JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

01/02/2005 8:35 AM

Any special advice on African Mahogany ?

After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
african mahogany.

Glue, dust, etc... ?

Tia


This topic has 20 replies

dd

"dzine"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

08/02/2005 6:05 AM

Forget the glue and dust. This is tropical rain forest disappearing.

dd

"dzine"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

09/02/2005 5:46 AM

I have been receiving info re: illegal plundering of rainforest timbers
for a long time now. Do your own research. Or is that too difficult ?
If you know some latin maybe it must be another reason. To think the
'people' make the money is too naieve, there must be an intellectual
cover up here.

Gg

"George"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

09/02/2005 7:01 AM


"Prometheus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 8 Feb 2005 06:05:55 -0800, "dzine" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >Forget the glue and dust. This is tropical rain forest disappearing.
>
> That land has to make money for the people who live there somehow. If
> we as woodworkers buy the wood, it encourages them to continue to
> allow trees to grow so they can continue to sell it.
SNIP

Except, of course, enlightened tax policy such as ours will punish private
owners for doing so.

JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

06/02/2005 6:51 PM

I'm not familiar with Tung oil, is it the same as Danish oil ? Somebody told
me that Danish oil has a blend of oil and varnish so the real color of the
wood gets out and still gets protected with the varnish.


"Prometheus" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
> On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
>>african mahogany.
>>
>>Glue, dust, etc... ?
>>
>>Tia
>>
>
> Nothing special as far as glue and dust go, the only issue I had with
> it was that I used Tung oil on it, and if you don't really soak the
> wood well, it fades to a light yellow/brown within a couple of days.
> Get it soaked good, and it really keeps it's color pretty well. Nice
> looking wood, and easy to work.
> Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

08/02/2005 8:38 AM

Yes, my supplier of exotic woods has also a kind of library of all the
woodworking books and magazine you can find. I will get that book. thanks.


"Nate Perkins" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
> "Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> Wow, finishing process is not as easy as I first thought !
>>
>> I think I will test those options before doing the actual work.
>>
>> Thanks
> ...
>
> Most of us have to learn the hard way once to recognize the value of a
> test
> board. :-P
>
> By the way, oil-only finishes are different from most finishes in that
> they
> don't really build much. They are a great choice if your goal is a satin
> sheen finish. However, if your goal is a glossy coating then you will
> want
> an oil-varnish, lacquer, or shellac type finish.
>
> Oil only (or oil and wax) finishes are also the least durable/most easily
> damaged by spills.
>
> Jeff Jewitt's book, "Great Wood Finishes" is a good resource. Your local
> library probably has a copy.

MT

"Michael T. Hunt"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 8:42 PM

I personally don't like Tung Oil on Af Mahogany. I used Af Mah to restore a
sail boat and loved the look of the wood finished with a Spar. I liked the
color so much I used the same wood to build my Bedroom set. It's great to
work with.


"Prometheus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
> >african mahogany.
> >
> >Glue, dust, etc... ?
> >
> >Tia
> >
>
> Nothing special as far as glue and dust go, the only issue I had with
> it was that I used Tung oil on it, and if you don't really soak the
> wood well, it fades to a light yellow/brown within a couple of days.
> Get it soaked good, and it really keeps it's color pretty well. Nice
> looking wood, and easy to work.
> Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 10:11 PM

I asked my supplier and showed me samples on African Mahogany. Danish oil
has varnish in it and it takes 3 coats, 12 hours between coats. Sanded down
to 320 and third one applied with #000000 steel wool and ribbed off 3 times
every 10 minutes !

It's not what it's written on the container but they assured me that it
gives the best results, and based on what I saw, it's really outstanding.
So, I've been back at sanding ;(



"Michael T. Hunt" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
>I personally don't like Tung Oil on Af Mahogany. I used Af Mah to restore
>a
> sail boat and loved the look of the wood finished with a Spar. I liked
> the
> color so much I used the same wood to build my Bedroom set. It's great to
> work with.
>
>
> "Prometheus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work
>> >with
>> >african mahogany.
>> >
>> >Glue, dust, etc... ?
>> >
>> >Tia
>> >
>>
>> Nothing special as far as glue and dust go, the only issue I had with
>> it was that I used Tung oil on it, and if you don't really soak the
>> wood well, it fades to a light yellow/brown within a couple of days.
>> Get it soaked good, and it really keeps it's color pretty well. Nice
>> looking wood, and easy to work.
>> Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
>
>

JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

09/02/2005 9:16 AM

It's true, but in part only. I can't remember her name but the last Nobel
peace award went to an environmental minister in an African country (can't
remember if it's Nigeria or somewhere else). For decades, she implemented
programs to help little farms owner to plant trees on their land in order
for them to get some money for the wood, amongst other use (i.e.
reforestation).

So, while buying rain forest trees for small application like we do here is
one thing. Cutting everything because some big companies put those woods
everywhere they can think of, now, I'm not so sure it's a good thing. As
always, moderation has better taste.

But as hobbyist woodworkers, I don't feel I'm exploiting anybody buying
those nice wood as long as I make careful and full use of each cu.in. of it.



"dzine" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
>I have been receiving info re: illegal plundering of rainforest timbers
> for a long time now. Do your own research. Or is that too difficult ?
> If you know some latin maybe it must be another reason. To think the
> 'people' make the money is too naieve, there must be an intellectual
> cover up here.
>

NP

Nate Perkins

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

02/02/2005 5:44 AM

"Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:%[email protected]:

> After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work
> with african mahogany.
>
> Glue, dust, etc... ?
>
> Tia
>
>

Standard glue. Dust is not bad at all. It machines great. You can find
some boards with a beautiful ribbon pattern. The last project I built came
from wonderful boards that were wide, flat, and reasonably priced (about
$5/bf here).

I'd recommend finishes that contain some oil (e.g., oil with a shellac
overcoat, or an oil-varnish mix).

NP

Nate Perkins

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 6:33 AM

"Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I'm not familiar with Tung oil, is it the same as Danish oil ?
> Somebody told me that Danish oil has a blend of oil and varnish so the
> real color of the wood gets out and still gets protected with the
> varnish.

Nope, they aren't the same.

It's confusing to separate the marketing from the actual composition of the
finish. For example, "Danish oil" can either be a mixture of linseed oil
and varnish in a solvent (for example, the Watco brand). Other "Danish
oils" contain oil only (such as Tried and True Danish Oil, which is pure
boiled linseed oil). You can really only tell by looking at the contents
of the can.

Similarly, "Tung oil" can mean either pure tung oil (such as the Hope's
brand), or it can be a "Tung oil finish" which is a mixture of tung oil and
varnish (for example, the Minwax Tung Oil Finish).

Waterlox is a mixture of varnish resins and tung oil in a solvent. I've
used it before and like the appearance. It's somewhat hard to find
(www.highlandhardware.com has it).

Pure tung oil is fairly viscous, and you'll want to dilute it with mineral
spirits to increase the penetration if you go that route. It takes quite a
few coats to get a good uniform finish ... probably between 3-6 coats.

Tung oil is similar to linseed oil except that it's more expensive, it's
supposed to be harder when cured, and it's supposed to darken less over
time.

Hope that helps.

NP

Nate Perkins

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

08/02/2005 5:34 AM

"Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Wow, finishing process is not as easy as I first thought !
>
> I think I will test those options before doing the actual work.
>
> Thanks
...

Most of us have to learn the hard way once to recognize the value of a test
board. :-P

By the way, oil-only finishes are different from most finishes in that they
don't really build much. They are a great choice if your goal is a satin
sheen finish. However, if your goal is a glossy coating then you will want
an oil-varnish, lacquer, or shellac type finish.

Oil only (or oil and wax) finishes are also the least durable/most easily
damaged by spills.

Jeff Jewitt's book, "Great Wood Finishes" is a good resource. Your local
library probably has a copy.

pc

"patrick conroy"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

01/02/2005 7:46 PM


"Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
>
>
> After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
> african mahogany.

Nuthin' special as I recall. I found it easy to work, less prone to
splintering that the padauk. Dust not especially irritating. The only thing
that annoyed me about padauk was the fine red dust that covered everything
in the shop for years...

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 8:06 PM

On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 18:51:34 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm not familiar with Tung oil, is it the same as Danish oil ? Somebody told
>me that Danish oil has a blend of oil and varnish so the real color of the
>wood gets out and still gets protected with the varnish.

I haven't used Danish oil, but I believe it is a blend of Tung oil and
varnish. Tung oil doesn't have varnish in it (though I guess a lot of
finishes marketed as tung oil are blends these days, so that may not
always be true) As to how the two compare, you'd have to just try
them out and see what you like. FWIW, Tung oil takes a looooong time
to dry, so be patient if you try it out.


Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

JE

"Junkyard Engineer"

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 8:17 AM

Wow, finishing process is not as easy as I first thought !

I think I will test those options before doing the actual work.

Thanks


"Nate Perkins" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
> "Junkyard Engineer" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> I'm not familiar with Tung oil, is it the same as Danish oil ?
>> Somebody told me that Danish oil has a blend of oil and varnish so the
>> real color of the wood gets out and still gets protected with the
>> varnish.
>
> Nope, they aren't the same.
>
> It's confusing to separate the marketing from the actual composition of
> the
> finish. For example, "Danish oil" can either be a mixture of linseed oil
> and varnish in a solvent (for example, the Watco brand). Other "Danish
> oils" contain oil only (such as Tried and True Danish Oil, which is pure
> boiled linseed oil). You can really only tell by looking at the contents
> of the can.
>
> Similarly, "Tung oil" can mean either pure tung oil (such as the Hope's
> brand), or it can be a "Tung oil finish" which is a mixture of tung oil
> and
> varnish (for example, the Minwax Tung Oil Finish).
>
> Waterlox is a mixture of varnish resins and tung oil in a solvent. I've
> used it before and like the appearance. It's somewhat hard to find
> (www.highlandhardware.com has it).
>
> Pure tung oil is fairly viscous, and you'll want to dilute it with mineral
> spirits to increase the penetration if you go that route. It takes quite
> a
> few coats to get a good uniform finish ... probably between 3-6 coats.
>
> Tung oil is similar to linseed oil except that it's more expensive, it's
> supposed to be harder when cured, and it's supposed to darken less over
> time.
>
> Hope that helps.
>

ss

skeezics

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

02/02/2005 4:47 PM

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
>african mahogany.
>
>Glue, dust, etc... ?
>
>Tia
>
good stuff ! im currently doing my kitchen with it and its turning out
nice. i got 8/4 stock as that was what was available at a good price.
5 dollars b/f. that may be a drive by? while resawing there was some
reaction wood present but all in all nice to work with. honduran
mahgony is better. but its more $$$$. all these boards were 12 - 16
inches wide ! made the case for a good bandsaw purchase. hehehehe.
every project needs a new tool right?

skeez

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

13/02/2005 4:25 PM

On 9 Feb 2005 05:46:19 -0800, "dzine" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I have been receiving info re: illegal plundering of rainforest timbers
>for a long time now. Do your own research. Or is that too difficult ?
>If you know some latin maybe it must be another reason. To think the
>'people' make the money is too naieve, there must be an intellectual
>cover up here.

Well, shoot- I don't know what the hell the politics of the third
world are. I didn't mean "the people" in some communist sense of the
word, where it includes every person around. I meant the people who
are managing the rainforest, whoever they may be. Whether it's one
corrupt government offical, or a democratic vote by a tribe, if it's
rainforests you want to keep, then there's got to be a reason for the
folks in charge of them to keep them around. If they can make good
money by proper forest management, including logging and replanting
the forest, then there is less incentive for them to just burn the
whole works down and make the land into farms. So, if you want to
keep the trees, buy the wood. They're going to do what they're going
to do- no matter what somebody in Ohio or California might think about
it, so we may as well make it worth their while to hang onto some of
those timber resources.

I'm *not* going to waste my time becoming an activist for some place
halfway around the world. I have limited time and resources, and they
don't give two shits about what I've got to say about it. If I'm
going to do some research on something regarding the enviroment, it's
going to be something that improves my community.
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

07/02/2005 8:08 PM

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:42:39 -0500, "Michael T. Hunt"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I personally don't like Tung Oil on Af Mahogany. I used Af Mah to restore a
>sail boat and loved the look of the wood finished with a Spar. I liked the
>color so much I used the same wood to build my Bedroom set. It's great to
>work with.

That's what some of the guys on the woodturning group said as well-
but it was what I had. How about shellac?

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

06/02/2005 5:19 PM

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
>african mahogany.
>
>Glue, dust, etc... ?
>
>Tia
>

Nothing special as far as glue and dust go, the only issue I had with
it was that I used Tung oil on it, and if you don't really soak the
wood well, it fades to a light yellow/brown within a couple of days.
Get it soaked good, and it really keeps it's color pretty well. Nice
looking wood, and easy to work.
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

r

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

01/02/2005 7:29 PM

On Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:35:20 -0500, "Junkyard Engineer"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>After reading thread about african padauk, now, I wonder how to work with
>african mahogany.
>
>Glue, dust, etc... ?
>
>Tia
>
Garves like mahagony (ie, beautifully, but the grain is somewhat
coarse), glues well with standard glue.

--RC
"Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells
'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets
fly with a club.
-- John W. Cambell Jr.

Pn

Prometheus

in reply to "Junkyard Engineer" on 01/02/2005 8:35 AM

08/02/2005 8:18 PM

On 8 Feb 2005 06:05:55 -0800, "dzine" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Forget the glue and dust. This is tropical rain forest disappearing.

That land has to make money for the people who live there somehow. If
we as woodworkers buy the wood, it encourages them to continue to
allow trees to grow so they can continue to sell it. If everyone gets
worried about the rainforest and refuses to buy tropical wood, it's
just going to be clear-cut to be used as farmland.
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam


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