Its enough to drive you crazy... warping and twisting..

"Mike Mac" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a jewellery
box) based on a design from a client.

I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany that
looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.

I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it would
twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight edges, on
the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim pieces. It
would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming the blade when
ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it so frustrating, I
had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before deciding to redo it
using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.

Anyone have the same experience using mahogany?

Mike
www.ottawawood.com

I've always had good results working with Mahogany. Mahogany is very stable
and the grain is straight. Is the grain straight? It might be a stressed
section, like a branch - if it is, the stress is relieved each time you rip
it. Rip it thicker and plane to size.

Dave

Mike Mac wrote:
> I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
>
> I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
>
> I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.
>
> Anyone have the same experience using mahogany?
>
> Mike


african mahogany? lauan, perhaps?

On 10 Sep 2006 22:30:23 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>african mahogany? lauan, perhaps?

Maybe, but the african mahogany I get here in South Africa is stable.
Sometimes a bit of cross grain and tearout but otherwise fine.
Nice to work with.



******

eat the samoosa to reply

In article <[email protected]>, "Mike Mac" <[email protected]> wrote:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
Please don't do that -- turn off HTML before posting to Usenet.

>I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a =
>jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
>
>I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany =
>that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
>
>I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it =
>would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight =
>edges,

Sounds to me like you got a bad batch -- not dried properly, or maybe reaction
wood. I haven't done a lot of work with mahogany... but I've found it to be a
remarkably well-behaved wood, nothing like the problems you describe.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Mike Mac wrote:
> I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a
jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
>
> I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany
that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
>
> I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it
would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight
edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim
pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming
the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it
so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before
deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.


Doesn't sound like Honduras mahogany to me.

You sure this isn't something masquerading as real mahogany?

Lew

Mike Mac wrote:
> I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a
> jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
>
> I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany
> that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
>
> I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it
> would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight
> edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim
> pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming
> the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it
> so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before
> deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.
>
> Anyone have the same experience using mahogany?
>
> Mike
> www.ottawawood.com
Sounds like it was case-hardened while drying.

Jess.S

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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"Mike Mac" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a =
jewellery box) based on a design from a client.

I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany =
that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.

I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it =
would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight =
edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim =
pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming =
the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it =
so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before =
deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.

Anyone have the same experience using mahogany?

Nope; did a coffee table recently and it was well behaved. Isn't =
mahogany noted for it's stability?
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I started a project awhile back.. =
building a=20
watchbox (basically a jewellery box) based on a design from a=20
client.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I wanted to use quartersawn oak for =
the sides,=20
and had some mahogany that looked nice for the back and drawer=20
fronts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've now decided that I HATE =
MAHOGANY.&nbsp;=20
Everytime I would cut it, it would twist and warp like crazy.. it was=20
impossible to get any straight edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind =
some of=20
the other smaller trim pieces.&nbsp;It would warp while cutting, =
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well.. live and learn.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anyone have the same experience using =

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<DIV dir=3Dltr><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Nope; did a coffee table =
recently and it=20
was well behaved.&nbsp; Isn't mahogany noted for it's=20
stability?</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C6D52B.0F76ED00--

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> Mike Mac wrote:
> > I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a
> jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
> >
> > I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany
> that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
> >
> > I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it
> would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight
> edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim
> pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming
> the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it
> so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before
> deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.
>
>
> Doesn't sound like Honduras mahogany to me.
>
> You sure this isn't something masquerading as real mahogany?
>
> Lew
>

Not like any of the standard varieties of
Philippine mahogany either.

Mike Mac wrote:
> I started a project awhile back.. building a watchbox (basically a
> jewellery box) based on a design from a client.
>
> I wanted to use quartersawn oak for the sides, and had some mahogany
> that looked nice for the back and drawer fronts.
>
> I've now decided that I HATE MAHOGANY. Everytime I would cut it, it
> would twist and warp like crazy.. it was impossible to get any straight
> edges, on the drawer fronts, never mind some of the other smaller trim
> pieces. It would warp while cutting, burning the edge, and once jamming
> the blade when ripping (tripping the breaker on the saw). T I found it
> so frustrating, I had to put the project aside for a few weeks, before
> deciding to redo it using cherry and maple. Oh well.. live and learn.
>
> Anyone have the same experience using mahogany?
>
> Mike
> www.ottawawood.com

Strange. Never had any problem with mahogany. In
fact, mahogany is so stable it was often used for
slide rules, rulers, and drafting equipment. In
fact I've got a ruler in my drawer that the base
is mahogany, brand name Lutz (just to indicate
quality).