I've never seen anything quite like this - they look like tiny, densly
packed scratches. I've actually dipped the piece (a chopstick) in the
Starbond-brand very thin instant glue, and after it has set up I'm left
with long lines of bubbles above the scratches. Sanding this down and
redipping results in the same, though perhaps fewer, scratches (pores)
showing. Sanding the piece completly reveals perhaps 25% less scratches
than before - the glue is either pulling out or nor entering, it seems,
whitch is unusual in my experience with CAs. I'll order some Hotstuff
brand from Hut or Woodcraft to see if this batch from Starbond is not
good. The ebony is very old, a recycled fretboard; I've not worked
with gaboon, or any ebony, much but I don't think pores like this are
common - I've never seen it before and other ebony I've seen looks
quite smooth.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Maybe it's not ebony. Could it be African Blackwood? Maybe it's another
wood that has been dyed?

The ebony I've turned is completely without pores. I've turned both Gaboon
and Macassar Ebony and have not noticed the pores in either.

Barry


wrote in message
oups.com...
I've never seen anything quite like this - they look like tiny, densly
packed scratches. I've actually dipped the piece (a chopstick) in the
Starbond-brand very thin instant glue, and after it has set up I'm left
with long lines of bubbles above the scratches. Sanding this down and
redipping results in the same, though perhaps fewer, scratches (pores)
showing. Sanding the piece completly reveals perhaps 25% less scratches
than before - the glue is either pulling out or nor entering, it seems,
whitch is unusual in my experience with CAs. I'll order some Hotstuff
brand from Hut or Woodcraft to see if this batch from Starbond is not
good. The ebony is very old, a recycled fretboard; I've not worked
with gaboon, or any ebony, much but I don't think pores like this are
common - I've never seen it before and other ebony I've seen looks
quite smooth.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

or are they worm holes? I've had some ebony with tiny worm holes in it
before

Barry N. Turner wrote:
Maybe it's not ebony. Could it be African Blackwood? Maybe it's another
wood that has been dyed?

The ebony I've turned is completely without pores. I've turned both Gaboon
and Macassar Ebony and have not noticed the pores in either.

Barry


wrote in message
oups.com...

I've never seen anything quite like this - they look like tiny, densly
packed scratches. I've actually dipped the piece (a chopstick) in the
Starbond-brand very thin instant glue, and after it has set up I'm left
with long lines of bubbles above the scratches. Sanding this down and
redipping results in the same, though perhaps fewer, scratches (pores)
showing. Sanding the piece completly reveals perhaps 25% less scratches
than before - the glue is either pulling out or nor entering, it seems,
whitch is unusual in my experience with CAs. I'll order some Hotstuff
brand from Hut or Woodcraft to see if this batch from Starbond is not
good. The ebony is very old, a recycled fretboard; I've not worked
with gaboon, or any ebony, much but I don't think pores like this are
common - I've never seen it before and other ebony I've seen looks
quite smooth.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

wrote:
The ebony is very old, a recycled fretboard; I've not worked
with gaboon, or any ebony, much but I don't think pores like this are
common - I've never seen it before and other ebony I've seen looks
quite smooth.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

I have some chuncks of ebony that has some areas of noticeable pores.
These areas also tend to be brittle compared to the rest and, when
freshly cut, slightly silver/white in appearance (but goes black with
any finnish). I suspect that such areas are normally cut out when making
defect free billets. My chuncks have not been selected/billeted.

Others have quite reasonably suggested that you may have blackwood. In
my experience, ebony produces dark brown dust on sandpaper and blackwood
produces deep purple.

Both ebony and blackwood take a good polish without any surface finish,
but they both still have pores. If you want something that looks like
black plastic then let a load of sanding dust mix with your finish into
a slurry. Doing that with CA may be entertaining.

Andy
http://andywebber.com/

Thanks for responding, all. I think it's NOT ebony (though I've run
across some colocbolo that was left unsealed in the elements for
decades and, though the color was good - amazing - it was riddled like
this with pores. I figured all the natural oils had departed, leaving
the pores all gaping open. I was able to close these pores very
acceptably with CA) because I've never seen this microfine scratch
effect before and neither have any of you, it seems. This wood is
probably VERY old. Kingwood or ebony, the fact that I can't close the
pores is wierd to me. (there are some gray streaks, but mostly is is
just pitch black, pitch) If one dips something in CA all the pores
should close up, in my view.... And yes, I did the slurry thing with
the dust too...

I just ordered more gaboon and am shocked at the going rate - Mitch at
Tropical Exotics in Carlsbad is asking $60/bdft, but Miles at Gilmer in
Seattle is asking $80. This Swiss customer is very likeable and Very
very particular and I am late late late in getting this out so when
there's a problem one does the beserk thing and throws money at it
until it goes away. I told him I wouldn't work with ebony because it
is so endangered albeit not listed as such, but when I found these old
fretboards I thought I could recycle them without qualm. Damn!

I'll repost if a change in CA brand makes a difference here.

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
.. .
Maybe it's not ebony. Could it be African Blackwood? Maybe it's another
wood that has been dyed?

FWIW the African Blackwood I've worked withnot a lot
was even "smoother" than Ebony

Otto


The ebony I've turned is completely without pores. I've turned both
Gaboon
and Macassar Ebony and have not noticed the pores in either.

Barry


wrote in message
oups.com...
I've never seen anything quite like this - they look like tiny, densly
packed scratches. I've actually dipped the piece (a chopstick) in the
Starbond-brand very thin instant glue, and after it has set up I'm left
with long lines of bubbles above the scratches. Sanding this down and
redipping results in the same, though perhaps fewer, scratches (pores)
showing. Sanding the piece completly reveals perhaps 25% less scratches
than before - the glue is either pulling out or nor entering, it seems,
whitch is unusual in my experience with CAs. I'll order some Hotstuff
brand from Hut or Woodcraft to see if this batch from Starbond is not
good. The ebony is very old, a recycled fretboard; I've not worked
with gaboon, or any ebony, much but I don't think pores like this are
common - I've never seen it before and other ebony I've seen looks
quite smooth.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

In article .com,
wrote:

I just ordered more gaboon and am shocked at the going rate - Mitch at
Tropical Exotics in Carlsbad is asking $60/bdft, but Miles at Gilmer in
Seattle is asking $80. This Swiss customer is very likeable and Very
very particular and I am late late late in getting this out so when
there's a problem one does the beserk thing and throws money at it
until it goes away. I told him I wouldn't work with ebony because it
is so endangered albeit not listed as such, but when I found these old
fretboards I thought I could recycle them without qualm. Damn!

I'm not sure if I'm understanding what you're needing, but would
recommend to one and all to check out Griffin Exotic Woods out of
Colorado (ad in AAW journal):

http://exoticwood.biz/

I've ordered only once but was very pleased with the African Blackwood I
received. I placed the order via phone with James Griffin and he was
very pleasant with the package arriving as promised. I wouldn't hesitate
to order again - and I live within easy driving of Gilmers of Portland.