Most difficult wood to work with?

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elody21

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Dec 30, 2004
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1,596
What does everyone consider the hardest wood to work with?
My vote is now palm wood! I am making 8- Barron type pens for gifts for persons at my husbands work.
I am doing each one in a different wood. I had to go through 4 half blanks of palm wood just to get one! One broke while drilling. Yes I was careful.
Two broke while turning. I knew they would possibly be a problem so I was very careful.
I ended up with one bottom part of a Barron. I finally gave up on the top and used a dark brown ebony for the top. It looks really good as is, but what a pain!

I'll post all the pens when I get the other 4 done.
I just wanted to know what other woods have caused people problems.
Alice
 
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IPD_Mr

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Jun 27, 2007
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Zionsville, In
I love working with black palm, but boy you sure do need sharp tools and it will really suck up the CA. About the only real problem wood for me is cocobolo and only because of trying to get a good CA finish on it.
 

t001xa22

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Jun 17, 2011
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441
Location
Arlington, TX
My One and Only Palm

The attached pic shows the one and only time I tried black palm. As stated, it is difficult to work with, and seems to need constant restabilization. I have to put this wood with Wenge as some of the most difficult woods to work with, IMHO.
 

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Turned Around

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Jul 28, 2011
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Houston, TX
oh yeah. black palm suuuuuucked to turn. beautiful when it's finished, but not sure it's worth the effort. when i turned it, it had the same characteristics as turning celery haha. i had one blow out on it, i ended up rounding it off with a gouge, then shaping it with 60 grit sand paper. that was easier.
 

Seer

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Jan 3, 2009
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Glendale,Arizona
I use lots of thin CA and always round it off on a sander before turning and have turned quite a few from it.
 

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BKelley

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Jan 31, 2010
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891
Location
Tucker, Georgia, 30084
Never turned Palm, but from an overall standpoint for me Cocabolo is bad. It turns beautifully and polishes out like a dream, but every time I turn Cocabolo my hands break out between the fingers and my neck gets all itchey and red.

Ben
 

eldee

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Oct 29, 2006
Messages
326
Location
Willow Spring, NC
I made one pen from palm years ago. Fortunately, I didn't know it was supposed to be difficult to work with, and didn't have too much trouble with it. I liked the way the wood looked, so I carried the pen with me only to drop it in the parking lot and find it crushed later that day. The wood was splintered, but remained in place, and the pen still wrote. I still have several blanks, so I guess I'll try it again some day.
 

sbell111

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Jan 16, 2008
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3,465
Location
Franklin, TN
Never turned Palm, but from an overall standpoint for me Cocabolo is bad. It turns beautifully and polishes out like a dream, but every time I turn Cocabolo my hands break out between the fingers and my neck gets all itchey and red.

Ben

You are apparently one of those unlucky people who are allergic to rosewoods. I'd keep a list of the woods that make me rashy and stop turning them.
 

Akula

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May 27, 2007
Messages
1,036
Location
seabrook, texas, USA.
Never turned Palm, but from an overall standpoint for me Cocabolo is bad. It turns beautifully and polishes out like a dream, but every time I turn Cocabolo my hands break out between the fingers and my neck gets all itchey and red.

Ben

I have the same problem, I love the results but I really have to think long before just jumping on any...it's the only wood I have any reaction turning.
 

Minotbob

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Oct 15, 2009
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Location
Minot, ND
I love working with black palm, but boy you sure do need sharp tools and it will really suck up the CA. About the only real problem wood for me is cocobolo and only because of trying to get a good CA finish on it.

Cocobolo is my favorite wood. But I found out that if you wipe it down real good with Acetone after you finish sanding and before you start the finish, that it makes putting on a CA finish much easier.
 

PenMan1

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Jul 8, 2009
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6,380
Location
Eatonton, Georgia
Cocobolo doesn't like me. If I remember to wear long sleeves, gloves and a respirator, I can sometimes turn it without breaking out into a serious rash.

But then, when everthing else goes well, it doesn't want to accept a CA finish.
 
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