"chalk" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> Has anyone had any experience working with Brazilian CHerry. They tell
> me that its harder than Oak and has nice colour. The salesman couldn't
> tell me how it machines or takes a finish. Any knowledge that any of
> you have would be appreciated.
>
>
I installed about 700 sq-ft of the stuff for flooring. I love it, but it's
a bear to work with. It's tough on your tools (and lungs) but it can take
a nice finish. I don't think I'd use it on non-flooring applications,
though, since you can get stuff that looks just as good but that's a whole
lot easier to work with (like mahogany).
Good Luck,
Matt
I've been working with jatoba for quite a few months now, here's my
take on it:
* Hard, heavy and VERY dense.
* Hell on your tools, I've had to re-sharpen my plane blades almost
daily when working with it.
* Easy to glue
* VERY VERY stable.
* splintery.
* machines well, although some wavey grain I had was HELL to pass
through the planner.
I've made my router table fence with it, made a coat hanger, a mallet
and right now I'm working on a bass guitar using jatoba for 1/4"
laminations on the neck and 1/4" top and back ...it should come out
great.
.. oh and did I say that it's just BEAUTIFUL stuff?
On the Janka hardness scale, Yellow Pine is 660, Red Oak is 1290, Hickory is
1820 and Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) is 2350. There are few woods, such as
Teak, Ebony and Lignum Vitae that are harder. I built a couple of tables
out of it. It is heavy and hard and gave my Powermatic mortiser a run for
its money. Obviously, it is harder on tools than other softer species, but
it is a beautiful wood and IMHO, I think it is worth the effort. It has a
reddish brown color that darkens with exposure.
Preston
"chalk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Has anyone had any experience working with Brazilian CHerry. They tell me
> that its harder than Oak and has nice colour. The salesman couldn't tell
me
> how it machines or takes a finish. Any knowledge that any of you have
would
> be appreciated.
>
>
"SteveC1280" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I laid about 500 sq ft of florr in a room in my house with Jatoba
(Brazilian
> Cherry). Yes, it is very hard. It was very diifficult to sand the floor
flat.
> It is brittle and has a tendancy to spinter. The grain is varied and
does
> resemble cherry. It is also very photo sensitve and will darken
significantly
> with sun exposure, again simialr to cherry.
Also has a lot of movement.
M Hamlin
If this is for a floor, a similar but much easier wood, and quite beautiful
is Santos Mahogany.
MH
"Hensonator" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "chalk" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> > Has anyone had any experience working with Brazilian CHerry. They tell
> > me that its harder than Oak and has nice colour. The salesman couldn't
> > tell me how it machines or takes a finish. Any knowledge that any of
> > you have would be appreciated.
> >
> >
>
> I installed about 700 sq-ft of the stuff for flooring. I love it, but
it's
> a bear to work with. It's tough on your tools (and lungs) but it can take
> a nice finish. I don't think I'd use it on non-flooring applications,
> though, since you can get stuff that looks just as good but that's a whole
> lot easier to work with (like mahogany).
> Good Luck,
> Matt
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Has anyone had any experience working with Brazilian CHerry. They tell me
> that its harder than Oak and has nice colour. The salesman couldn't tell me
> how it machines or takes a finish. Any knowledge that any of you have would
> be appreciated.
>
>
>
Got some last year when Woodcraft had a sale on it. It is definitely
hard, it machines well, but the end grain is prone to longitudinal
splintering when it tears out. Has some interesting "flecks" in it. It
really more resembles an oak or other open-grained wood than cherry as
far as grain goes. In color, it finishes well with oil (I used danish
oil on the one thing I've built with it thus far). Didn't have any luck
scraping or hand-planing it (but I seldom do with anything yet, I keep
trying however), it does sand to a very nice surface.