Thread: lignum vitae

S'pose to be the "Rolles Royce" of wood for turning isn't it. Also s'pose to be hard. And hard to get as well. (None left in the bush aparently.) :hmm Might have a few jealous woodturners here soon.

Bob,

nah its useless, grain structure is woeful, colour non existent, better give it to me

Hard, takes a polish like you would not believe, can be a little dull depending on how old the tree is and where it was grown and it turns like plastic.Great stuff, you'll love it.

thanks for that i got a bit today about 700long by about 200 thick.bob

Lucky bugger !

Originally Posted by tea lady

S'pose to be the "Rolles Royce" of wood for turning isn't it. Also s'pose to be hard. And hard to get as well. (None left in the bush aparently.) :hmm Might have a few jealous woodturners here soon.

Very!


Bob - is it the one that grows only in the SouthEast corner that development is wiping out????

yes vern i think so .....bob

Awesome! Found this on woodfinder.com:
COMMON NAMES: Lignum vitae, Guayacan, Palo santo, ironwood

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 1.05
DENSITY: 77 - 82 lbs./cu.ft.
TANGENTIAL MOVEMENT: 2.5%
RADIAL MOVEMENT: n/a%
VOLUMETRIC SHRINKAGE: n.a%
DURABILITY: Exceptional resistance to moisture and fungal attack
SOURCE: West Indes, Central America, northern South America DESCRIPTION: One of the hardest and heaviest woods (three times as hard as oak), lignum vitae is most commonly used for mallet heads, bearings and rollers. Because of its durability and natural lubricants, it is the preferred wood for propeller bushings and other underwater applications. The lignum vitae tree generally grows to a diameter of about 12", although historically, trees in the 18" - 30" range have been known.

Lignum vitae is reddish brown when freshly cut, with pale yellow sapwood. As it oxidizes, the color turns to a deep green, often with black details. The grain is highly interlocked, making it difficult to work with edge tools, but it machines well and takes a high polish. It is a remarkably good wood for turning. A similar species, known as Maracaibo lignum vitae (Bulnesia arboria), which grows in Venezuela and northern South America, is similar in properties and appearance and is sometimes substituted for genuine lignum vitae.

I had a small piece which was a very drab olive colour. Barely big enough for a pen blank, I tossed up whether to cut it up for use as finials or make a pen. I wasn't too impressed with the colour and decided that ebony (or ebonised woods) would make for better finials, so a pen it became.

I'm still not overly rapt with the final colour, but it was a joy to turn and took a brilliant polish. I really, really wish I'd gone the other way and saved it for finials though, as it kept such wonderfully crisp details & lines. {sigh] Isn't hindsight wonderful?

Is Aus. Lignum the one of the same species of tree as the neotropical?
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...um%20vitae.htm

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It has a nice citrus aroma when you work it.
Have a look here http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...s/verawood.htm
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Also known as Satinwood - this would be the culprit - premna lignum-vitae or vitex lignum-vitae - the lads are still arguing over which pigeon-hole to drop it in.

Bob - Dead-Finish should be just about on the doorstep (wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)

arrived today thanks vern, will send you one now (assortment).............bob

Bob wear protective gear when working it as it is one of the nasty ones to get into your system but very pretty and if dry will take a magic shine Regards Wally

Was watching something on TV the other day and discovered that old lawn bowls were made from LV.

woodcutta

Originally Posted by woodcutta

Was watching something on TV the other day and discovered that old lawn bowls were made from LV.

woodcutta

Yep - I have my dear old mum lookin' out for some with her crowd but no luck so far.