The colour of Lignum Vitae

[Neil]

Cant remember who or where but someone posted their disappointment at a turned Lignum blank that had been finished in one go, ie turned and finished within a few minutes.

Heres a two step turned lignum blank, the two photos are the front and back of the same tubes. I has had about six hours on the window sill and will have the brown side exposed tomorrow morning.

When turned it reveals an unoxidised drab brown but soon develops the colour if you leave it without a finish in the sunlight and return it to the lathe at a later date.

 

[paulm]

Wow, thats very interesting Neil

 

[Penpal]

Love Lignum Vitae Neil I have never exposed it to bright Aussie sun but who knows over here it could either split or be brilliant like yours I will try this next time I turn it thankyou for stimulating my mindset.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[wm460]

Amazing looks like two completely different timbers.

 

[edlea]

You just wouldn't credit it ....another thing learned on Penturners ...thanks Neil.

 

[bassethound]

Very interesting thank you!

 

[PhillH]

It was me, I left mine out on the dining room window will and it has gone the lovely green I was hoping for.

Thanks for the tip !

 

[Neil]

It was me, I left mine out on the dining room window will and it has gone the lovely green I was hoping for.

Thanks for the tip !

Sorry Phil, glad it worked, my blanks are for a pen sold to a doctor. There is an association between the medical profession and Lignum Vitae. You can make a brew with the chippings that is supposed to be excellent for arthiritis, but the I think the benefits are probably more inline with colonic irrigation! Its name is Latin for wOOD OF lIFE, ITS OTHER NAME pALO sANTO, IS THE PORTUGESE (OR IS IT sPANISH?) FOR hOLY WOOD. Bollocks, not retyping that.

National wood of the Bahamas, national symbol of Jamaca and the national flower of Trinidad and Tobage, just in case you are short of info to recommend a pen to an individual from these parts of the world. Wood native to the caribbean and northern shores of South America.

 

[Walter]

There is an association between the medical profession and Lignum Vitae.

I thought you were going to say they used it to make wooden legs.

Another thing that this thread demonstrates is the folly of trying to identify timber species from photographs on forums if the same piece of wood can look so different after UV exposure.