Originally posted by daveturns05
<br />Here's my first experience with Snakewood. So far, I like the look, but it is a pain to drill and turn without cracking. It sure does finish nice, though. I also did a cigar in Jatoba (brazilian cherry) as well (first time with that, as well, I've used it for furniture, but not turning. Turns well, it would seem).
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Hi there. I'm pretty darn new to the community, but I have tried a couple of things already with finicky woods. I have very recently, successfully penetrated the center of a 3/4" X 5 1/2" blank with laquer based sanding sealer.I was able to achieve this by submersing it in a 1QT. glass jar filled with the sanding sealer that was placed inside a Foodsaver Brand 2 QT. vacuum seal canister.( I bought it at Wal-Mart for less than $10.)
I then vacuum sealer the canister with my handy dandy Foodsaver and watched the bubbles (or should I say froth) rise to the top. The sanding sealer enters the wood as all of the air is coaxed out of the wood by the intense vacuum. ( a Foodsaver brand vacuum sealer will actually pull 24" of vacuum at sea level. Not too bad!) I leave my blanks in the homemade vacuum chamber for at least 24hrs, then I take them out carefully (after I release the vacuum on the canister) and air dry them for at least 3-5 days.I like to smell them to see if they still have that "laquer" sort of smell, but I'm just weird...
You'll know if they're still wet inside when you cut the blanks down, or when you drill. I recently drilled a piece of Lacewood(or Leopardwood depending on who you ask) and the chips that came erupting out of the center of the blank were still wettish and smelled like the sanding sealer. I let them dry for a couple of more days, because they obviously needed it.I have them currently glued up ready to turn, but that's a whole new story...
Anyway this may prevent some of your cracking problems, but I'm not entirely sure. As far as appearances are concerned they look and feel like a "stabilized" piece of wood, and from what folks advertise, the only kind of blanks "you ought to be turnin" are "stabilized" blanks... I would give it a shot and post your resluts. So far I have only tried it with buckeye burl, lilac root burl, lacewood, and a piece of quilted sapele that I'm dying to make into a Baron or Statesman. I can't hurt to try it with the Snakewood. By the way, VERY NICE JOB ON THESE TWO BEAUTIES! I guess now I'm supposed to say < "that's just my 2cent$."
Take care,
Ben C.
bchavez@unr.edu.