mahogany flooring for pens

[laurie sullivan]

Hey Everyone.

I'm a locksmith here in LA and I'm working on a house where they are installing solid 3/4x31/2 santos mahogany flooring. This is good for pens? If it is, I'll let you know. The house is about 3000 sq.ft. and it's all hard wood flooring and they are saving all the scraps for me. i guess this is kind of a gloat, yea. i like to share, so i'll guess we'll see what i get. (i do have 4 pieces now)

laurie

 

[alamocdc]

Laurie, I've made a few Mahogany pens on request. It turns nice, but finding it figured is where I've had difficulty. Larger pieces make beautiful turnings and using small pieces for segmented stuff works well.

 

[GreggR]

I like mahogany, and always cut it diagonal to the grain because there is so little figure. It makes pretty turnings with a clear finish, and I used a pure purple artist oil paint on it once with cool results. I think if you're creative it would be a great find!


Gregg

 

[redfishsc]

I dunno about Santos mahogany but most every variety of mahogany I've used (honduran, khaya, sapele) are all quite soft (still hard enough for a good pen), I personally wouldn't use mahogany as a flooring, seems like it would really take a beating. I still think brazillian cherry or natural hard maple are hard to beat.


Anyhow, go with the advice above and 45-degree cut it. Will make a nicer looking pen. Also, once you get it turned, give it some sunlight (but not laser-beam sunlight, the heat can crack it). Sunlight will darken the wood beautifully.

 

[Thumbs]

Laurie, just telling somebody that something is made of "mahogany" will get their attention. Most people won't recognize mahogany or know much about it except that it's only used by "rich folk" for "fancy stuff."

Well, maybe that's just me; but I never saw any mahogany except in pictures of fancy furniture in magazines 'til I got into penturning.

Use it any way you want. Sometimes simple is best. I think we get a bit "too fancy" here on occasion. I and some folks like just "plain" wood that looks like wood sometimes. Some customers appreciate wood that looks like wood, too. Then they don't have so much aversion to using that "too" fancy pen. I've had customers tell me their pens are too nice to use. That makes me kinda sad........ []

 

[ctEaglesc]

Mahogany by itself is rather plain.
I like to mix it with walnut and cherry
to me it is a nice blend of browns

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[Yarael]

I have a few Mahogany blanks turned one. Turned very nice and very easily. Finished it came out quite nice. havent tried any one 45degree cut but think it would come out nice

 

[Firefyter-emt]

These is always something you can use the scraps for. I just got some rather odd flooring scraps the other day, Bamboo. It is a laminated material or about 3 layers and 5/8" thick. It's diffrent, likes to catch and only suited for slimlines unless I glue some togather, but it's diffrent..

 

[rpasto92]

Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />I dunno about Santos mahogany but most every variety of mahogany I've used (honduran, khaya, sapele) are all quite soft (still hard enough for a good pen), I personally wouldn't use mahogany as a flooring, seems like it would really take a beating. I still think brazillian cherry or natural hard maple are hard to beat.

Santos Mahogany has a Janka Hardness Rating of 2,320 PSI and according to the site I visited, Maple is only 1,450. Jatoba, as you stated, is higher at 2,820

 

[low_48]

If it is prefinished watch out for that finish. They use a really hard finish that has "aluminum something or other" in it and will dull a tool in an instant. Don't ask, well, it took the edge off my planer blades after two pieces. Maybe it won't be so bad on a bandsaw blade, but I'm sure it won't help.

 

[redfishsc]

Originally posted by rpasto92
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Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />I dunno about Santos mahogany but most every variety of mahogany I've used (honduran, khaya, sapele) are all quite soft (still hard enough for a good pen), I personally wouldn't use mahogany as a flooring, seems like it would really take a beating. I still think brazillian cherry or natural hard maple are hard to beat.

Santos Mahogany has a Janka Hardness Rating of 2,320 PSI and according to the site I visited, Maple is only 1,450. Jatoba, as you stated, is higher at 2,820

Thanks Ryan, I didn't know Santos was that hard (I'm glad I put in that disclaimer "I dunno about santos mahogany". Sounds like a real good candidate for pens.