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11th June 2014, 05:18 PM #16
Coconut wood?
" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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11th June 2014, 06:41 PM #17SENIOR MEMBER
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Coconut wood certainly complies with RV's eminently sensible rule of thumb that if the tree produces edible nuts etc then it should be OK toxicity wise but coconut wood is really awful to work, it is quite unlike any wood I have worked ever before or since !
I believe it is classified neither as a hard wood nor a soft wood but has it's own palm family designation. If you imagine a soft coffee coloured pulpy Obeche with black strands of rock hard ebony about the size & density of a coarse sweeping brush you'll get an idea.
Maybe on the tropical island where the utensils where made they had no other wood but this would be the only circumstances I could imagine choosing to use it for carving .
Don't get me wrong, it does look highly unusual & decorative , with care it can be turned to good effect but otherwise I'd advise a different choice of timber.
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11th June 2014, 07:16 PM #18GOLD MEMBER
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Guess it depends who your cooking for, a snitchy mother in law for example, try treated pine,laburnum or oleander.
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11th June 2014, 07:37 PM #19
A friend of mine from here told me all about the trials and tribulations of coconut wood. He hates working it but loves the results, and results are what we are after. He is exhibiting at the moment. You can see his C wood piece here "new world". Make no mistake. This is sculpture not furniture. http://www.thechannongallery.com/sto...art/index.html
The on and off structure of coco wood gives it desirable structure for small utility items, a "tensegrity" structure, if you know buckminster fuller.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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12th June 2014, 04:43 AM #20GOLD MEMBER
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This is likely the right time to add another consideration.
I hope that you've looked over my selection of carving tools in Post #7.
Sooner or later, to carve any sort of hollow space, you are going to
need one or more crooked knives. Very practical, versatile
and efficient. In this day and time, they range in price (here) from $17.00 to
$200.00 each, or more.
All of mine (10) follow the Pacific Northwest native carver's general design.
The Scandanavian style is recognizably different.
The third choice is to repurpose a pair of farrier's hook knives, originally intended
for trimming horse hooves. There are 2 pairs in one of my pictures.
Perhaps they should be the substance of an entirely seperate thread.
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12th June 2014, 08:24 AM #21
Thanks RV. A couple more carving tools is on the shopping list, I have a few but I'll need to add to them.
If you find you have dug yourself a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
I just finished child-proofing our house - but they still get inside.
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12th June 2014, 02:06 PM #22GOLD MEMBER
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Well, there are a couple of ways to go.
You should read an old thread "Star's Sharpening Journey."
I'm not apologetic but I did carry on for several pages.
Except for the crooked knives, most everything is unchanged.
To me, that's interesting as I expected that my processes would have
evolved over time but they have not.
Up front, I have spent the past few years attempting to learn the basics of the value of the shape of the crooked knife.
According to the London Pattern Book, there are 'front-bent', 'spoon-bent' and 'tracery-bent' gouges.
A crooked knife gives you all the sweeps from 1 to 9 whithout the restrictions that there's no other use for the tool.
As this seems such an elegant exploration of tools, techniques and woods, what would you like to do next?
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12th June 2014, 09:10 PM #23
I made a wooden spoon from huon pine easy to work and seems to standup to being used OK.
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13th June 2014, 03:10 PM #24
Was at a mates place who showed me carved spoon from the local 'red ash' which has stood up very well. He also said he can source coconut wood from a mates place at Arlie Beach. If I get it I can post you a small sample.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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13th June 2014, 04:28 PM #25GOLD MEMBER
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Movay: you might be a source for coffee wood?
What does it look like inside?
The other stunt with coconut wood would be to use a piece of coconut shell for the blade of the spoon. Don't hold your breath but I have some boxes of parts ready to go.
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13th June 2014, 06:18 PM #26
Coffee wood plain as dish cloth.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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13th June 2014, 06:26 PM #27
Haven't seen very old coffee wood that is constantly coppiced though. That may be good. Coppicing kills them usually here. Coffee as a stain is nice.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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13th June 2014, 07:08 PM #28
Pruned a jaboticaba the other day which I will use for walking sticks. Can keep any off cuts. Tight hard timber with nice close growth. This is 45 mm diameter
rings
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" We live only to discover beauty, all else is a form of waiting" - Kahlil Gibran
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