Nice little score here...(Ironwood)

Abbott

Abbott

Well-Known Member
I went to pick up this jig for $15.00 from a fellow on Craig's List today and he happened to be a woodworker who also sold me a stack of scrap ironwood for $10.00. The jig is a left over piece from a Delta blade sharpener that he didn't need. It will provide me with a model for a sharpening machine that I am building. The 15 pieces of ironwood are 1 1/2X 1 1/2X 15 1/2 inches. I will stabilize them myself.
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Good score, is it desert Iron wood or Surinam Ironwood? I know a lot of wood workers use Surinam but it doesn't have the same grain or figure.
 
It looks like the stuff out of Arizona and Mexico. It is hard as a rock! I will have to cut it and sand it before I can see exactly what it is going to look like.

You are correct Frank ironwood doesn't take to stabilizing real well but any resin it will soak up is helpful with the cracking that takes place over years of use.
 
Don't bother trying to stabilize it. If its true Olneya tesota It won't take any and doesn't need any.

The cracking is from people that cut it up into blocks before it's completely dry!

If your new friend got that many even solid cuts of that length of real Ironwood and is just giving them away, he ether found the holy grail of Ironwood logs or its some other kind of wood. From viewing those cuts in your blurry picture I have some doubts?
 
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rhinoknives said:
Don't bother trying to stabilize it. If its true Olneya tesota It won't take any and doesn't need any.

The cracking is from people that cut it up into blocks before it's completely dry!

If your new friend got that many even solid cuts of that length of real Ironwood and is just giving them away, he ether found the holy grail of Ironwood logs or its some other kind of wood. From viewing those cuts in your blurry picture I have some doubts?
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^^^I agree with this. All of it.
 
You can tell if it's ironwood, if it sinks in water.

There are several types of ironwoods. Here in AZ are the common desert ironwood, and also the wood from the base of a chaparral (AKA creosote) bush. Both are so dense and heavy, they sink to the bottom like a stone in water. I believe that's how all "ironwoods" are classified.

I also have some doubts about that wood,... probably not "desert ironwood", but maybe some other type.
 
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I am happy with it and I look forward to finding the time to get into working with it. I'm a hobby guy so I appreciate finding stuff like this and I am always on the look out for scraps and pieces of materials that I can put to use for something, it's part of the fun of what I like to do. I will drop a chunk of it in a pan of water if you guys want to know the result. I will also give it a go with a vacuum chamber to see how it wants to act. It will most likely set on a shelf for a few months until I get a chance to use some of it as projects are stacked up (as usual) here. I have kept a bowie from 15 years ago or so with an ironwood handle that is still very serviceable but has cracks in it. I like the wood and am excited to have found these pieces.
 
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For $10 how can you go wrong? If you get one decent knife handle out of the 15 pieces - it will pay for itself.

It sure would help if you sanded up a piece and took a decent picture to share.

DeMo
 
DeMo said:
For $10 how can you go wrong? If you get one decent knife handle out of the 15 pieces - it will pay for itself.

It sure would help if you sanded up a piece and took a decent picture to share.

DeMo
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I can do that today DeMo. I had no idea that the ironwood you guys like to use is so rare. I will be happy to look into this stuff a bit further and post a bit more information on it. After all learning and sharing is why most of use come here. I myself spend time on this forum reading almost daily. I'm a novice compared to a lot of you guys.
 

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I will cheerfully let you know in a bit One. I am still finishing up my coffee and haven't headed out to the shop yet. I'm sure my dogs would like me to get out there early this morning so they can lay around near the heater.
 
rhinoknives said:
Don't bother trying to stabilize it. If its true Olneya tesota It won't take any and doesn't need any.

The cracking is from people that cut it up into blocks before it's completely dry!

If your new friend got that many even solid cuts of that length of real Ironwood and is just giving them away, he ether found the holy grail of Ironwood logs or its some other kind of wood. From viewing those cuts in your blurry picture I have some doubts?
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0_feather.jpg
I had a genuine feather pillow when I got married and my wife confiscated it. I had to purchase another feather pillow at Wal-Mart. Now I find plenty of feathers in my bed in the mornings. This one I found on the back of my wife's nightshirt this morning. I know that the photo is blurry, but can you tell if this is a genuine feather from an American chicken? You know a gallus gallus. Will it float?
 
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I'm curious if it sinks or not?
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I split a piece with the bandsaw and then cut it off at 5 5/8". I dropped it into a 5 gal bucket with about 4" of water in it and it went straight to the bottom and stayed there. The saw dust tastes like crap. I am one of those dinosaurs who still uses a flip phone which my wife takes pictures with for me. That's why the photos are blurry. I asked her to plug in her camera and charge it and I will get (hopefully) a couple of better pictures for you guys in a couple of hours. The interior grain may be helpful in identifying the correct species.
 
No one here, especially me, is trash talking your wood.
I just don't think its true Desert Ironwood. Doesn't mean it won't make a good knife handle. It kinda looks like Ipe from? This stuff from S America. that still won't take stabilization but will make a serviceable knife handle as is.
 
Cool! It's ironwood.

There's actually quite a few. The Mexican desert ironwood is more a homogenous dark brown than the stuff that grows here with "yellow" the grain.

Here's a good link that talks about different hardwoods.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plsept99.htm

... It might be Mexican. They grow big down there.
 
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rhinoknives said:
No one here, especially me, is trash talking your wood.
I just don't think its true Desert Ironwood. Doesn't mean it won't make a good knife handle. It kinda looks like Ipe from? This stuff from S America. that still won't take stabilization but will make a serviceable knife handle as is.
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I didn't think that Lawrence. I was just being a smart alec. Sorry if I was rude, I sincerely apologize. I always enjoy you're posts and I respect your knowledge and experience.
 
One said:
Cool! It's ironwood.

There's actually quite a few. The Mexican desert ironwood is more a homogenous dark brown than the stuff that grows here with "yellow" the grain.

Here's a good link that talks about different hardwoods.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plsept99.htm



... It might be Mexican. They grow big down there.
Click to expand...

I bookmarked that website that you posted and I thank you for it. I am looking forward to getting some better quality pictures posted of the grain. It's very tight and very dark brown.
 
Here is some grain patterns on inexpensive, real Arizona Desert ironwood. About 10-30 bucks a set.AAA WOOD.jpg The real nice burl parts can go for 100 to 200 bucks a set of scales.

Remember that when you first cut it. The grain won't stand out very strong. Take it to 400 grit and wait a few days for the grain to pop out.
 
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I have pictures of what I have now, it is not burl wood, it is just ironwood. I took these photos on my workbench with my wife's camera, it is a ten year old digital. (Thanks, now I have to get her a new one!)

This is the piece chosen randomly that I split on the bandsaw. Wet piece (out of the bucket of water) and the dry half.

P2230029__.jpg...P2230030__.jpg...I tried to zoom in on this one but it looks like I took the dry piece out of the frame. P2230031___.jpg

It looks like ironwood to me.
 
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