I am sorry if this is the wrong forum for this question, this is my first time attempting to ask a question. I have been looking at many of your projects and I am in awe. I didn't know so much could be done with wood. One type of wood has caught my eye and that is "blood wood". I live in Bakersfield CA I was wondering where to get it if at all. I am starting a small box project for a valentines day gift. I was hoping you guys could help put me in the direction of blood wood and also purple heart. "I think it called that" =) Again sorry if this is the wrong forum for this post.. Thank you for your help.
ps. I have looked at many woodworking sites and forums and this is by far the most impressive and welcoming. 30 min after I joined I checked my mail and I had 8 or 9 posts for some of you just welcoming me to the site. Thank you for taking the time to do that, it makes new people like me feel welcome.
Todd, Welcome. You'll get plenty of help here, these folks are the best. As to blood wood and purple heart depending on how much you need, Woodcraft sells the stuff in smaller boards. They tend to be more costly but if you don't need much they are an option.
Be sure to post what you make. Oh, and my wife's aunt lives in Bakersfield.
I picked mine up at my Woodcraft store. Expensive but all I could find at my other hardwood souces was riff cut or quarter sawn. I only want plain sawn. With plain sawn you get a consistent red color and a pleasing grain pattern. The riff cut and quarter sawn has more of a striped look with light and dark red.
I'm not certain where around Bakersfield you can get it, but when you do find a source you really need to look at the lumber closely. Bloodwood color can vary dramatically depending on the source. I've had some that was very light red to almost the orangish of Paduk after machining and other that was a nice deep red after machining. Plus the color of Bloodwood will darken with age (the rate of change will depend on the type of finish you use and the amount of light exposure). So you may start out with a beautiful deep red color and it may eventually go more toward a dark-red brown color. The lighter variations I've had don't darken as dramatically or to as nice a tone. Bloodwood also tends to seem more "waxy" to me when I work with it or shape it, but it glues up well. I use it a lot for accent and it contrasts well against a number of woods such as oak, maple, pine, cherry, lacewood and the like. On the "fun" side, if you have the dust on your skin, from sanding, and your sweating little it looks like your bleeding all over.
I just got a delivery of some Bloodwood and Maple from West Penn Hardwoods off the net.
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