Mahogany substitute

[Dr PR]

I am modeling a wooden minesweeper. Most of the ship was made of Douglas fir - timbers, planking, plywood, etc. However, it had a lot of mahogany trim.

 

 

The doors, windows, door frames, window frames and quite a bit of other parts were made of mahogany.

 

I only need a small amount of wood for the trim, and I can't cut my own scale lumber. So my question is what other more common woods would make a good substitute?

 

Should I use a common wood and try to stain it to look like mahogany?

 

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

[Gregory]

Do you have any pear?

 

If not, I could experiment with some of my scrap and see how it looks?  Cherry might also be a good candidate.

Edited July 16 by Gregory

[Jim Lad]

Phil,

 

you may be able to find some bits of veneer sheet that are close in colour to the mahogany.

 

John

[Tony Hunt]

The steamed Swiss pear that lots of specialty modelmaking wood suppliers have is very reddish and very fine-grained. Harold Hahn used it for the inner faces of the bulwarks on his model of the Oliver Cromwell for that reason. I think it would be a good mahogany substitute, you should be able to get it in veneer sheets or scale lumber dimensions.

[Dr PR]

Thanks for the tips. I do have a small amount of pear I can experiment with that was left over from the laser cut sheets in the Vanguard 18 ft cutter kit.

 

I'll look for the steamed Swiss pear, but I will need only a few pieces.

[paul ron]

just stain whatever wood you are using to look like redish mahogony. 

 

 

[Dr PR]

I have basswood, boxwood and cherry. I have had horrible results trying to stain basswood, so that is out.

 

It would be nice if I could stain boxwood. It carves nicely, and the doors have some detailing grooves like something you would see on indoor doors in a nice house.

 

I  might also order cherry if I don't have enough for the two or three doors I want to be open.

 

On the inside of the doors the mahogany was varnished and the grooves were painted white. It would be a nice detail on the open doors.

 

Because of these grooves, and the fact that I don't have a milling machine, I may build up each door from seven pieces with beveled edges where appropriate. The doors are small (1.3" x 058", or 33 mm x 1.47 mm), but large enough that I should be able to make them.

[manning16]

Dr PR-  I have a lot of mahogany,, a Cuban Mahogany tree came down   in my neighbor's yard..brought two trunk loads home  to NY.. What size  and quantity do you need? I can cut some for you..   I have a Byrnes saw and thickness sander  let me know.. John Coryea   (Manning16)  was my dog.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  we have an antique drop-leaf table (mostly mahogany) with one piece on the frane is cherry stained mahogany - and it looks convincing.  Note that it isw heartwood cherry - not sap wood.

[Dr PR]

Thanks for the suggestions and offers. I'll try using the cherry and boxwood I have. If that doesn't work I may take you up on your offers.

[Dr PR]

Pear wood stained with Varathane "Gunstock" color wood stain produces a nice reddish "mahogany" color.

 

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