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Thread: Question about the species of wood blank I turned

  1. 06-06-2012, 5:28 PM #1
    Dave Kartzman
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    Question about the species of wood blank I turned

    Hi....

    I picked up an small bowl blank recently of an unknown variety of South American wood. It was very dense and exceptionally heavy for its size. It turned like concrete. It has to contain a great deal of Silica as it took me three sharpenings of the bowl gouge to hollow out the simple bowl. I have included a photo of the finished bowl. Does anyone have a clue what it could be? The gentleman I bought the wood from thought it was from Peru...

    Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

    Dave
    DaveS.A. bowl.jpg
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  3. 06-06-2012, 5:32 PM #2
    Joe Landon's Avatar
    Joe Landon
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    Orange Agate.
    "My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one."
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  4. 06-07-2012, 6:42 AM #3
    Dave Kartzman
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    Thanks for responding... I want to apologize upfront.. I uploaded and didn't check the photo before submitting the thread. There is no orange tint in the wood. The coloring was off in the photo (I am struggling with taking accurate photos - I don't have a good camera yet). Here is the photo that I should have uploaded that more properly represents the color of the wood.... I'm sorry for my gaffe.

    Dave

    mystery wood.jpg
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  5. 06-07-2012, 8:55 AM #4
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    Robert McGowen
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    I would guess that it is Jatoba, often known as Brazilian Cherry. I have quite a bit of the stuff and it is exactly as you descibe. It is fairly common and finding a blank of it would not be unusual.
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  6. 06-07-2012, 9:15 AM #5
    Don Alexander
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    looks like Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) to me as well i'm not sure but what concrete would be easier to turn

    it is really pretty stuff though and sands out pretty easily and takes a finish pretty well also
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  7. 06-07-2012, 10:43 AM #6
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    Brian Brown
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    +1 for Brazilian Cherry. Hard as rock, dulls tools fast, but very beautiful. Yep. Brazilian cherry.
    Brian

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    in charge of Blade Dulling
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  8. 06-07-2012, 10:54 AM #7
    Don Orr's Avatar
    Don Orr
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    Description and photo leade me to believe Cumaru.
    Happy and Safe Turning, Don


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  9. 06-07-2012, 10:44 PM #8
    Dave Kartzman
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    Thanks to everyone for responding. Whether it is Brazillian Cherry or Cumaru, it turns like it is made of concrete, but it really is extraordinarily beautiful when finished... I'll do some additional reading up on both and see what I can figure out. Again, my apologies for the terrible photos... I truly need a better camera... (although most of the trouble is with the photographer...lol).

    Dave
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  10. 06-08-2012, 4:46 PM #9
    ray hampton
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    do any company make a camera that attach to your computer vie USB cable ?
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  11. 06-08-2012, 10:07 PM #10
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    Bernie Weishapl
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    I just did some Jatoba and it was exactly as you described. Hard, sharpening tools all the time but when finished it was beautiful.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
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