From this point forward I will refer to M. indica<\/em> as Mango for the sake of common understanding.<\/p>\n Because of the spalting that is commonly present Mango wood can be a kaleidoscope of colors. Under normal circumstances, the heartwood is a golden brown, while other colors such as yellow and streaks of pink and\/or black can also occur. The paler sapwood is not always clearly defined. Curly or mottled grain patterns are also common.<\/p>\n The grain of Mango can be straight or interlocked featuring a medium to coarse texture and good natural luster.<\/p>\n In terms of rot resistance, Mango is rated anywhere from moderately durable to perishable. Mango is susceptible to both fungal and insect attack.<\/p>\n If interlocked or wild grain is present tearout is common when machining. Reaction wood may also be present, which can shift as it is being sawed, potentially causing binding on the blade. Mango has a fairly high silica content, and will readily dull cutting edges.<\/p>\n Mango is reported to glues and finish well.<\/p>\n Mango is not reported to have any characteristic odor, but spalted pieces will smell to varying degrees of decay and rot.<\/p>\n There is a steady supply of Mango from specialty sources, usually from Hawaii, though Asian sources are also common. Mango is sold in board and slab form, as well as craft and instrument blanks. Prices for unfigured boards are in the moderate range for an imported lumber, and it is usually less expensive than Koa, another popular Hawaiian hardwood. Figured boards with curly figure, spalting, and\/or vivid coloration are much more expensive.<\/p>\n In this blog, I almost always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence. These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NC Wood<\/a>, WoodTurningz<\/a>, Amazon Exotic Hardwoods<\/a>, Griffin Exotic Wood<\/a>, Exotic Woods USA<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and Wood Turning Blanks 4U<\/a>.<\/p>\n At this time, two of my favored vendors are offering Mango: Bell Forest Products and Exotic Woods USA. However, neither vendor has bowl blanks in stock, only spindle sizes. I purchased my bowl blanks through eBay from a Hawaiian vendor some years ago. A simple search for “mango turning blanks” is likely to reveal multiple choices of vendor.<\/p>\n Woodfinder<\/a> is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers. In your search for Mango this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings. I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer. I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand. It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n Mango finds use in furniture, ukuleles, veneer, plywood, turned objects, and flooring.<\/p>\n Mango is NOT listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices<\/a> but is it listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature<\/a> as ‘data deficient.”<\/p>\n To the best of my knowledge, the United States government does not place any restrictions on Mango.<\/p>\n I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby. I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n Aside from the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, Mango has been reported to cause skin irritation, which is not usually severe. As always, caution is essential until you are certain you are not sensitive to Mango.<\/p>\n It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.<\/p>\n Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.<\/a><\/p>\n Fortunately, I experienced no significant difficulties while working with Mango.<\/p>\n I found Mango easy to work with, it cut easily but more importantly is cut very clean leaving little sanding work to be done. I made two 5.5″ x 2″ bowls in about an hour which gives you some idea of the ease of working with Mango. My Mango was sold to me as burl wood so wild patterns in the grain were expected but the greatest figure is due to the extensive spalting. The Mango took finish easily although it is a thirsty wood and it soaks up the finish so be sure to add a second coat once the initial layer has dried.<\/p>\n Mango Bowls 5.5 x 2<\/p><\/div>\n I think Mango would make an excellent wood for beginners as it is so easy to turn but I think the pricing might be beyond what a beginner might want to pay with so many other suitable and affordable domestic woods available as well.<\/p>\n All cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool<\/a> system on my Robust American Beauty<\/a> lathe. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck<\/a>, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs from Packard Woodworks<\/a>. Final finish is Shellawax.<\/a><\/p>\n As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I found Mango easy to work with, it cut easily but more importantly is cut very clean leaving little sanding work to be done.\u00a0 I made two 5.5″ x 2″ bowls in about an hour which gives you some idea of the ease of working with Mango.\u00a0 My Mango was sold to me as burl wood so wild patterns in the grain were expected but the greatest figure is due to the extensive spalting.\u00a0 The Mango took finish easily although it is a thirsty wood and it soaks up the finish so be sure to add a second coat once the initial layer has dried.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":3500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[148,154,159,160,168,171,181,183,188,200,230,239,240,241,247],"yoast_head":"\nGeneral Characteristics:<\/h2>\n
Working Characteristics:<\/h2>\n
Pricing and Availability:<\/h2>\n
Common Uses:<\/h2>\n
Sustainability:<\/h2>\n
Health Hazards:<\/h2>\n
My Personal Experiences:<\/h2>\n