TimberCraft Blog

Mangifera Indica (mango tree scientific name) is common in places located in tropical regions of Asia and some parts of Oceania. This type of tree can grow as much as 100 ft. with a diameter of 4 ft. It is primarily grown for its fruits.

However, mango usually stops bearing good fruit after 7 years. When this happens, the tree is cut down, and the wood is used for other purposes.

This wood is mainly used as an alternative to maple and oak. As long as it comes from a good source, it is an excellent wood. Moreover, it’s sustainable because it is the byproduct of the food industry. 

Characteristics

Mango is a hardwood with dense grains. It has enough strength to become a chair or table. However, it’s still soft enough, so you don’t need to use any special tools to work with it.

In detail, here are the characteristics of the mango wood: 

Appearance

Unprocessed mango wood has an outer surface or sapwood that is dark brown. The inner surface or the heartwood is relatively paler in color. Meanwhile, the processed mango wood has a rough and light brown appearance.

Grain

The mango wood appears to have irregular lines with dark spots. These lines and spots constitute what is commonly known as the wood grain. It has a fine but unusual grains.

Rot Resistance

Mango is susceptible to insect and fungal attack. Because of this, it is labelled to be moderately perishable wood.

Work-ability

If there is wild or interlocked grain, the wood might experience a tear out during machining. Wood can also shift while you saw it. Because it has high silica content, it can dull the edges of your cutting tools. 

Toxicity

Is mango wood toxic?

There have been no reports of severe reactions to mango wood. However, it may cause mild skin irritation.

Availability

Hawaii and other Asian countries have a steady supply of this type of wood. These countries sell mango wood in slab form.

What Makes It Special

Mango wood may be considered as a newcomer in the furniture scene. Despite that, it is one of the fastest growing materials used by furniture manufacturers.

Though formerly in the Red List for vulnerable natural materials, mango is no longer listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Thus, the world still has a huge supply of it.

But what makes this wood sustainable is that it is the byproduct of mango fruit. Big oaks like those you find in Europe and North America take 50-100 years to mature. The mango trees, on the other hand, can reach 80-100 feet in just 15 years.

Once the tree is fully mature, you can start harvesting fruits. After it stops bearing fruit altogether, it can be harvested for timber. Then, another generation of mango trees is planted.

Harvesting mango wood does not only give extra income to the farmers, but it also provides furniture-manufacturers a new and affordable material that they can easily work with.

It is strong but lightweight. This makes cutting and assembling easy to do. Its maintenance is also fairly easy.

Over the years, the wood can be stained with natural black, brown, or gray color. However, if you don’t like this natural colors, you’ll also be happy to know that the wood adheres to sanding and staining well.

Facts About Mango Wood

The mango wood is an interesting material. Here are things you probably don’t know about it:

• First of all - its hardness: ranking 1070 on the Janka hardness scale, it is as strong as ash wood and cherry.
• It is water resistant. Thus, you don’t have to worry about spilled water. 
• It is cheaper than other hardwoods because it is widely available.
• It can be a replacement for bamboo due to its slowly increasing usage. Compared to bamboo, however, it is believed to be more reliable.
• A mango tree can grow anywhere easily. And once the wood is harnessed, the quality of the furniture is already guaranteed.
• When you plant a mango tree, you have the opportunity to make use of the wood to make quality furniture. 
• This wood has a unique texture. As mentioned before, processed wood has an unusual grains. This characteristic gives it a unique texture which can be easily worked on.
• It is initially light brown in color. But when you apply any type of coating, it can take different colors and tones. You can use varnish, shellac, or lacquer to finish your furniture made from this wood. 

Mango Wood Furniture

Using mango wood to make furniture has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that it is Eco-friendly. Mango wood is extensively used in Indian Furniture.

When it passes its fruit-bearing stage, it can be cut down to be used in furniture. This process can be repeated throughout the life cycle of a mango tree.

Mango wood will only need less finish due to its fine grain. You do not have to worry about its appearance since it offers a variety of color and texture.

The wood is supplied by many countries in the Asian and Pacific regions. This means that running out of supply is not a problem.

The downside of using mango wood, however, is its susceptibility to fungal and insect attack. Also, furniture made from it is not ideal to be placed outside of the house because it cracks when exposed to the sun and is dehydrated.

Pros and Cons of Mango Wood as per our experience as wooden furniture manufacturer :

Mango  wood is one of the cheaper and most widely available options for solid wood furniture.

Advantages:
Suitable for small pieces of furniture such as side table , coffee table, stands , accent furniture
One of the cheapest options to make a piece of furniture in solid wood

Disadvantages:
Mango wood being a soft wood which is not seasoned long enough is a wood with a lot of moisture content in it. Even though it can be treated with required chemicals, it is prone to get woodworm quiet easily.

Not strong enough for pieces of furniture where large plans are required such wardrobes and beds as can get warped easily .

Due to high moisture the wood can expand and contract a lot with whether change. As mango wood is not very dependable it could be a hit or miss whether the furniture will last you or not so that factor needs to be considered.

At times well seasoned and well treated wood can be durable

Conclusion

Mango wood is a game changer for the furniture industry. Its popularity among furniture makers is steadily increasing. This wood is affordable but gives equal quality to the expensive ones.

With it, you can not only create high-quality furniture, but you can also preserve the beauty of the wood itself. Making something from timber that could otherwise be discarded is one of the best ways you can promote sustainability.