Jatoba question

[qquake]

I have a figured jatoba blank that I got from Woodturningz. It didn't feel heavy, but it's turning like it's very dense. Does it look like it's diagonal cut? It didn't say anything about it in the description. Could that be why it's so difficult to turn? I'm using a carbide chisel and shearing cuts.

Figured Jatoba Pen Blank - WoodTurningz

Figured Jatoba Pen Blank

www.woodturningz.com

 

[MRDucks2]

Looks lore like a cross cut than a diagonal to me.

 

[qquake]

They turned like end grain. The first one chipped out, but I successfully turned the second.

 

[monophoto]

I agree with MRDucks2 - these look like cutoffs with face grain on two faces, and end grain on the other two. As a result. They will turn like end grain. Hard work, but can be quite pretty.

 

[leehljp]

Living overseas for a good while ruined me. What other countries called their woods and what it is often called in English or Euro-N.America - was often different.

I bought numerous small boards in Japan imported from SE Asia or South America that looked just like that, but I only heard the Jatoba word back here in the States. I can't remember the name of the wood I bought over there that looked identical to that in the color, ring spacing, grain pores. I still have some.

BTW, it looks like it has some sap wood on one end, or is that just lighting.

 

[wrjones224]

I actually brought a some jatobá back from Brazil. It was cross cut and looks similar to the wood here. Although the stuff I have was very yellow in nature. But similar to yours in being very hard to turn and quite porous.

 

[qquake]

Living overseas for a good while ruined me. What other countries called their woods and what it is often called in English or Euro-N.America - was often different.

I bought numerous small boards in Japan imported from SE Asia or South America that looked just like that, but I only heard the Jatoba word back here in the States. I can't remember the name of the wood I bought over there that looked identical to that in the color, ring spacing, grain pores. I still have some.

BTW, it looks like it has some sap wood on one end, or is that just lighting.

I don't know if it's sapwood or not.

 

[Sylvanite]

Jatoba (a.k.a. Brazilian Cherry) is a very hard and durable wood. They use it for flooring. I made a Jatoba pen once, and it was one of the more difficult woods I have turned. It resisted cutting and dulled my tools even faster than Teak.

Jatoba can be very pretty, but it is not easy to cut or turn.

Regards,
Eric

 

[qquake]

I've turned lignum vitae with no problems. It's a very dense wood. They used it for submarine prop shaft bushings in WW2. Although there are two varieties of it, I don't know if they're both just as dense. I believe I turned the Argentine variety, I believe.

 

[PatrickR]

I've turned lignum vitae with no problems. It's a very dense wood. They used it for submarine prop shaft bushings in WW2. Although there are two varieties of it, I don't know if they're both just as dense. I believe I turned the Argentine variety, I believe.

Lignum turns wonderfully. Density doesn't equate to how it turns. If you purchased the Lignum in the last ten years it is likely argentine, (unless you paid a very high price).

 

[GuyOwen]

its hard to tell it does look cross cut which would easily explain how hard it is but i have also learned that just because it doesnt look hard to turn it could be hard to turn even with carbide