Ebony

[IPD_Mrs]

Is there any wood nastier or more dirty than ebony? I did some detail work using a router and this stuff is just plain nasty. I used a respirator, showered and changed clothes and I still am tasting it.

 

[Pens By Scott]

As far as wood goes, none that i've noted. Heard Gator bone and deer antler are pretty bad too.

 

[mrcook4570]

Just be thankful that your project did not include padauk as well :wink:

 

[MobilMan]

I just finished turning a lot of Padauk handles & never noticed any smell.

 

[aggromere]

I dont use ebony anymore. A couple of years ago I turned several pens from ebony and it was a bear and I think all but one of them ultimately cracked. Starting about the second or third day of turning it I got a nose bleed and had one off and on for aobut a week. I think it was the ebony. don't go near it now and haven't had any problems. Check out the alt Ebony blanks from ed and dawn. When finished and polished they look a lot like a very dark piece of ebony.

 

[Russianwolf]

I just finished turning a lot of Padauk handles & never noticed any smell.

I love the smell of African Padauk and Amboyna/Narra (both in the Pterocarpus family), they smell spicy.

I also don't do Gabon any longer, I switched to African Blackwood when I can.

 

[David Keller]

I'm not a fan of Gaboon ebony either, but desert ironwood is even nastier to turn IMO... It's worth the effort, but good grief, it puts off a ton of nasty dust.

 

[ldb2000]

As far as "Messy" goes , I think the Black with gold Tru-Stone is the worst . Never had and breathing problems from it but that black dust gets all over everything and if it gets wet it turns to black concrete .

 

[jttheclockman]

Padauk is right up there for messy. Everything turns orange. I will also add WENGE in that mix. If the splinters don't get you the dust will. I swear that wood fights back and doesn't like to be cut. But with its yellow streaks it makes some nice projects.

If you ever get any splinters with most of these woods you better get them out because they will get infected for sure.

Because ebony is so darn expensive I only use it as accent pieces so the dust is controled somewhat.

 

[Jgrden]

Is there any wood nastier or more dirty than ebony? I did some detail work using a router and this stuff is just plain nasty. I used a respirator, showered and changed clothes and I still am tasting it.

Heh, heh, heh. That's funny and I concur with you. :biggrin:

 

[RodNeep]

Padauk is right up there for messy. Everything turns orange.

The pile is other wood.... but on top, the dust from milling four ends (one pen).

Yuk!

 

[KenV]

router I can understand -- shear cut lathe cut ebony is not too bad. Love it for perches for bird house ornaments -- turns clean and does not break easily (Hop hornbeam is also good).



Desert Ironwood can be Bad!!!

 

[Curtis]

I did some other projects with padauk and after sanding with a belt sander my whole shop was orange. I had a dust mask on and still had orange up my nose for several days.

 

[texaswoodworker]

As far as wood goes, none that i've noted. Heard Gator bone and deer antler are pretty bad too.

Deer antler is pretty bad at first but you get use to it. The nastiest wood I've used is camphor burl. It smelled so bad that I had to use a surgical mask just to get near it when I was sanding it.

 

[snyiper]

I agree deer antler is not so bad once you have doe a few....Not much different than cutting it up when processing.

 

[Jgrden]

I agree deer antler is not so bad once you have doe a few....Not much different than cutting it up when processing.

Was that a Freudian slip?? "Doe"