Afrormosia

The sapwood is whitish, narrow and tends to yellow, while the heartwood is yellow-dark brown with darker veins. The texture is quite fine and the grain almost regular. Afrormosia wood is pretty, decorative and was used instead of teak for many years to make Scandinavian-style furniture. The heartwood is relatively hard, compact and easy to work and, after regular polishing, produces a beautiful glossy finish.

It is easy to work even if it has a mild tendency to raise the fibre, especially when the grain is interlocked. When planing, best results are obtained with a cutting angle of 20°. Gluing and polishing pose no problems but the wood tends to split when nailed. It is a very long-lasting wood, so is often used for outdoor constructions, although contact with ferrous materials in damp environments must be avoided to prevent corrosion. Tannins can also cause stains. Afrormosia is used in ship building, floorboards and to make furniture, where it is often used as an alternative to teak as it looks a little like it but has none of its typical oiliness.