Bubinga and African Blackwood

[Tim Malyszko]

Yesterday, I was down at the local Exotic Hardwood Dealer (Hearne Hardwoods if anyone cares) looking for some inspiration for a 1000 cigar humidor I plan on building. I was originally thinking Figured Mahogany, but the person giving me a hand showed me some Bubinga that also looked promising.

I've never built anything out of Bubinga outside of a few turnings. I wasn't planning on veneering, but instead making the humidor out of solid wood with a spanish cedar lining.

Are there any negatives in using solid bubinga and what are there any finishes that one should avoid when working with Bubinga?

Also, for contrast, she showed me some great African Blackwood blanks sitting in the basement, so I was planning on turning some legs for this piece out of it.

Any feedback, positive or negative, would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Benjamin Dahl]

Tim, that sounds like a great project and i look forward to seeing how it progresses. I have used bubinga some and don't see any problems using solid wood. My guess is that people use veneer due to price and weight (heavy stuff for sure). Also, some of the best figured bubinga is probably cut for veneer. I have finished using an oil base with a ceramithane (not sure if that is spelled right; it's a water based poly) finish.
Here is another posting showing a different finish.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hlight=bubinga
Hope this helps and I look forward to hearing from others who have worked with it more than I have.
Ben

[Jim Becker]

Ah, Hearne...one the best "candy stores" on the planet!

Bubinga is an outstanding species for the look...great figure and a wonderful color. I love the look of it. Personally, I avoid it simply because "I" apparently have a significant sensitivity to it. The one project I've used it in my own shop, I got ill fairly quickly...and that was a turning. Which bums me out as I was considering it for a dining room table project. Oh, well...

I think the look will be outstanding for your humidor. You need, however, to compare the seasonal movement specifications for the bubinga and the Spanish cedar so you can work the interior design to avoid wood movement problems. You will unlikely be able to glue them together in a sandwich; rather, you'll need to use mechanical fasteners that hold things secure, but allow the liner to move independent of the outer case. And honestly, this would apply even if you are using something other than bubinga...two species with different movement (and possibly different grain direction) need to be assembled carefully.

[Tim Malyszko]

Ah, Hearne...one the best "candy stores" on the planet

Woops. I meant Hibdon Hardwoods. Hearne is about 9 hours from me, but I love looking at their website.

Hibdon is the Local St. Louis "Candy stores" - they specialize in exotic lumber and have quite the retail and wholesale selection. The best part for me is that its only 2 miles from my office, so I find many opportunities to drool.

Also, thanks for the feedback on Bubinga being an irritant. Many exotics bother me, so hopefully Bubinga won't be one.

This should be a fun project.

[Todd Burch]

Bubinga is good to work with. Not much splintering when you cut it with a saw. It is very dense - tough to sand. It has big pores, so consider filling them for a nicer finish. It takes oil well.

Todd