Ripping Lignum Vitae

[Morton Heller]

I have a 2X2X36" piece of lignum vitae (Argentine) that I'd like to rip. The wood is actually a bit over 2" by 2". If I use a bandsaw, what blade would you recommend? I have an open stand 14" Jet with a 3/4hp motor.

I also have a tablesaw with a Systematic Budke blade on it.

The bandsaw is new - any ideas about whether a bimetal blade will work well on this size of saw?

[Rick Lizek]

Use the coarsest bandsaw blade you have or it will burn, 2 or 3 tpi. I'd just use a 40 tooth rip blades on the table saw.

[Cody Colston]

If you want specifics, I'd use a 1/2", 3 tpi AS Timberwolf blade.

[James Carmichael]

I've never worked with that stuff, but I'll second all advice above for BS blades, with the addendum that I'd use a sharp, new blade.

[Morton Heller]

I asked about an appropriate bandsaw blade because I am a new owner, and have never cut such hard wood before. It feels like you are lifting iron.
I have read recommendations for using a finer blade for very hard woods- The Bandsaw Handbook, but wanted to get feedback on the forum.
I have a 1/2" 3 pitch PC blade from Timberwolf that might work for this.

[Don Abele]

Lignum is VERY dense and full of resins. Heartwood is harder than sapwood. We work with this stuff all the time to make our belaying pins (the resins make it self lubricating in the pin rails).

It turns great, but cuts nasty. We use a 3 tpi Timberwolf blade and feed slow. About the only thing that we use that's harder to cut is live oak!

On another note, if you are planing on gluing it, good luck. About the only thing we have found will bond it well is Gorilla Glue and even then, we've had pieces fail at the glue line.

Good luck.

Be well,

Doc

[Brian Boru]

It is substantial. I have a half dozen mallets made of lignum vitae and they are still as sound as the day I took the first swing 35+ years ago. Never tried to cut any.
http://uberdense.com/

[Brian Boru]

" It turns great,"

Don,
What are you using, tungsten carbide or titanium carbide?

[Brian Kent]

Only one experience myself, cutting 1-3/4" thick with a table saw. None of the problems I expected materialized. At the time all I had was a cheap benchtop saw, but I had a Forrest Woodworker II fine kerf blade.

The cut was shiny smooth, but one thin piece that I sliced off bent like I have never seen before.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Brian, I turn Lignum vitae regularly for use in the tools I make. Standard turning tools of M2 HSS work just fine if resharpened regularly. I do finish off my sharpening with a 5-10 second hone on a strop though.

[Don Abele]

Brian, almost all the bandsaw blades we use are bi-metal. The 3 tpi resaw blade we use is 1" wide.

Now for the BIG stuff we turn to the large bandsaw with a 2" 1 tpi silicon steel blade. I really have to get some time to get some pics of the shop to post.

Be well,

Doc

EDIT: Ooopss...missed that you quoted "it turns great". Like Dave, we use HSS turning tools. They do require A LOT of resharpening along the way. If the LV is dry it chatters a lot. Though I've only seen that with some >100 year old stuff we were working with. For the most part, because of the resins, it self-lubricates and turns nicely.

[Brian Boru]

Thanks Dave & Doc.
I have a gouge and skew a friend silver soldered a piece of tungsten carbide to, never really tried them out, maybe it is time to take-'em for a spin.