almer
Member
Is brazilian walnut good for turning pens
I have a chance to get some that is 1 3/8x1 3/8 x18 long,some of it had a little burl near the ends,it doesnt seem to have much figure except the burl,i guess ill get it and give it a tryOriginally posted by Ron in Drums PA
Brazilian walnut is also known as Ipe and Ironwood.
It is hard, harder than ebony, To give you an idea how hard, American Black Walnut is like Balsa compared to Brazilian Walnut.
Difficult to work. You'll need very sharp tools and they will blunt quickly. Sands very well. Sanding alone will polish to produce a beautiful satin finish
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
Brazilian walnut is also known as Ipe and Ironwood.
It is hard, harder than ebony, To give you an idea how hard, American Black Walnut is like Balsa compared to Brazilian Walnut.
Difficult to work. You'll need very sharp tools and they will blunt quickly. Sands very well. Sanding alone will polish to produce a beautiful satin finish.Sometimes i turn ebony and other hard woods with the machinist lathe and power feed with carbide bits that are sharp.If i go on a slow feed there is very little sanding.This works the best with straight barrel pens,if ther tapered i can use a tapering bar,its much faster to turn on wood lathe
Originally posted by ScribbleSticks
Actually, brazilian walnut is imbuya(also spelled imbuia). Ipe and ironwood are another species. Imbuya is somewhat similar to black walnut except that it has more varigation. Usually nicely figured imbuya has lots of dark streaks running through it. When you turn it, it has a very nice spicy odor. It turns great but takes a little work getting a nice shine.