hardwood doors.
The colour variation may be explained by the use of a few different meranti species in one door.
In any case, you should get some good use out of it.
Meranti is widely used as a wood for windows. It’s fairly rot resistant, I think, but as you said it’s soft and will dent easily. I would use it for items which are not touched much like a picture frame or such. I wouldn’t use it in a table or chair or even a cabinet and I didn’t find it easy to turn. It’s relatively lightweight, so if weight is a consideration, it may be useful.
– David
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