Lacewood

[bigsteel15]

I am planning to build the nesting tables form latest Woodsmith.
I like the mahogany top and all, but the price of 1x8 material just for the tops would be about $150.
OTOH, I can get pieces of Lacewood for about a third the price. they are only 4-6" wide, so a little more work, but that isn't a problem.
My question is the suitability of these two woods together.
I notice that lacewood is very heavy but think that may be a plus in this case.
The other concern would be the color after finishing.
Any thoughts are appreciated.

[onedash]

I have looked at Lace Wood before. Its pretty cool but I dont think it would match well.
Lyptus on the other hand loos pretty similar but is much harder and heavier. (and cheaper) I have used that a lot and love it. wish I was using it for my desk but its $1 BF more than oak so my wife said oak or nothin.

She is going to let me build a coffee table out of bubinga though. I have to finish my desk first before she will let me buy the wood.

[r1968]

LACEWOOD: beautiful but watch for skin reactions

I know of too many instances when people have had adverse reactions to lacewood. causes nasty rashes. But many pieces I have seen are just stunning

--raj

[bigsteel15]

She is going to let me build a coffee table out of bubinga though. I have to finish my desk first before she will let me buy the wood.

WOW!! How big is your coffe table going to be?
One local store here has a Bubinga "chunk" that is a rough 5 ft wide x 16 ft long x 2" thick. Still has the bark on the edges. It is flawless. $6500 CDN.
My bosses wife was going to buy the "smaller" piece (4 ft x 10 ft) for $4500 to make a table but it has cracks in it so she decided not to. She hasn't seen the bigger piece yet.

Thanks for the input regarding the Lyptus. I have read recently that it is considered a reasonable equal to mahogany and much more sustainable due to the quick grow cycle.

[scmhogg]

Big,

I am a big fan of Lacewood. But, for a smooth surface, you have to use some sort of filler.

This url is an old post of the table I made. It was finished with Danish oil and poly. The color in the picture is accurate.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...light=lacewood

Steve

[onedash]

Bigsteel. Do you have too many zeros? Its only 9.09 a BF at woodcraft. I have seen pieces on the internet for ungodly amounts so this stuff is obviosly not as figured and fancy. If it was $100 + a BF and I actually bought it I would get 1 BF and put a frame around it. Imagine what the sawdust would be worth on a piece of wood that expensive.
Lyptus at Woodcraft I think is 5.04 a BF...

[bigfoot15]

Welcome to northern Alberta

Bigsteel. Do you have too many zeros? Its only 9.09 a BF at woodcraft. I have seen pieces on the internet for ungodly amounts so this stuff is obviosly not as figured and fancy. If it was $100 + a BF and I actually bought it I would get 1 BF and put a frame around it. Imagine what the sawdust would be worth on a piece of wood that expensive.
Lyptus at Woodcraft I think is 5.04 a BF...

The 1x8 mahogany is $20/bf at the local store. The project requires about 7-8 bf of that material for the tops.
You have to remember where I am. No usable woods grown here (unless pine, spruce and poplar are usable woods, although poplar in any size is almost as much as maple). Heck, no hardwood grown here. there is a seller that has decent prices, but he's 1-1/2 hr drive away.
BTW, 2" thick ebony - $135/bf
Don't think I'll be using too much of that in projects. Inlay only if I ever got the nerve.

[atgcpaul]

Time for veneer?

If you want to use mahogany for the top, maybe it's time to explore
veneer. You can border a piece of MDF with 1" wide piece of mahogany,
then lay the veneer on top and then route a profile on edge if you want.
With some curved cauls and melamine, it's pretty easy to make your own
coldpress. You should be able to pick up some sheets from eBay for about
50cents/sqft.

Paul

[gerti]

WOW!! How big is your coffe table going to be?
One local store here has a Bubinga "chunk" that is a rough 5 ft wide x 16 ft long x 2" thick. Still has the bark on the edges. It is flawless. $6500 CDN.

A while ago I came across a US$1000 board of 'Waterfall Bubinga". It was truly a stunning piece of wood. Back the I posted some photos in this thread:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...erfall+bubinga

Gerd

[drumpriest]

Yeah, the local rockler has a couple of big waterfall bubinga slabs. One is 1000$, the other over 4000$. Really beautiful stuff.

As for lacewood, I picked up some Aussy Lacewood veneer, it's awaiting my attention in the shop. I picked up the Rockler vacuum press (55$ hand pump), but I have to go back and pump it up every 15 mins or so, kinda of annoying.

[gerti]

I picked up the Rockler vacuum press (55$ hand pump), but I have to go back and pump it up every 15 mins or so, kinda of annoying.

I wondered how well these worked, I guess that answers that. In the latest wood magazine (I think that was it) someone asked if those 'as seen on TV' space saver bags would work for veneering. Apparently they don't hold a vacuum well either, never mind that even with a strong shop vac the vacuum isn't to strong in the first place.

[drumpriest]

I actually did have a go at it with the space saver bag, and I just don't think you can get enough pressure with one. The rockler bags come in 2 shapes, I have played with both, and own the 26x28 version. The other (14x47) works better, because there isn't as much space to seal. Basically there should only be 2 places where the seal can fail.

1. At the pump valve.
2. At the taped end.

I was considering coming up with a better method of sealing the open end, assuming that the failure is there. The bag itself says on it to check frequently while using it to veneer. This really isn't a big problem, as it only takes 45 mins to 2 hours for the glue to set. My shop is heated, and so I usually leave it for an hour.

[scmhogg]

Big,

I sent you a PM.

Steve

[Wood_workur]

WOW!! How big is your coffe table going to be?
One local store here has a Bubinga "chunk" that is a rough 5 ft wide x 16 ft long x 2" thick. Still has the bark on the edges. It is flawless. $6500 CDN.
My bosses wife was going to buy the "smaller" piece (4 ft x 10 ft) for $4500 to make a table but it has cracks in it so she decided not to. She hasn't seen the bigger piece yet.

Thanks for the input regarding the Lyptus. I have read recently that it is considered a reasonable equal to mahogany and much more sustainable due to the quick grow cycle.

JUMP ON THOSE DEALS!!! Seriously. The first one is $3.5/ BF, and the secong is $2.5/BF (CDN). For BUBINGA!!!

P.S. That is about $2.8 and $2, respectivly. THAT IS LESS THAN THE PRICE FOR RED OAK!!!!!!! I WISH I HAD $11000 CANADIAN to spend. Those would make some great countertops.

[atgcpaul]

I actually did have a go at it with the
space saver bag, and I just don't think you can get enough
pressure with one. The rockler bags come in 2 shapes, I
have played with both, and own the 26x28 version. The
other (14x47) works better, because there isn't as much
space to seal. Basically there should only be 2 places
where the seal can fail.

1. At the pump valve.
2. At the taped end.

I was considering coming up with a better method of sealing
the open end, assuming that the failure is there. The bag
itself says on it to check frequently while using it to
veneer. This really isn't a big problem, as it only takes
45 mins to 2 hours for the glue to set. My shop is heated,
and so I usually leave it for an hour.

There's actually a third possible point. If you veneer a
panel with a sharp corner, as the bag draws down, the bag
can puncture at the corners. One thing we learned in class
was to put a towel over the platen that goes over the veneered
piece so the bag is "eased" around the corners. This has
worked well for me.

www.joewoodworker.com has a good suggestion on sealing the
end of a bag. I haven't splurged on bags yet. They can be
pricey. For my system, I am using cheap clear polyethylene
bags probably 5-10 mils thick. I bought some tire valve
stems from Pepboys, poke a hole in the bag, install the
valve stem, clamp on the JWW sealer, and go. In a good
press, I lose 3-4 pounds of pressure over 3 hours. Then
the pump kicks on. On a so-so press, it might kick on ever
hour. The stems are reusable if I ever trash the old bag.

Paul