What is this stuff good for? I scored a small log of it from my parents’ neighbors. The size limits it to anything but maybe a tool or knife handle or some kind of small decorative thing. It’s harder than the gates of that hot place and dry as all getout – been sitting in the sun for who knows how long.
But it’s beautiful stuff seen from the cut end end grain.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
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Replies
Dennis,
You could always try a tool or knife handle or some kind of small decorative thing.
[ducking]
Rich
Wow! Thanks to everyone for the info; Especially Rich for the innovative uses to which the stuff could be put! (grin)
Jamie - once I get up and running making handles for the new kitchen cabinets with it, I'll know where to look for some more if I run short....-haha
Jon - Appreciate your input as usual.
Arrow heads? Guess I could always go out to my machinist brother's place to turn the knobs or whatever.
But seriously, I've got a friend who made a set of bagpipes out of blackwood. He said he actually did have to machine the material using carbide metal turning tools. Given that this desert ironwood is not *that* hard, but hard none the less, woujld HSS edges be 'reasonable' for trying to work it? Does anyone make carbide edged chisels or gouges for use on a wood late?
Sometimes, with a limited, small piece like I've got, I can imagine what a diamond cutter must go through trying to plan how to cleave the stone from rough to finished gem.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Cool! And Rich was so kind to give you some helpful ideas, LOL! I have an actual log of ironwood. About 2-1/2' long and around 10" in diameter. Know what you mean about heavy.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Ironwood? Is this the same as lignum vitae??Does ironwood float? Lignum vitae doesn't.
silver
Lignum vitae is not the same is desert ironwood. There are a dozen or more species of trees that are called ironwood in the US. Another one that comes to mind, besides lignum vitae and desert ironwood, is hop hornbeam. There was an article about different ironwoods in FWW some years ago. Perhaps Jon Arno can give us a quick list.
Edited 10/1/2002 5:36:11 AM ET by Uncle Dunc
if it's real Arizona desert ironwood it could be some blinding stuff! maybe ten or fifteen years ago that was the hot scale (handle) material in the ultra-high-end custom knifemaking trade. back then i remember seeing pieces that made the best rosewood look like pine. incredible colors and figure- grain about as hard and fine as ivory. the really good stuff was selling for as much as $40-50 per pair of bookmatched slabs, about 1.5"w x 4"l x at most .375" thick- what's that work out to per board foot? of course, it's not all like that and you can only get it in little pieces but it would be great for accents or pulls and knobs. can't say how it is to work with- knifemakers are typically machinists, grinders and sanders- not woodworkers in the traditional sense of sawing, planing, turning or carving. but i will say, done right, ironwood will take a phenomenal polish and finish- like glass. good luck and have fun.
mitch
Hey Dunc, there's nothing quick about a list of the world's "ironwoods"...but anyway, I think the one being discussed here is Olneya tesota. It's a member of the Legume family (Leguminosae) native to extreme southern California, Arizona and northwestern Mexico. There's only the one species in this genus and it's typically more of a bush than a tree. The wood is extremely hard, heavy and durable. In fact, it's so hard that it used to be used by the local Indians for making arrowheads.
Oh I wasn't expecting world ironwoods, just US ironwoods. :)
The article I mentioned was in FWW #107. I thought you might be able to access the text in electronic format, whereas I would have to find my copy and laboriously transcribe the species into the message composition window. ;)
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