I inherited a sizeable stack of Desert Ironwood when a carver of totem poles
passed away. It had been left in the rain and some of it rotted but there is
enough to make some bowls, boxes and pen blanks and keep me going for about
a year. It is beautiful wood. I know it is rare to find this wood in larger
pieces and mine go as big as 4 ft long and 12 inches in diameter. Most of it
is 3-4 inches thick and 10-12 inches wide.

I've never turned this wood before so would love any hints on cutting,
turning and finishing.

Thanks,

Bob Darrah
West Linn, Oregon

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 18:15:14 -0700, "Bob Darrah"
wrote:

I inherited a sizeable stack of Desert Ironwood when a carver of totem poles
passed away. It had been left in the rain and some of it rotted but there is
enough to make some bowls, boxes and pen blanks and keep me going for about
a year. It is beautiful wood. I know it is rare to find this wood in larger
pieces and mine go as big as 4 ft long and 12 inches in diameter. Most of it
is 3-4 inches thick and 10-12 inches wide.

I've never turned this wood before so would love any hints on cutting,
turning and finishing.

Thanks,

Bob Darrah
West Linn, Oregon

well, 1st...it smells terribly, so cover up well and be ready to
shower when you are finished! With sharp tools it turns like a dream.
and is amazingly stable (I just made a lidded jar with a perfect
fitting lid) ....and it sands to a glass like finish. You do not need
ANY finish...I sometime use a tiny bit of oil (walnut) to bring out
the sheen.

You do not want to be driving screws in it, so plan on chucks, glue,
etc....You can get started by using pointed tools...the long end of a
heavy skew or a diamond shaped cutter, ot even the edges of a flat
scraper.....these lessen the force against the tool until you get the
piece round, then you can cut more or less as usual.

and if you decide it is too much trouble, I'll give you $10 for the
lot...*grin*

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 18:15:14 -0700, "Bob Darrah"
wrote:


I've never turned this wood before so would love any hints on cutting,
turning and finishing.

....oh, about cutting! This is MUCH harder to cut on a saw than to
turn...take small, shallow, slow cuts to get your blanks. Try to have
a vacuum on so you get as little dust on you as possible....you will
soon see why...Desert Ironwood is the 2nd heaviest/densest wood that
grows in N. America, but it is worth almost any amount of trouble when
you hit that special piece with the wild goldsand brown swirls.
Have fun!

Bill I would imagine the sandpaper clogs up pretty fast. Do you do anything
special to keep that from happening?

Bob


"Bill Day" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 18:15:14 -0700, "Bob Darrah"
wrote:

I inherited a sizeable stack of Desert Ironwood when a carver of totem
poles
passed away. It had been left in the rain and some of it rotted but there
is
enough to make some bowls, boxes and pen blanks and keep me going for
about
a year. It is beautiful wood. I know it is rare to find this wood in
larger
pieces and mine go as big as 4 ft long and 12 inches in diameter. Most of
it
is 3-4 inches thick and 10-12 inches wide.

I've never turned this wood before so would love any hints on cutting,
turning and finishing.

Thanks,

Bob Darrah
West Linn, Oregon

well, 1st...it smells terribly, so cover up well and be ready to
shower when you are finished! With sharp tools it turns like a dream.
and is amazingly stable (I just made a lidded jar with a perfect
fitting lid) ....and it sands to a glass like finish. You do not need
ANY finish...I sometime use a tiny bit of oil (walnut) to bring out
the sheen.

You do not want to be driving screws in it, so plan on chucks, glue,
etc....You can get started by using pointed tools...the long end of a
heavy skew or a diamond shaped cutter, ot even the edges of a flat
scraper.....these lessen the force against the tool until you get the
piece round, then you can cut more or less as usual.

and if you decide it is too much trouble, I'll give you $10 for the
lot...*grin*

Bill Day wrote:


Desert Ironwood is the 2nd heaviest/densest wood that
: grows in N. America, but it is worth almost any amount of trouble when
: you hit that special piece with the wild goldsand brown swirls.
: Have fun!

What is the #1 densest? Persimmon?


And to the OP, wear really good lung proterction -- I've heard this stuff
is really, really nasty on the breathing system.

-- Andy Barss

Andrew Barss wrote in message ...
Bill Day wrote:


Desert Ironwood is the 2nd heaviest/densest wood that
: grows in N. America, but it is worth almost any amount of trouble when
: you hit that special piece with the wild goldsand brown swirls.
: Have fun!

What is the #1 densest? Persimmon?

off hand, I would gyess Osage Orange

Dalenow I gotta' look it up



And to the OP, wear really good lung proterction -- I've heard this stuff
is really, really nasty on the breathing system.

-- Andy Barss

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:27:26 GMT, "dalecue"
wrote:


Andrew Barss wrote in message ...
Bill Day wrote:


Desert Ironwood is the 2nd heaviest/densest wood that
: grows in N. America, but it is worth almost any amount of trouble when
: you hit that special piece with the wild goldsand brown swirls.
: Have fun!

What is the #1 densest? Persimmon?

off hand, I would gyess Osage Orange

Dalenow I gotta' look it up



And to the OP, wear really good lung proterction -- I've heard this stuff
is really, really nasty on the breathing system.

-- Andy Barss


no, the densest is from Florida....sometimes called
"Leadwood"...selected samples of the heartwood are as dense as any
wood in the world. It seems to vary according to growing conditions
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Black_ironwood/blaciron.htm

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 19:50:26 -0700, "Bob Darrah"
wrote:

Bill I would imagine the sandpaper clogs up pretty fast. Do you do anything
special to keep that from happening?

Bob


sorry...went to bed before you answered..No, it is not a particular
problem with sandpaper. It is not oily at all, and because it is
dense, you usually have a fairly clean surface when you start sanding.
If you use each grit carefully, it really sands quite easily...

no, the densest is from Florida....sometimes called
"Leadwood"...selected samples of the heartwood are as dense as any
wood in the world. It seems to vary according to growing conditions
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Black_ironwood/blaciron.htm

I don't know the density, but another VERY dense wood from south
Florida and Cuba and that area is Oysterwood (or Crabwood)
http://www.regionalconservation.org/...sp?tx=Gymnluci

there is picture of a turning from it at the bottom of this page
http://woodturner7705.tripod.com/howard2.html

I cut and turned a small box today. The wood is magnificent! Stinks when you
cut it and when it is turned but after sanding it as fine as you can it will
be almost glass like. Various colors of chocolate brown and some grains will
shimmer in sunlight. It has voids in the wood and they can appear as you
sand. The result of a day cutting, sanding and finishing is very dirty skin.
Like I had been working in a dirty mill. And the dirt didn't want to come
off.

When I picked up the ironwood I was given a burl that stands 4 feet tall and
is 3 feet wide and a foot thick. Couldn't tell what the burl was until I cut
into it. Redwood burl! Beautiful! The gal that gave it to me has been
carrying it around for several years. Couldn't find anything to do with it.
Too bad! I'm really going to have fun turning the burl, Ironwood and half a
cherry tree this winter.

Bob
"Andrew Barss" wrote in message
...
Bill Day wrote:


Desert Ironwood is the 2nd heaviest/densest wood that
: grows in N. America, but it is worth almost any amount of trouble when
: you hit that special piece with the wild goldsand brown swirls.
: Have fun!

What is the #1 densest? Persimmon?


And to the OP, wear really good lung proterction -- I've heard this stuff
is really, really nasty on the breathing system.

-- Andy Barss

On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:53:28 -0700, "Bob Darrah"
wrote:

I cut and turned a small box today. The wood is magnificent! Stinks when you
cut it and when it is turned but after sanding it as fine as you can it will
be almost glass like. Various colors of chocolate brown and some grains will
shimmer in sunlight. It has voids in the wood and they can appear as you
sand. The result of a day cutting, sanding and finishing is very dirty skin.
Like I had been working in a dirty mill. And the dirt didn't want to come
off.

When I picked up the ironwood I was given a burl that stands 4 feet tall and
is 3 feet wide and a foot thick. Couldn't tell what the burl was until I cut
into it. Redwood burl! Beautiful! The gal that gave it to me has been
carrying it around for several years. Couldn't find anything to do with it.
Too bad! I'm really going to have fun turning the burl, Ironwood and half a
cherry tree this winter.

Bob

wow, all that Ironwood and a Redwood burl, too? (That burl is
something...the prices on those have gone WAY up recently, as there
are not nearly as many being found anymore.....you might want to price
it before you cut it up too much)

I hope the ironwood gives some chunks with the gold between the brown
parts.....

well, I have some Yew root, (the shrub, not the tree) some White Oak
burl, and some Maple burl to play with, so maybe I won't be TOO
jealous!......maybe....*grin*....

In article ,
Anonymous wrote:

I'm still learning what to do with what I have.

I believe there'll always be a part of you that feels that way.