Replies

1. 
   saschafer | Jun 22, 2009 03:35pm | #1

   African blackwood is related to the rosewoods (same genus). It is dense and brittle, but works reasonably well with ordinary hand tools, although the "shavings" tend to be crumbly rather than silky. I don't think I've ever gotten a splinter from it. It can be planed, but the resulting surface is so shiny that the marks left by the most minute imperfections in the plane iron's edge are visible. Like ebony, it takes a high polish, even without a finish.

   I've used ordinary woodworking glues (e.g., TiteBond II and III) without incident. However, I haven't tried any joinery where the glue joint is under a lot of stress.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   woodshaver | Jun 22, 2009 03:58pm | #3

   thanks saschafer
   thats what I needed to know. I'm going to try playing around with the
   wood todoy,and see what glue works best,your information is most helpfull. thanks mark

2. 
   mike4244 | Jun 24, 2009 03:15am | #4

   I have a 2x6 that I thought might be african blackwood. It was donnage in a load of hardiboard I got. I went to pick it up ,couldn't believe how heavy it was. Bone dry a 10'-0 2x6 seemed to weigh at least 100lbs. Took it home and cut it in half on a 12" dewalt mitersaw. This was slow cutting to say the least. Very dark brown, very dense and shiny. The only thing I have done with it so far is turn a couple of things on the lathe. I am an experienced turner, had to stop and regrind the tools about every 5 minutes. The finish off the gouge was perfect,no other tools,sandpaper or even burnishing needed.I have tried to find out what it is but every one has a different opinion. This wood is much heavier than Ipe or Teak, a couple of woods that I am familiar with that are heavy.

   When I get a chance Ill take a picture and post it.

   mike

1. 
   saschafer | Jun 24, 2009 03:39am | #5

   African blackwood is hard and heavy, but pretty easy to work, so that doesn't sound like what you've got. And a piece as large as you describe would be all but unheard of, since the trees tend to be multi-trunked and rather gnarly. The longest piece I've ever seen was about five feet long, and only about six inches wide (including some of the ivory-colored sapwood). It's usually cut into relatively short billets (generally three feet or less) for musical instruments and the like. Also, it comes primarily from parts of Africa (mostly Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique) that aren't a major source of lumber or manufactured goods, so it seems unlikely that it would have been used as packing material. Something from southeast Asia seems much more probable. There are several species of ebony (Diospyros) in eastern Asia and Australasia; it might be one of those.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   mike4244 | Jun 24, 2009 03:59am | #7

   Thanks for your reply Steve, I was told it may be ebony, but others did not think so. One thing everyone agreed on, not a domestic variety.

   mike

2. 
   Lataxe | Jun 22, 2009 03:54pm | #2

   Mark,

   I use African blackwood for small details, as you mention: plugs, small pulls, plugs for breadboard end details and similar.  It's unusual to find it in large pieces or long lengths but a chunk of the stuff lasts a long while, if used for those things.

   Traditionally the wood is used for musical instruments: clarinets, bagpipes and similar.  I don't recall ever seing objects made of blackwood any bigger than these things. It's a small tree and very slow-growing.

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   It glues with yellow glue, no problem.  Care is needed when working it as it's very brittle - easy to knock off a corner or have a piece fall in two if the tool is applied too vigorous-like or is not properly sharp.  Then comes the super glue.

   It takes a fine finish - up to 400 grit or more in sanding will make it ulta-smooth and shiney.  Oil or just wax brings out the colours - often very black but also bits of purple, chocolate or even mustard in some bits.  That super-black is the best-looking though, especially when highly polished.  But you can also leave it with a surface to match the surrounding wood by sanding with a coarser grit.

   Here are some pics of  a G&G desk I made using African Blackwood plugs with a deliberately "hand-made" look.

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   Lataxe

1. 
   Barrie2777 | Jun 24, 2009 03:52am | #6

   You said I teased you with photos of my G & G cabinets, now you tease us with partials of your G & G . Perhaps since I am a late comer to this site , they were posted earlier??? I would like to ask if the spline for the breadboard end is typically this thickness or did I miss the "boat" when detailing my cabinet with a much thinner spline?I also used African blackwood for detailing and found it easy to use and glue.

   Edited 6/23/2009 8:54 pm ET by Barrie2777

1. 
   Lataxe | Jun 24, 2009 11:05am | #8

   Barrie,

   There's a harticle about that G&G desk here:

   http://www.wkfinetools.com/tUsing/art/green&Green/g&green1.asp

   As to the splines, their thickness was determined by the thickness of the breadboard end tongues, which is about 1/2" as I recall.  That dimension was in turn determined by construction/strength considerations rather than any desired "look". I think your thinner splines are probably more in keeping with many original G&G pieces.

   Some G&G enthsiasts like to make reproductions of the original pieces, which is a perfectly legitimate approach.  Pesonally I like to use the motifs and construction details of a style to inform my own "design", which usually consists of simple form-follows-function parameters or "has to fit in this space" constraints, rather than a true design.  I don't spend hours trying to achieve sophisticated details, perfect proportions or other designer-style improvements.  I am a lazy boy. :-)

   But this lazy attitude means that the style sometimes gets compromised, as with those thicker splines and also with the perhaps too thin rear stretcher.

   In the end the question is: does it look a well-proportioned and integrated piece.  I hope that desk does, despite it's deviation form pure G&G and a lack of designer-style sculpti-precision.

   ****

   Incidentally, here is a fine instrument (not musical, although it does make a nice sound in use) in which the wooden parts are made from African blackwood.  This is a fine tool made by our very own Philip Marcou and is now safely ensconced in my tool set, where it must be locked up so the ladywife cannot use it as a beautiful hornament.

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   Lataxe.