Ebony (Diospyros ebenum)
Ebony is a really beautiful wood but is also very, very hard to work with. from my uses of Ebony i have found that it is a very brittle wood and chips very often. it is also very hard to shape using hand tools again because it chips so much. really i have found that the only way to shape it is to sand it and because it is so dark i have a hard time of finding in which direction the grain runs and all it does it chip. also when gluing up Ebony because of the oil content Epoxy is the best way to join it as standard wood glue doesn’t hold well or dry well.
Cost again is a major factor and why many piece you see are Ebonized but i would say that if you have the chance to work with Ebony it is a great experience and is a beautiful wood once it is finished. my favored way of getting ebony is just buying cutoffs and using it for accents. for finishing it is good to coat it with a coat of dewaxed shellac first because the oil content might inhibit the finish from bonding correctly. I have a project with Ebony that i am working on now and i will post pictures here once i put the last coat of finish on.
5 comments so far
dlcarver
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228 posts in 179 days
posted 103 days ago
Piano keys are Ebony…...not a good carving wood. I made a cross out of it. That’s all I ever did with it. Good Luck ! Dave
-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com
Karson
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12734 posts in 850 days
posted 103 days ago
Great addition to the wood library.
Thanks for your insites.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Todd A. Clippinger
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2533 posts in 548 days
posted 103 days ago
Is that project the frame you were working on? I was just looking to see if you posted anymore on it? I can’t wait.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
teenagewoodworker
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1947 posts in 217 days
posted 103 days ago
well it is for a picture frame that i made for my ccousins graduation. Its really cool and i filmed the whole thing and should have everything on either by tonight or tommorow. i am working on the other hickory frame too. I have the lumber ripped down to final size now and i should have the construction done by tommorow. thanks for the comments everyone.
GaryK
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8410 posts in 437 days
posted 94 days ago
I have worked with Gabon ebony a lot. It does chip out while cross cutting if you are not careful.
Ripping is not bad at all.
It turns great and polishes up great. It’s used for a lot of woodwind instruments.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.