I stopped by http://gilmerwood.com/ on my way home Friday and picked up a small plank of African Black Wood. I’ve never worked with it before and am wondering if anyone here has. And if so, if there’s anything I should watch out for. Gilmer sells chunks of this stuff that are reject Clarinet bell blanks. So, I’m assuming it’s got really good turning properties. I don’t intend to do any turning, though. It’s gorgeous… a very dark and rich brown and very heavy.
The board is 5′ long, about 1 1/8″ thick and varies in width but is roughly 5″ wide. It looks like it was part of a wider plank that split down the center. It’s got sapwood on one side and a very jagged edge on the other side and a minor, short split that looks like what I’ve always heard referred to as “wind check” on one end. One of the guys said he’d make me a “Friday Deal” on it at $10 per lb. I presume it normally sells for more than that. But, the bossman came out and after looking it over (there’s also one worm hole in it), decided to sell it to me for $5 per lb. It weighed just over 11 lbs. So, I payed $55 for the board. I’m happy.
This wood is destined for Rain Stick #3. The first one (pics in the Gallery) was Cocobolo and Maple. I’ve still not finished the second one but it’s diagonally curly Maple and I haven’t settled on an accent wood (if any). And this piece of wood is destined to be #3. Which will be the one I get to keep for myself. LOL
This stuff doesn’t look or feel like it’s going to be oily like the Cocobolo was. So, I’m hoping that I don’t have to take any special precautions when gluing it or finishing it… which are really my two main issues that I’m curious about.
“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud” – Sophocles.
Replies
Kevin, African black wood is a rosewood (genus Dalbergia)...as is cocobolo...and it comes with all of the rosewood traits: hard, heavy, strong, stable, decay resistant, fine textured, excellent shaping characteristics, self polishes, making a topical finish optional...And: diifficult to glue due to both its oily extractives and its fine texture/ extreme density, which don't provide a good surface for adhesives and/or some finishes to establish a mechanical bond...It also contains dalbergione, the extractive that is believed to cause allergic reaction for some woodworkers...But if you've worked with cocobolo and not experienced any difficulty, chances are you'll have no problem with African black wood.
...And incidentally, you got a great price on that board. Current retail prices for virtually all of the true rosewoods are going through the roof...and it's difficult to even find it in moderately large dimensions, like the piece you describe.
I don't know about prices there but I have a supplier with a good bit of African Blackwood still around from the '70's selling for $2750 a cubic meter lengths of around 3 meters, 25 to 35 cm wide thicknesses from 4 cm to 10 cm. If I calculate correctly that comes out at about $6.50 a board foot.
Philip
Philip. that's an incredibly good buy...you might even call it an "investment opportunity" worth latching on to.
Yeah you could call it an investment opportunity if there was a market for it here. The palissandro (rosewoods) were in style in the '70's and all kinds of furniture was built out of it including large cabinet work for which it is not very appropriate,as such it got sort of a bad image as a wood. Since that time here it has no market request and the left overs are still in the lumber yards sitting around.No big quantities A cubic meter or two here and there. Anyway I build mostly in European cherry and I picked up a half a cubic meter of the blackwood to use as an ebony subsitiute.I have no use for more than what I already have and wouldn't know where to re-sell any extra.
Nice Idea anyway.
Philip
Philip, it's primary market these days is in musical instrument making...often as a substitute for the even more expensive ebony...fret boards on guitars, etc.
Thanks for the info, Jon.
I had no problems working with the Cocobolo. So, I don't anticipate any allergy problems from the Black Wood. Apparently I inherited the genes for a superb immune system because I don't know any relatives who are allergic to anything at all.
About gluing this stuff... with the Cocobolo Rain Stick I used strips of Maple inbetween. Do you think that provided for stronger glue joints since only one side of the glue joint had any inherent glueing issues? I don't know if you saw the pics I posted of the Rain Stick, but the strips of Cocobolo and Maple were only 1/4" thick where they mated up. I wonder if trying to glue two 1/4" thick strips of Black Wood or any other member of the Rosewood family together would be asking for future joint failure?
Preemptive Karma
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud" - Sophocles.
Kevin, I'm not an expert on adhesives...but as I understand it, you can minimize the risk when gluing rosewood in two ways; first, by rubbing the mating surfaces with a solvent (alcohol, or one of the higher petroleum distillates) just before applying the glue...and/or by applying the glue immediately after the surface has been milled...so that the wood's natural oils don't have a chance to built up on the surface...I've also heard that some adhesives are better than others when dealing with extremely dense and oily woods...but hopefully someone more knowedgeable will join in here and offer some advice on what glues are best.
...As for pairing up maple and rosewood, I'd be a little concerned about the shrinkage differential. Rosewood is exceptionally stable, but maple experiences a lot of movement with changes in humidity...but it sounds like you've gotten away with it.
Thanks, Jon. I'd heard of the solvent trick already, and used it with the Cocobolo. The fresh surface one too. I used a variation that I've read helps and that is to lightly sand the glue surface right before gluing if it's not a freshly milled surface. I used both with the first Rain Stick. So far so good.
Preemptive Karma
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud" - Sophocles.
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