Properties of Honduran Rosewood Wood

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magpens

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I have been turning some pens out of what I suppose is Honduran Rosewood.
Please tell me if my supposition might be correct.

What I notice, if I am quite aggressive with drilling is that :-

1) the blank gets quite hot
2) little beads of oil from the wood come to the surface
3) the wood darkens

The wood has very attractive grain pattern, and I am looking forward to some nice looking pens.
But the darkening of the wood, due to the heat from drilling, tends to obscure the attractiveness of the grain.

I guess I just have to be more careful with the drilling, perhaps starting with a small diameter drill bit and working my way up to the desired size.
Also, retract the drill frequently and brush off the "swarf".

Would that reduce the heating/darkening ? . . Let me know what you think, please. . . Thanks !
 
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1080Wayne

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The outside surface of the blank is darkening as you are drilling ? If it is getting that hot , you are driving out a lot of moisture as well as oils , and probably setting yourself up for some cracks . I think you answered your own question as to what you should do .
 

qquake

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I've found that drilling with a dull bit will increase the heat. Try a new bit. What size holes are you drilling? For which kit(s)?
 

darrin1200

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I reduce the heat of the drill bit with a vacuum. It draws away the scarf, and if I pause for a couple of seconds, the air flow cools the drill.
I find that even using a peck method, heat will accumulate in the bit and, if it's a deep hole, can get pretty hot.
Heat can cause all kinds of problems such as discolouration, cracking and hole shifting. The later being caused by metal movement brought on by heat.
 

NJturner

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Keeping the bit cool with some airflow over the drill, removing the drill frequently and cleaning out the flutes of the drill while blowing on it with some compressed air, and keeping the drill itself sharp are essential for lots of harder woods and especially for acrylic - which tends to melt from the heat versus change color. With plastics, I also add water spray with a touch of lubricant to my cooling practices. Heat when drilling is not your friend.
 

KenB259

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I have used Honduran Rosewood and I have never experienced what you ran into. I use DNA to cool bits if necessary and I only find that necessary on segmented blanks. Never seen a wood discolor from drilling. If the wood you're using has beads appearing when drilling, it's, in my opinion, to wet to be using.
 
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Hi Mal,

I would suggest checking the sharpness of your bit, then reducing your drilling RPM while maintaining or increasing feed rate.
 

egnald

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Hi Mal, I don't know about heat, but what I have found with a lot of the rosewoods that I use is that they can darken considerably when I apply a finish. I had some beautiful dark red cherry Bois de rose from Madagascar that almost turned black when I applied the finish. Of course, preserving the fresh color of most woods is often problematic. Heat and the oxidation and everything else that comes with it can make a dramatic impact on some wood species - Purpleheart for example. I apply heat after turning to help speed up the return to its purpleness. - Dave
 
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