Lignum-Vintae

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Hi Bob !!! . . Warm welcome to IAP !!! . . :) :) . . Glad you joined us !!!

Maybe someone else can answer your L-V question . . . I don't have much experience with it.
 
Welcome to the forum, Bob.
Straight in with a question, eh? How about telling us a wee bit about yourself?

I buff lignum vitae with Tripoli , then White Diamond and finish with Carnauba wax.

Alan
 
alanemorrison said:
Welcome to the forum, Bob.
Straight in with a question, eh? How about telling us a wee bit about yourself?
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alanemorrison said:
Retired teacher. Been making pens about 6 months. Have produced only about 62 pens to date, only about 50 are usable. Still on a long learning curve but, thanks to the "old timers" both in person and on internet I learn new, to me, techniques each time I get to interact with either a program or a person. Being a "newbie" I have been working with many different woods and pen kits to see what I like and maybe find some customers that like them enough to pay for them. In summary, I'm at the hobby level and learning.
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Thanks for the info.
Bob
alanemorrison said:
I buff lignum vitae with Tripoli , then White Diamond and finish with Carnauba wax.

Alan
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The Tree of Life wood. It is a very hard wood and close grained so it will polish real easily. With is natural oils it does not really need a top coat. I do as Alan does and hit it with buffing compounds. Lets see a finish product.
 
Ironpot Bob said:
Does anyone have any experience with polishing Lignum-Vintae? This is a new hardwood for me to work with.
Ironpot
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Lignum Vitae is an amazing wood. Not only does it smell like perfume, but it takes a polish just from sanding amazingly well. I've turned a number of pens and a couple letter openers with this wood. I've finished it with some mylands friction polish in some cases, but I honestly don't think it needed it. I sand it to 1200 grit normal sandpaper. The oils in this wood are basically like a finish in and of itself, and with just sanding the wood can be polished to a nice reflective sheen. I personally like the natural finish on its own, over putting something else over top. Its a very hard wood as well, tight grained, and I think it will take wear very well (certainly a lot better than many of the other woods I've turned pens from.
 
I love working with Argentine Lignum Vitae. It smells wonderful while turning and it has a really interesting grain pattern going in seemingly random directions. I generally finish it with CA and all colors of micro mesh. Have fun!
 
I love to work with exotic woods like that. They are closed grain and the oils polish up so nicely. I like to use woods like Bolivian rosewood, Hondorous rosewoods, Bazillion ebony and so on. Many of these woods can not be had any more because of restrictions. I use to be able to get from a supplier in my area before his shop burned down a few years ago and he never reopened. Now I have to buy on the net and it gets expensive. But I love to use as bases on some higherend pieces I make. It gives the piece class and so easy to finish. I sand to 600 grit and then hit on a buffing wheel as mentioned above. They come out with that soft warm glow that is so touchable it is hard to explain. Lignum-Vintae is another one of those woods. Here are a few example of what I am talking about. Brazilian ebony, Bolivian rosewoods and so on. I should mention canary wood is another wood that I polish too. People may not think you could but yes possible.

Correction on the penrack that was waterbased lacquered before polishing. I remembered I did that because of the yellowheart and the cutouts for the pens. My computer is not allowing me to delete so just left it. Sorry.
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jttheclockman said:
The Tree of Life wood. It is a very hard wood and close grained so it will polish real easily. With is natural oils it does not really need a top coat. I do as Alan does and hit it with buffing compounds. Lets see a finish product.
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Thanks for the info. I'm practicing on several pieces with different finishes suggested by all the wonderful PT's (Pen Turners) out there.
 
jrista said:
I am curious what you used for the mirrored backing there. Looks like it has a bit of a curvature...so it must have been something flexible? Looks really great though! Love that!
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That is plastic acrylic mirror. It comes in many colors and I use it alot in my scrollsawing projects. Very easily cut using my scrollsaw or any saw. I just got a new computer so I do not have my photos loaded to this thing yet or else I would have included a few more photos of things I made using it.
 
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