exotic wood

[dereks]

Anyone have experience carving exotic wood? I'd love to hear your experiences. Which type was it. Did it carve easily? I'd love to carve in some more exotic species, but I know each species presents its own challenges. I'd love to hear your experiences.

[idigjars]

I've never carved any exotic wood but for safety reasons please check the toxicity ratings of the exotic woods you want to carve. More so from sanding than carving. Good luck carving and keep us posted. Paul

[Magicman]

Hi Derek
I have not carved exotic wood, but I have turned a lot of it. Most Exotic wood is very hard and dense as you can tell by the weight of it. The advice given to you by Idigjars is right on about being very careful when sanding. The dust can be very bad to breathe, it also can irritate the skin just by being on it. You should get a toxicity chart and guard against any effects the wood you are going to use has. Also just as a side note be careful of Spaulted wood the spaulting is a fungus and is very bad for your lungs, it put me flat on my back for 2 weeks once and I learned.
Hope this helps
Larry

[riverwood-dan]

Hi Derek
I have worked with many exotics (not carving tho, heirloom boxes and the like) I did carve a box lid on a bloodwood box and found it to carve beautifully. I would recommend you get the book WOOD Identification and Uses by Terry Porter. It gives a lot of info on each wood including possible health hazards. Just remember when in doubt wear a mask and goggles.

[Bruce Bird]

Hi Derek
I have carved an eagle out of Lignom Vitie Not sure how to spell it. The wood is very heavy dense and a browny yellow colour . Carved nice.
Bruce

[Buffalo Bif]

Not exotic but nice to carve, Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Close grain, light scent, yellow to white color, waxy surface froma a sharp knife.
Paulownia originally exotic grows here now, open grained very soft holds detail well. Softer than bass.
Spanish Cedar, exotic, diffuse porous, nice to carve one of my favs if not my absolute fav, brown or reddish in color, cuts like butter. Prolly same hardness as Bass?
I've dabbled with accents in ebony, jaffah, and a few others, but I'm a whittler and did not enjoy the finger numbing hardness of most of them. I suspect if you are power carving it is a different story.

[Claude]

Derek:
Good advise above about toxicity. Here are some links to more specific info:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis30.pdf
Toxic Woods List
http://www.woodturner.org/resources/toxicity.cfm
TOXIC WOODS CHART
Danger in the Woods
and to help you identify exotic woods
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

Hope this helps you.
Claude

[pallin]

I have a little experience with carving exotics - genizaro, afromosia, Nicaraguan cedar. Often they are hard, with twisted grain. I have not had any toxic reactions, perhaps because I do not use power carving equipment or sand the pieces. There are some domestic exotics too, like manzanita, madrona, etc.

[squbrigg]

I've done some exotic wood carving, and I have found that they are best done with power. You have to be careful of the dust and be sure to use both a collector and a good quality mask, but the results are worth it. I've done Afermosia, Ebony, Cocobola, Benge, Rosewood, Wenge, Ziracote, Zebrawood, Kingwood, and some others I can't spell nor pronounce, but I enjoyed the beautiful finish you can achieve because of the very hard nature of the wood, close grained and all. Not for the faint of heart.

Bob

[Dileon]

I use exotics, so many that I do not bother to look them up. I do know which ones that are deadly poison. Almost all exotics are hardwood, and the twisted grain adds to the issues. I power carve as many of them will break my best chisels and some have even broke power tools such as burn out the motor on the TX Foredom, cheap bits will not touch the surface...such as Kiawe, beautiful grain. But with the exotics I cover the skin and when it is hot out....I really have to watch the skin as it will take in poison wood more easily. That means jeans, boots, long sleeve tight shirt, positive flow mask, and hat and safety goggles. When you power carve, you may still get wood oils and such on you, this means a hot scrub shower after you are finished. Exotic I have yet to find any easy carved.... And I find they vary in hardness a great deal from tree to tree. My favorites so far are Paduak, Olive, Sandwood. mainly because of color. Camphor is a great carve. Australian Cedar, African Blackwood is super hard but beautiful when finished. Rosewood Bolivian and East Indian outstanding detail. Ebony African and Macassar hard to get, expense but priceless carving. Teak, Ipe, Silver Oak, Monkeypod, Tropical Walnut, Philippine Mahogany, Mango, Guava, Pheasant, Kou, Hondura Mahogany, Hau, Haole Koa, and Koa. Bubinga and I am sure I have forgotten a few. All woods are super wonderful to try, each has its own issues when learning to carve them, but all leave outstanding carvings. Hardwood you can often make little details that will not break easily, but I say try them all each is an experience worth trying. I have a lot on my wood rack that I have yet to try...., some are so outrageous in price, I am scared to death I will ruin them, but the design for them is in progress. .... as Bob said not for the faint of heart.....they are major hard work, but the finished work is normally outstanding.