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Alternative to Lignum Vitae

J

JamesA

Apprentice Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Posts
2
Location
Bucks
First Name
James
Hello.

I have been working with lignum vitae, reclaimed from a bowls ball. It gives a lovely shiny finish without the need for sealants, polish or lacquers. Annoyingly, though, the ball is riddled with hairline cracks which render it unusable.

Can anyone suggest another type of wood that would produce a good finish in a similar way? It is actually for a ring, rather than a pen.

James.
 
D

DuncSuss

Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2023
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Wilmington, MA
First Name
Duncan
As Gert says, African Blackwood is a good candidate. I'd say any of the true rosewoods (which include ABW) such as Kingswood, Cocobolo, and Honduras Rosewood. They are all very dense and kind of oily. Makes applying a finish tricky, but they buff up beautifully with no top coat applied.
 
flexi

flexi

Executive Member
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Sep 12, 2014
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6,457
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Maidstone
First Name
mark
I was thinking Cocobolo too....
Also anything that's been stabilised, probably not what you want, but if it's been done right then you can just turn and buff... :thinks:
 
J

JamesA

Apprentice Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Posts
2
Location
Bucks
First Name
James
Thank you for your suggestions. I have cut one final blank from the ball. If that is also cracked, I shall look into the African Blackwood and stabilised woods. I think that the Blackwood is darker than my son wants for the ring, but the stabilised woods will have a wider choice.

James.
 
Pierre

Pierre

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Southern Central France
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Pierre
Try Azobe, they sell whole railway sleepers of it, like lignum vitae its one of the few woods that doesn't float having a specific gravity higher than 1 ,

www.uk-timber.co.uk

New Azobe (Ekki) Untreated Railway Sleeper | Buy New Untreated Hardwood Sleepers Online from the Experts at UK Timber

New Azobe (Ekki) Untreated Railway Sleepers are stocked by UK Timber, one of the leading suppliers of African Hardwood and Railway Sleepers. We stock a wide range available for delivery throughout the UK to the trade and public.
www.uk-timber.co.uk www.uk-timber.co.uk

Its a very hard wood so your tooling will be tested but it resists knocks etc very well. Its also a very fine grain so the cross grain part of the ring will remain solid and stable.

www.mytropicaltimber.org

AZOBE | My Tropical Timber | United Kingdom

www.mytropicaltimber.org
 
Gadget-UK

Gadget-UK

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Joined
May 18, 2018
Posts
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Nr Blandford Forum. Dorset. UK
First Name
Colin
Pierre said:
Try Azobe, they sell whole railway sleepers of it, like lignum vitae its one of the few woods that doesn't float having a specific gravity higher than 1 ,

www.uk-timber.co.uk

New Azobe (Ekki) Untreated Railway Sleeper | Buy New Untreated Hardwood Sleepers Online from the Experts at UK Timber

New Azobe (Ekki) Untreated Railway Sleepers are stocked by UK Timber, one of the leading suppliers of African Hardwood and Railway Sleepers. We stock a wide range available for delivery throughout the UK to the trade and public.
www.uk-timber.co.uk www.uk-timber.co.uk

Its a very hard wood so your tooling will be tested but it resists knocks etc very well. Its also a very fine grain so the cross grain part of the ring will remain solid and stable.

www.mytropicaltimber.org

AZOBE | My Tropical Timber | United Kingdom

www.mytropicaltimber.org
Click to expand...

Now THAT is interesting, didn't know that. :think:
Nice information Pierre :thumbs:
 
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