Thread: Solomons Ebony

Not worthless could send it to me for pen blanks
or even keep it and use for finials

Hi

I got my 45 x 45mm x 400mmish solomons ebony at the sydney ww show and and have started to turn a handle for my new Thompson 3/4 U-gouge. It was a bit of an experience, boy is that stuff hard...

My tools were just a bit less sharp than optimal when I started, and trying to rough the square blank down with my skew chisel would just bite bits out of it...bits of ebony flying everywhere....good that I was wearing my full face shield..

Mmmmmm...try the roughing gouge. Slightly better, but not much.

OK, sharpened the skew and the roughing gouge to razor sharp and the skew was then a bit better, but still a bit risky. So finished off shaping to round with the roughing gouge which went better. Still the occasional bit of ebony flying off!!

Shaped the handle to a form that suited me with a sharp 1/2" gouge and the yet still handle-less Thompson 3/8" detail gouge which a went reasonable well, but slow..

I was not happy with the finish off the tool, so used a couple of scrapers. Then ended with the static sander going through all the grades to about 250 I think, which after oiling and waxing did give it a nice finish.

I still have to find/make/buy a ferule, fit it and drill a massive 3/4" hole to fit the gouge...and need to make a steady for this job, which will be my next adventure....

All in all, I found the solomons ebony to be a difficult wood to work with (ie hard and brittle, and very heavy), but with perserverence does finish up nicely.
Cheers

Pic would be good; a rolls royce handle it must be!

I find it easier to drill the hole for the shank first up. You can be sure it's centred then.

I bought some small pieces at the Brisbane WWW and have made a couple of pens without any splitting problems. The pieces I bought were so small though that I think they would probably have been fairly dry.

Originally Posted by rsser

Pic would be good; a rolls royce handle it must be!

I find it easier to drill the hole for the shank first up. You can be sure it's centred then.

Yes, I normally drill the hole first also, but did not have a suitble bit at the time....and was keen to get started turning the ebony. I'll post a photo once I've finished the handle.

It does look a bit like a rolls royce handle, but the wood only cost me nine bucks, should have bought a few blanks.

Cheers

Originally Posted by rsser

Pic would be good; a rolls royce handle it must be!

Oh well, thanks for encouraging me....... just went back into me shed and more or less finished it off. The 3/4" hole was done with a spade bit in a handheld drill, went reasonably well. I haven't epoxied it in yet as I need to finish the ferule yet. After turning the ebony has lightened up slightly, but accordingto the guy I bought the blank from it should darken again over time.
Cheers

OK, I guess that even the bits will be useful. I didn't have any trouble with the roughing down, it cut quite well and finished well off the tool, probably because it was so wet. I'll leave it longer to dry out next time. There will be a next time because I quite like the look of the stuff. It was a bit brown rather than black when first cut, but it's darkened up since.
Cheers
Graeme

Hi Graeme,

I've recently bought some Solomon Ebony, haven't turned any yet, so I can't speak on how it is from experience. Have had some sliced up and sanded to thickness for box making, it is stickered and clamped for drying at the moment but it looks fantastic.

One piece of advice that the guy who sells it gave me on turning a block, because I bought 100x100x100mm cube to turn into a bowl or box.

His advice was make sure you turn it to completion, inside and out on the same day otherwise, as its such a dense timber, even though it is quite dry, it will still need to adjust and if you only turn the outside without turning the inside, it'll be more prone to cracking. He was quite certain if you turn the inside and outside, then its more likely to survive. If you don't, then there was a high chance of it becoming key ring blanks.

As I said, I've never worked with this timber before, and as I'm really new to turning, I can only go on the advice he has given me.

Thought I might pass it on, it might help others.

-Gavin

Thanks Gavin, I had come to that conclusion myself. I'll give it another go soon - have to get some more ebony first.
Cheers
Graeme

If you want it to go real dark (black) after finishing but before any seal,oil or polish is applied put it in a box wit a rag soaked in amonia and leave it for a few days My tools are still recovering from attacking a bit from the SWWW I think the next bit might get turned on the metal lathe........

Hate to tell you guys, but Solomon Islands ebony, aka Diospros insularis, is listed by CITES as a species recorded as globally threatened as a result of population decline
through exploitation.

When the islanders cut it, usually for tourist carvings, they don't replant it. Poor buggers aren't even value-adding by carving it now, it seems.

Why I know, I lived there for years and I'm an ethnobotanist (I study plants used by indigenous people).

Originally Posted by Gunnaduit

Hate to tell you guys, but Solomon Islands ebony, aka Diospyros insularis, is listed by CITES as a species recorded as globally threatened as a result of population decline
through exploitation.

When the islanders cut it, usually for tourist carvings, they don't replant it. Poor buggers aren't even value-adding by carving it now, it seems.

Why I know, I lived there for years and I'm an ethnobotanist (I study plants used by indigenous people).

Seems like there over here exploiting it for money that wont go back to the islanders as well!

Nice stuff, but anyone who's bought it probably has a tiny little voice somewhere inside saying its too good to be totally hunky dory.

The people who sell it here in Australia are from the Soloman Islands.

It definately cracks in change of humidity, and it's suggested that you leave it inside, even wrap it in a towel, if you aren't going to turn it straight away.