# Question about working with jatoba



## dstenson (Sep 27, 2008)

Hi there, I've got a few nice pieces of jatoba (bargain bin from flooring company) and I'm thinking of using them in a small wall hung cabinet. I can find very little information online about working with it. I've seen a only handful of projects here that have used jatoba (boxes, lamps, outdoor furniture).
I'm curious what you all think of it for furniture construction. 
Is it hard to work, dull your tools quickly, finish nicely, any surprises to look out for? 
Thanks everyone, any and all thoughts appreciated.

Happy New Year!


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Jatoba, or brazillian cherry, works easily enough but it is a very hard wood. It is about twice as hard as oak and will dull your saw blades much quicker than oak. But other than that it works pretty much like cherry. It doesn't need any stain because, like cherry, it is gorgeous enough on its own. Like cherry it will darken with exposure to light.


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

Jatoba can twist and move quite a bit. It is OK to use for furniture and cabinets. However, I recommend you plan your projects so as to be able to glue the pieces as soon as possible after milling. This will give you the best results.


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## TheCaver (Nov 21, 2007)

+1 on the moving and twisting…...

JC


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## Anthrax (Mar 24, 2008)

i don't like jatoba much. i don't really like the grain of it. its really really hard though. dulls tools very fast and when crosscutting chiping is very common.


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## dstenson (Sep 27, 2008)

Thanks for all the tips guys. Much appreciated…moving and twisting, chipping…all good to know ahead of time. I do like the look of it, and will likely just use a clear finish.
thanks again, Devin


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## sharad (Dec 26, 2007)

Devin, your question about using Jatoba was so useful for everyone. I thank you and all the expert and experienced LJs for providing such valuable information about the wood. More expert comments are awaited.
Sharad


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## MarcInAylmerQC (Jun 18, 2008)

Drilling is also tough in jatoba: it can burn a drill bit fast. If you're using a forstner bit, take "small bites" at a time, pulling the bit out to clear the chips often or it will burn. Make sure to lubricate any screws with soap or wax or they will break for sure. I put up some pictures of a sofa base I built: see my projects if you're interested.

Cheers
Marc in Aylmer, Qc


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## dstenson (Sep 27, 2008)

Sharad, I agree, LJ's is truly an amazing resource for us woodworkers. The information that experts are willing to provide is incredible and such a valuable learning experience for me.
Thanks for the tips Marc, and thanks for loading the pictures of your sofa base. Looks very nice, and it really shows me what the wood looks like all finished.


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## woodbutcher (Dec 29, 2006)

Jatoba is extremely hard and does dull cutting toold quickly. Crosscuts will inevitably incurr chipping.All of this has already been stated along with the tight grained charecteristic. What has not been said and I've experienced is that it has open pores also, which when finished initially with tung oil alone will cause spotting. I believe that it is the woods propensity to absorb too much oil at first and then try to dry from the surface first and underneath the finish later? This has been my observation when using 2parts tung oil and 1part mineral spirits.Possibly pure undiluted oil finishes would not exhibit this same result? I'm still planning to use a lot of Jatoba in other projects however! I just have to overcome the finishing nuances of this particular wood.Good luck and keep those cutting tools sharp!
Sincerely,
Ken McGinnis


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## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

COURBARIL (H)
Commercial Names: Locust (west Indies); West Indian locust (UK, USA).
Other Names: jutaby, jatoba, jatai amerelo, jatai vermelho (Brazil); locust (Surinam); copal (Equador); marbre (Guataloupe); guapinal (Mexico); agarrobo (Puerto Rico)
Distribution: Central and South America and West Indies
General Description: The heartwood is salmon red to orange-brown marked with dark brown and russet brown streaks. The wood has a golden lustre. The grain is commonly interlocked with a medium to coarse texture. Weight 910kg/m3 (56lb/ft3); specific gravity .91.
Mechanical properties: Very strong, hard and tough with very good bending classification
Seasoning: Rather difficult to dry, tends to be rapid with moderate surface checking and warping and a liability to case harden. Slow drying will overcome these tendencies. There is small movement in service.
Working properties: Moderately difficult to work because of its high density. It nails badly but has good screw holding; glues well. It has a moderate blunting effect on tools which must be kept sharp, and a reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees will provide a smooth finish on the interlocked grain. The wood stains well but does not take a high polish.
Durability: Moderately durable, but non-durable when a high proportion of sapwood is present. It is very resistant to termites and extremely resistant to preservative treatment.
Uses: Furniture, cabinetmaking, joinery, and turnery. Its high shock resistance makes it ideal for tool handles and sports goods; excellent for flooring, stair treads, ships planking, gear cogs, wheel rims, looms, general building construction. Used for steam bent boat parts in place of oak. Lock gates in waters free from marine borers. Second growth timber has a wide sapwood of greyish-pink colour, and is sliced for decorative veneers for panelling and furniture.
Note: Hymenaea davisii, Sandw., grows in Guyana and is similar in all other respects.

Source: World Woods in Color (William A. Lincoln) 1986


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## Ampeater (Feb 21, 2008)

I have used quite a bit of jatoba with good results. You really should not have much problem with the wood twisting and moving since you are using flooring. If it is straight now, it will probably stay straight. It does dull your tools as everyone else has said. Don't use a stain since the wood itself has a nice color and will change a lot (to a nice dark burgundy color) in a year or so. I like a wipe on varnish or a clear shellac.


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## FrankoManini (Oct 10, 2008)

Dev,

The only thing I have really heard about jatoba is that is splinters easily. Make sure you're working with the grain while planing and jointing and that will help.

My two cents, for what it's worth… actually, it's worth 2 cents.


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## grandpoobbaugh (Jun 25, 2009)

I have a wonderful jatoba counter that, alas, needs refinishing - - including some sanding. Even a little sanding brings out the significantly lighter wood underneath. I was wondering if the color change could be speeded up if I illuminated the wood with a heat lamp or a UV or conventional light. I have tested the refinish in a relatively dark area and it is getting its color back slowly if at all. There will be hell to pay if it takes a year or more to get back to the original coloring.


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## newTim (Jul 11, 2008)

For what its worth, here's some nightstands with Jatoba tops. I sanded to 220 and finished with GF Seal-A-Cell and a couple of top coats with GF Gel Stain. I really like the Jatoba. It finishes up real nicely. I also made a mantle with it.


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## gravity1000 (Jul 25, 2009)

Hi… was doing some research about something else and came across this thread.

I live in Brazil and work with Jatoba a lot, and have some experience as a result.

As most have seen, it's incredibly hard. If you try to nail it be prepared for heartache from splits unless you predrill the holes to almost perfect nail diameter. The older and more cured the wood the worse it is. On the flip side, it handles a close thread screw extremely well, though you can forget about driving a screw into the wood without splitting the wood or stripping the screw-head, unless you drill the hole sufficiently deep and sufficiently wide.

As far as cross-cut chipping goes, this is not a problem if you use a new, sharp and very high speed blade, and the wood is guided correctly.

To finish, I usually sand to 180/220 and then due to the darkening, just finish using a clear finishing sealer (the best one here is made by Bona, and is called Clear Nitro 5200) and then sand each coat to a finish with 360 grade. The finish after 3-4 coats is incredible, and very durable. Never seen a bug have a chance on this wood. To my mind it is one of the most beautiful furniture woods in existence.

I think in general using stains (it is virtually never stained down here), may cause heartache due to the color changes in the wood over time - you may end up with something darker and different to what you expect.

I never use a gloss finish on this wood, but that is a personal preference.

Down here it is the rolls royce of cabinet making wood. There are of course other more exotic woods but not nearly as popular or as available. Jatoba is relatively a very expensive wood here, though what we pay for it and what you pay for it is quite funny, when you do a comparison to the USA. Obviously much cheaper here.


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## woodandglass (Oct 5, 2010)

My husband is making all of our kitchen cabinets and he has already completed all of our bathroom vanities out of jatoba.
I live in the Caribbean where humidity is high, I was reading the last post about Brazilian finishes. What is there in the US for finishes that would be appropriate for Jatoba. I originally thought an oil finish but now I am rethinking that. We like a non-gloss finish. Any suggestions? The wood has dulled many of his tools, especially the planar knives but it is gorgeous wood. I like it much better than mahogany!


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## grandpoobbaugh (Jun 25, 2009)

I tested finishes on a scrap of wood using my "two days under a wet glass" method. It is amazing the differences in products. I ultimately used a urathane product which I diluted. I think that the dilution helps it penetrate. After each coat, I wiped it off so that the finished finish still showed the grain.

To season the wood, I put it outside in the Sun to get a nice rich color. Not a good idea. It got rained on and dewed on. When installed, the sanding took the color back to the original and it shrunk slightly. However, the nice seasoned color returned almost immediately, even inside. (Thus, my original question became moot!)

Great choice. Mahogony is nowhere near as nice.

Bill


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## SFNewbie (May 14, 2018)

I like this old thread discussing the use of Jatoba - I recently came across some cheap Jatoba flooring - 6 inch wide boards and I've been having a ton of trouble trying to mill it - its so dense and hard.
Planning to finish with Watco Danish Oil which is partly Boiled Linseed Oil - although I have some pure BLO that I can use instead if that would be a better oil finish.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

It's wonderful wood.. I think you have to wipe the oil off of it before gluing…


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