Thread: Australian Rosewood

Can't see why not..lovely timber Rosewood..MM

Great furniture timber. Make sure it is free of sap wood.

I have used it for several projects and really like it. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/n...-chest-172207/ and https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/c...rs-wip-136715/

Thank you guys i will be sure to pick my pieces wisely

I've not used a lot of rosewood but one of the great features it seems to possess
is great stability when seasoned properly. So for your purpose it would be ideal.

It's a lovely timber, Looks nice, Smells Great works well.
Biggest problem it has it that it Bleeds Oil.
Don't know where don't know when But it will bleed.


Cheers

Steve

My favorite timber to work with it needs to well seasoned as it will move(cup and split) if not dry. Glue up edges need to be sanded or wiped with solvent before gluing to remove natural oils from surface so the glue can work it's magic the heat from machining brings the oils resin's to the surface thus the need to wipe with abrasive or thinners before gluing. I have a standard lamp with a circular table around the middle of the post and it is starting to bleed through the routed edge to the table which presents as course surface to the edge that will have to be re-sanded, it is now about 10 years old and has recently happened but a sand to this edge and light sand all over to respray is all that is required to bring it back to it's previous glory. The timber is a joy to turn it is so consistent through it's a matter of starting a cut and just leaning on the tool flowing through the material with ease,as stated the fragrance is very pleasant and the timber very consistent in density making it a pleasure to work with for me.
Regards Rod.

Hi B Jones

several years ago I had a large amount of roeswood to get rid of moving to a unit. I spoke to a cabinet maker re the sale to him at the right price his comments were beautiful timber to work but can be heart breaking in cabinet work. It may be stable for years then for no known reason a panel or door may suddenly warp,

cheers Tony

Originally Posted by B Jones

If I want to use Australian Rosewood for a display cabinet would anyone argue against it?

B jones

Beautiful timber - I love it to bits - the colour, the smell and it's workability are fantastic, but I would exercise caution in the design. My theory, which I have tested over many years, is that it doesn't 'bleed' as it would appear, but instead 'out-gases' (for lack of a scientific term) and recondenses as a resinous gum in enclosed spaces. If you build some form of ventilation into your design you shouldn't have any problems.
I first came across this when my old man built a Grandmother clock from it and the movements would gum up within 3 to 4 months. Once I convinced him to cut vents top and bottom, the movement lasted until he passed away and I don't know where the clock ended up. When pulling all the Rosewood stock out of his shed I noticed that anywhere boards had been stacked with only small gaps between them almost always had blobs that looked like somebody had dropped oil on them - but never anything on well exposed surfaces. I've made boxes from it just to see the outcome - blobs of resinous gum on the inside, nothing on the outside which shows bleeding is not the issue. If you doubt my word, check out one of the articles in a recent Wood Review magazine where a pro cabinet-maker used it for a commissioned cabinet and ended up rebuilding it in a different timber when the client started having issues with the internals that he couldn't resolve. Just my theory but I'm sticking to it