Replies

1. 
   jazzdogg | Apr 04, 2004 03:59am | #1

   Jay,

   If you're a masochist with a healthy checkbook and lots of time, I'd say "go for it."

   Wenge is beautiful, but can be very challenging to work with, and it's pricey. You might be better served, if you're totally hooked on wenge, to apply wenge vener in strategic locations. Personally, I'd try to select a species that's a little less challenging and more straight forward to work with for a project as substantial as a staircase.

   Good luck,

   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

2. 
   UncleDunc | Apr 04, 2004 04:10am | #2

   Sanding 5000 sf of wenge flooring would be quite a lot like working in a coal mine, in terms of black dust.

3. 
   jonsherryl | Apr 04, 2004 04:50am | #3

   Jay, I've got to second Jazz' and Dunc's comments. I think wenge would be a poor choice, not only from the cost and machining perspectives, but also because of it's texture. It is extremely coarse textured and splinter prone for flooring.

   It might look good as the accent wood in a staircase (spindles, etc) in that it is very strong and rigid, but used exclusively, its dark color would have a tendency to give the room a gloomy look.  

1. 
   wundernaloud | Apr 05, 2004 10:08am | #4

   Nasty nasty splinters

4. 
   floman47 | Apr 05, 2004 11:56pm | #5

   I worked on a job last month for one of my clients who was installing 3,000' of 6" Wenge plank and two stair cases.  I made the treads and some curved nosings and reducers for them.  I tested 5 different glues and regular Titbond worked the best.  You need to ware gloves for the splinters!  They finished the floor with Woodline urethane finish.  The house was very modern stile and the floor looked fantastic.

   Jeff in so cal