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tea lady
23rd April 2009, 01:05 AM
WHY is it so ......... swooned over? Its just brown. And its a PITA to turn cos it has tear out easily. Is all finicky if it gets hot when you are sanding it. And then gives you bad lungs. :shrug: So why do people seem to like it so much? :doh:

DJ’s Timber
23rd April 2009, 01:12 AM
Probably because if you persevere with it you can get one that looks absolutely magic, such as this one turned by me some 6 yrs or so ago

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56868&d=1191140260

tea lady
23rd April 2009, 01:19 AM
? Can't see the pic DJ. :C

DJ’s Timber
23rd April 2009, 01:21 AM
? Can't see the pic DJ. :C

Log onto www.woodworkforums.com and you'll see it :;

Grumpy John
23rd April 2009, 08:09 AM
Probably because if you persevere with it you can get one that looks absolutely magic.....................


I'm with DJ. :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:
You're right about the tearout TL, but if it was easy you wouldn't appreciate it when you turned a spekky bowl like the one DJ did.

ElizaLeahy
23rd April 2009, 08:18 AM
Some might be nice, but all the bits I've had are pretty dull. Lots of timber in the world, it's just not one of the nicest!

echnidna
23rd April 2009, 08:30 AM
all fancy timber is over rated,

that's why its dearer than crapiata :cool:

artme
23rd April 2009, 08:37 AM
Like all timbers there are interesting pieces and dull pieces and then there are pieces to die for. Some of the most spectacular grain I've see has been in pieces of Blackwood.

hughie
23rd April 2009, 08:56 AM
dunno about bowls etc. But most flooring is very ordinary, so much so I dont even consider it these days.

But as to bowls I think as turners we look for figure and therefore pick timber to suit our likes etc. Where as flooring its some many sqm paid for and delivered.


By and large its not high on my list of timbers to turn

Rattrap
23rd April 2009, 09:20 AM
I love the look of blackwood myself tho i do agree its a real pain to work with. As u said it tears out easy, its hard on your lungs & blackwood splinters fester up really badly. But i still use it regularly. The grain is awesome, the various colours u get in the 1 piece of timber is excellent & with a nice shellac finish u get the most beautiful golden glows out of it.
Wash your mouth out Tea Lady:D

rsser
23rd April 2009, 09:42 AM
As Artme says, it varies.

The chatoyance in some bits I've turned is eye-popping.

As for tear-out, that's what good technique is for.

Tiger
23rd April 2009, 10:58 AM
I've seen some spectacular results with Blackwood. There is some perseverance involved but it is worth it. Tear out is minimised with good technique but turning a lot of it is hard on the lungs.

NeilS
23rd April 2009, 03:21 PM
It does vary a bit TL, as most good turning woods do. Perhaps you just ended up with some dull stuff.

As others have said it can be quite specy at times, like the attached example. I quite like Blackwood whenever I can get it, as it is one of the better native timbers in my local area.

Hadn't noticed any more tear-out than many other species, but then, others may not think my finish meets muster...:)

Neil

Skew ChiDAMN!!
23rd April 2009, 03:21 PM
If you ever come across a piece of heavily fiddle-backed Blackwood, you'll change your mind, AM. :D

It's the end-grain that's chatoyant so if the piece isn't figured you need to turn a form that reveals at least as much end-grain as it does long-grain.

ie. A platter, or shallowly dished bowl isn't usually a good choice for "plain" Blackwood.

Woodwould
23rd April 2009, 04:05 PM
When I first arrived in this country, I visited Museum Victoria and there spied an ugly piece of furniture made from some incredibly beautiful Blackwood. On the strength of what I saw and 'While in Rome...' and all that, I ordered some fiddleback Blackwood from Adams Timber (out at Coldstream) and made myself a dining table from it. I was so disapointed with the finished article that I sold it within a month of making it. Maybe I bought a bad lot.

I restored a panelled fiddleback Blackwood hall in a large house in Melbourne some years later. It was quite spectacular, but was very old timber.

On the whole, I just don't get it. DJ's bowl is the only nice bit of 'new' Blackwood I've seen. From what I have seen of it, its iconic status was probably deserved of older, mature timber, but I think there are numerous currently available species that are better working and finish better. Just my two cents worth.

44Ronin
23rd April 2009, 04:15 PM
Blackwood varies from a golden brown to a chocolate brown. It also tends to have interesting streaks, and a reddish tint.

It can be plain grained but interesting with pieces that are sawn that reveal the radial surface of the log and blackwood has a lovely figure when sawn to reveal the tangential surface of the log. So you have nice straight grained varieties of blackwood and you have lovely wavy grained varieties of blackwood.

It's medium hard density.It's reliably hard. It's not necessarily a heavy wood, but it is solid, stable and dependable.

Because it looks good, similar to koa, it's in vogue as an alternative to koa.

Accoustically, it is a very popular timber because it sounds great in accoustic guitars and for stave drums. It makes for full bodied and warm sounding instruments. It looks great, a nice and warm aesthetic.

http://images-2.redbubble.net/img/art/size:xlarge/view:main/2614055-2-fidock.jpg

http://www.celticguitartalk.com/assets/guitars/heinerd/images/heinerd.jpg


Like it or not, all in all, it's a classic timber that deserves its status. I think it's fantastic.

I cannot understand how someone could call it "boring".....the colour variation, the tint, the individual streaks on each piece.....makes it such a varied, interesting species.

echnidna
23rd April 2009, 05:08 PM
The nicest blackwood seems to come from dead trees

mic-d
23rd April 2009, 05:13 PM
The nicest blackwood seems to come from dead trees

Yes, I get all my blackwood from dead trees, just as all my steaks come from dead beasts:D

Cheers
Michael

Rattrap
23rd April 2009, 07:25 PM
Maybe i'm spoiled when it comes to blackwood, Tassie blackwood is some of the nicest of the strain i've seen.

steck
23rd April 2009, 10:29 PM
Thanks to RSSER I've learned a new word today : Chatoyance.
And I've got to agree!
I love an interesting piece of blackwood.
I've got a couple of trees drying in my shed and a blackwood kitchen.

springwater
23rd April 2009, 10:54 PM
Have to throw my heart into the ring for Blackwood. It can hold some fiery gold figure amongst its dark. Here's some from a bag I keep for a rainy day :-

103131
Bit of blur, lots of flash, fresh from a bucket of water
103132
Ah, a bit of blur but look...at...the...Blackwood, some with a bit of sap wood which borers love!
103133
Sfumato sap wood nose:U

Claw Hama
23rd April 2009, 11:21 PM
:inlove:I think blackwood is one of the best timbers, similar to Australian Cedar but with a lot more interest. It has the most fantastic glow to it. Grain direction and inside or outside rings sometimes have a huge effect on the look and no doubt there is some plain stuff around too. Here are a few pieces I have used.

thefixer
23rd April 2009, 11:38 PM
Are you serious? This is irony in its finest form. This very day I turned a bowl from some blackwood . This is just a leftover from a piece that is currently glued up and clamped ready for another masterpiece:rolleyes: This particular stock came from a dead tree that i felled myself at BILs place in Tolme. The trick with blackwood is to take 3 or 4 cuts and then visit the grinder:oo: Tools must be very sharp at all times and take the last cut immediately after a visit to the grinder. Oh. and don't use scrapers on blackwood, sheer cuts only. I love turning this stuff. Once the technique is right it is fantastic to turn and sanding is kept to minimum.

I've included two pictures of the bowl and one of the curlies to show how important it is to keep your tool sharp. The whole job was done inside and outside with a 3/8" deep flute bowl gouge.

Cheers
Shorty

KevM
23rd April 2009, 11:46 PM
Blackwood has an inner glow as you move around it, the depth and colour changes.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=42151&d=1174048315 (http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=42151&d=1174048315)

tea lady
23rd April 2009, 11:50 PM
Have to throw my heart into the ring for Blackwood. It can hold some fiery gold figure amongst its dark. Here's some from a bag I keep for a rainy day :-

103131
Bit of blur, lots of flash, fresh from a bucket of water
103132
Ah, a bit of blur but look...at...the...Blackwood, some with a bit of sap wood which borers love!
103133
Sfumato sap wood nose:U

So! Hearts coming along nicely then.:cool:

tea lady
23rd April 2009, 11:58 PM
:D

So apart from the lovely colours, the figure and the feel, what has Blackwood done for us?:rolleyes:

I'd just spent the day struggling with quite a beautiful bowl. (If I don't say so myself.:cool: ) Twas a laminated bit cunningly disguised as an old grey lump is the "outside wood pile" at Knox Woodworkers Club. Did the ol' "Just a bit more off there" and have a big catch. But it still ended up pretty close to what I visualized. I guess now you want to see a pic. Sorry. Still have 'puter problems. So you'll have to imagine.:q:D

BobL
24th April 2009, 12:08 AM
So apart from the lovely colours, the figure and the feel, what has Blackwood done for us?:rolleyes:

Don't forget the sound (it makes wonderful sounding guitar backs)

BobL
24th April 2009, 12:11 AM
Blackwood has an inner glow as you move around it, the depth and colour changes.

That has a technical term, it's called called "Chatoyance" it normally applied to gemstones but I reckon BW is a bit of a gem.

tea lady
24th April 2009, 12:19 AM
Don't forget the sound (it makes wonderful sounding guitar backs)

......and the sound!!:rolleyes:
:D

Sebastiaan56
24th April 2009, 08:41 AM
I reckon Tassie Backwood is the bees knees....,

Woodwould
24th April 2009, 10:17 AM
That's nice looking stuff, but very cold looking. Inj my opinion it looks much better warmed up a little.

springwater
24th April 2009, 10:12 PM
So! Hearts coming along nicely then.:cool:

Not really:(

tea lady
24th April 2009, 11:40 PM
That's nice looking stuff, but very cold looking. Inj my opinion it looks much better warmed up a little.With what? A match? :devil: :rofl:


Not really:( Bit slow?:? They look nice though.:cool:


I reckon Tassie Backwood is the bees knees....,Hmm! :think: They could look like that under a microscope I guess.:p

:stirthepot:
:D

Woodwould
25th April 2009, 10:37 AM
Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by Woodwould http://image-mirror.cyanide.com.au/woodworkforums/images/button2/viewpost.gif (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=942442#post942442)
That's nice looking stuff, but very cold looking. Inj my opinion it looks much better warmed up a little.
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

With what? A match? :devil: :rofl:

If that's what works for you, OK, but for me, a little orange dye would really bring it to life.

Tex B
25th April 2009, 12:31 PM
Kind of brittle, lots of tear out, a real challenge to work with. I'm starting a blackwood table at the moment, and share the frustrations.

I don't know how to turn, so can't comment on that although the pics on this thread look amazing.

But with a little luck and perseverance, it can really come up a treat. I love it!


Tex

Rattrap
25th April 2009, 01:13 PM
Plus blackwood goes so nice with huon pine.....

tea lady
25th April 2009, 08:43 PM
Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by Woodwould http://image-mirror.cyanide.com.au/woodworkforums/images/button2/viewpost.gif (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=942442#post942442)
That's nice looking stuff, but very cold looking. Inj my opinion it looks much better warmed up a little.
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>


If that's what works for you, OK, but for me, a little orange dye would really bring it to life.

:D Must try that. I put some "liquid nightmare" on a test piece and it looked like black velvet. Must give that a go on a bigger piece too.:cool:

springwater
25th April 2009, 09:29 PM
:D Must try that. I put some "liquid nightmare" on a test piece and it looked like black velvet. Must give that a go on a bigger piece too.:cool:

Liquid nightmare on Blackwood, mmm, going through a dark stage TL :rolleyes: As for oranges and lemons, the bells of St. Clemens :rolleyes:

tea lady
25th April 2009, 11:21 PM
Liquid nightmare on Blackwood, mmm, going through a dark stage TL :rolleyes: As for oranges and lemons, the bells of St. Clemens :rolleyes:

Black is the new black. :cool:

Why else would it be called blackwood anyway. :blond::p

springwater
26th April 2009, 12:46 AM
No wonder the Liquid Nightmare and Blackwood combo produced black velvet, Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) was used for tanning leather. In Melbourne the toxic waste from Tanneries used to be allowed to flow into the Yarra around Collingwood I think, just thought you needed to know that :-

tea lady
26th April 2009, 02:07 AM
No wonder the Liquid Nightmare and Blackwood combo produced black velvet, Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) was used for tanning leather. In Melbourne the toxic waste from Tanneries used to be allowed to flow into the Yarra around Collingwood I think, just thought you needed to know that :-

Oh! Thanks.:D I don't live near there anymore.:p

69Guitars
26th April 2009, 04:13 AM
Blackwood is great for guitars, fiddleback blackwood that is. I don't know about tables or bowls, I haven't played any in years...!!!:doh:

Calm
26th April 2009, 08:43 AM
No wonder the Liquid Nightmare and Blackwood combo produced black velvet, Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) was used for tanning leather. In Melbourne the toxic waste from Tanneries used to be allowed to flow into the Yarra around Collingwood I think, just thought you needed to know that

That helps to explain their football team and supporters:p:rolleyes::doh::o

As to the subject, i read this as a descreet ploy by a woman to obtain free wood - yeah well if it's better give me some to prove it:no::roll::doh: gotta read the female psychic into it :wink::rolleyes::D Cunning ploy AM but it didnt fool me:no::no:

Cheers

tea lady
26th April 2009, 10:33 AM
As to the subject, i read this as a descreet ploy by a woman to obtain free wood - yeah well if it's better give me some to prove it:no::roll::doh: gotta read the female psychic into it :wink::rolleyes::D Cunning ploy AM but it didnt fool me:no::no:

Cheers
Dang! He's onto me.:C:doh:

:D

Allan at Wallan
26th April 2009, 08:02 PM
In summarizing:

Blackwood and a blonde turner .... interesting mix. :cool::D

Allan

tea lady
26th April 2009, 11:35 PM
In summarizing:

Blackwood and a blonde turner .... interesting mix. :cool::D

Allan:C Seem to be more grey than blond these days. I wonder if my former talent will return if I dye my hair? :think: :rolleyes::D

Afro Boy
11th May 2009, 03:19 PM
If that's what works for you, OK, but for me, a little orange dye would really bring it to life.

What's orange dye? We're using blackwood in the hall table course I'm doing so when it comes to finishing it, would be nice to have some options to try out.

Thx,
Af.

Woodwould
11th May 2009, 03:35 PM
Since this is U-Beaut's forum, you could use one of the U-Beaut dyes (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/dye.html).