---
title: "Mahogany — density, melting point and properties"
description: "Mahogany has a density of 590 kg/m³ (500–660). Melting point, strength, conductivity, what it is used for, and whether it floats, rusts or is magnetic."
url: https://atoneplace.net/material/mahogany/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Mahogany

**Density of mahogany: 590 kg/m³ (500–660)**

0.59 g/cm³ · 36.8 lb/ft³

Genuine Honduran mahogany combines rot resistance, near-perfect dimensional stability and easy working, a combination almost nothing else offers, which is why it defined furniture and boat building for two centuries. It is now CITES-listed and largely replaced by sapele, khaya and meranti, all sold as "mahogany" and none of them the same material. Check which species you are buying, because the substitutes move more and work less pleasantly.

## Properties

- **Density:** 590 kg/m³ (500–660) — 0.59 g/cm³
- **Young's modulus:** 10.3 GPa
- **Floats in water:** Yes
- **Magnetic:** No

## What it is used for

- Boat building and hull planking
- Guitar bodies and necks
- Period furniture and reproduction work
- Interior panelling and doors

## How it compares

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.*

- air: 1.2 kg/m³
- expanded polystyrene foam: 20 kg/m³
- rigid polyurethane foam: 40 kg/m³
- mahogany: 590 kg/m³
- Water — the float line: 1,000 kg/m³
- tungsten: 19,250 kg/m³
- gold: 19,300 kg/m³
- platinum: 21,450 kg/m³

*Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.*

| Material | Density | Relative to water |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rigid polyurethane foam | 40 kg/m³ | 0.04× |
| expanded polystyrene foam | 20 kg/m³ | 0.02× |
| air | 1.2 kg/m³ | 0.00× |
| mahogany ← | 590 kg/m³ | 0.59× |
| platinum | 21,450 kg/m³ | 21.45× |
| gold | 19,300 kg/m³ | 19.30× |
| tungsten | 19,250 kg/m³ | 19.25× |

## Does it rust?

Mahogany contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

## Is it magnetic?

Mahogany is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Common questions

### What is the density of mahogany?

590 kg/m³ (500–660), or 0.59 g/cm³.

### Does mahogany float?

Yes. At 590 kg/m³ it is less dense than water's 1,000.

### Is mahogany magnetic?

Mahogany is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

## Related pages

- [Does mahogany float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/mahogany/)
- [Pine](https://atoneplace.net/material/pine/)
- [Plywood](https://atoneplace.net/material/plywood/)
- [MDF](https://atoneplace.net/material/mdf/)
- [White oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/white-oak/)
- [Red oak](https://atoneplace.net/material/red-oak/)
- [Balsa](https://atoneplace.net/material/balsa/)
- [Spruce](https://atoneplace.net/material/spruce/)
- [Western red cedar](https://atoneplace.net/material/cedar/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)