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Thread: Acacia lumber??

  1. #1
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    Acacia lumber??

    I have a gentleman that is requesting me to build him a small box and he wants it build from acacia wood. Took a quick look on the internet, but am having a slight problem locating any. Would anyone know of a source for acacia lumber?
    There's one in every crowd......and it's usually me!

  2. #2
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    It appears that some of it comes from Vietnam. Here is a site that may help you find some. I just entered acacia lumber supplier in google.

    http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/acacia-lumber.html
    I want to create love in my woodworking with a love for woodworking.

  3. #3
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    Acacia grows in the US. Here in California, I sometimes see black acacia lumber for sale. It tends to be urban lumber, so finding big boards is unusual.

  4. #4

    Acacia

    He may be talking about Koa, which is also known as Acacia Koa.

  5. #5
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    Two places I've seen it before, Timber Woodworking in Mesa, Az. and Woodworkers Source in Phoenix. http://www.timberww.com/default.aspx & http://www.woodworkerssource.com/

  6. #6

    Try Indiana Jones...

    just kidding. Acacia is what God instructed Moses to use in building the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.

    All kidding aside, I don't know where you would buy any today.

  7. #7
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    Acacia is a big family, with something like a thousand different vareties of tree. Acacias grow worldwide. They're in the pea family, and bear seeds in pods, like peas. In woodworking, some well-known acacias are koa (Hawaii), mesquite (US and Mexico), and blackwood (Australia).

  8. #8
    I've been looking around online for some "Ethiopian" acacia, I have seen it called "Grar". My wife and I are in the process of adopting from ET, and I would LOVE to make some small project with some. Anyone have any ideas?
    AN

  9. #9
    I have a bunch of trees at my house that are acacia's and they grow like weeds. I actually have one that is going to fall soon that is prob. 3 ft. in diam. Central CA.

    http://www.globalwoodsource.com/lumber I am surprised that this place does not carry it because it is local but like the previous poster said maybe it is another variety that you are talking about.

  10. #10
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    Try the Phoenix sources listed above, we have tons of willow acacia and black acacia all over the city. I just passed up a fallen acacia last month from a friend, as was too busy to learn milling at the time.

    Also try Arizona Hardwoods, here is a link to their craigslist ad:
    http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/bfs/2068877669.html
    they don't list acacia as a wood they carry, but he has like 60,000 feet under roof and a ton of stuff, and he does a lot of wheeling and dealing, may have some.
    Thread on "How do I pickup/move XXX Saw?" http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=597898

    Compilation of "Which Band Saw to buy?" threads http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...028#post692028

  11. #11
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    genuine acacia will likely be tough to find. As another poster mentioned it's a big family with lots of "trees" in it. I put trees in quotes becuase many true acacia's are more shrub-like. As for acacia in the US, there may be some, but the most popular is probably rubina psuedoacacia which is not a true acacia (hence the psuedo) and more commonly referred to as black locust. Boy those trees make a MESS. but their lumber is interesting and extremely rot resistant. I was on a quest for acacia a while back to make some church furniture (as yet another poster pointed out the biblical significance) but gave up after learning too many details.

    Good luck.

    Ryan

  12. Just to get the terminology right, Acacia is a genus, not a family in botanical classification terms. The Acacia genus includes about 1300 different species, most of them from Australia.

    Identification is a common issue with biblical woods. The name is just not specific enough to know which tree is being referenced.

    Woodworkers Source has Acacia melanoxylon, Australian Blackwood, in stock.

  13. #13
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    If it's a small box Walmart has it for about $11 a bd. ft. :

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=11015409

    Of course you tell your customer " Acacia is so exotic I had to search all the finest rare wood dealers to get it"

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jamie Buxton View Post
    Acacia grows in the US. Here in California, I sometimes see black acacia lumber for sale. It tends to be urban lumber, so finding big boards is unusual.
    Jamie, They grow like weeds here in Santa Cruz. I have cleared lots with these trees and used them for firewood. It isn't the best for firewood but I was doing a friend a favor...

  15. #15
    You might want to try the Willard Brothers Lumber located in Trenton, NJ, down the road from you. They may have something you're looking for even if what you're looking for is not listed on the website. They might be pricey, but the job is a comission anyway.

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