<html><div>This stuff gives new meaning to "hard"
hardwood. I got a piece of this ironwood a while back. I
understand that it is used in bridge/road building. I don't
know that it would look good as a tuning lever handle, so it might not be
worth trashing your tools over.</div>
<br>
<div>At 08:57 AM 2/20/99 -0600, you wrote:</div>
<div>> Mostly I make pens, but I've used some fairly</div>
<div>>hard woods, and the belt sharpens enough to make the tools
adequate for</div>
<div>>anything I do......</div>
<div>>les bartlett</div>
<div>>houston</div>
<div>></div>
<div>>On Sat, 20 Feb 1999 00:02:02 -0600 Charles E Faulk
<cfaulk2@juno.com></div>
<div>>writes:</div>
<div>>>John, </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>The wood you are describing is closely akin to a specie
called lignum </div>
<div>>>vitae which is extremely dense having a specific gravity of
1.23. The </div>
<div>>>chunk you have is worth a bit of money on today's market.
</div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>The best advice I can give you is to keep a rough sharpening
stone </div>
<div>>>next to your lathe and touch up the edge of your turning
tools </div>
<div>>>frequently. The most common finishing tool you will use is
the skew; </div>
<div>>>it looks like an angled chisel and is easily sharpened on a
stone. </div>
<div>>>Also these exotic woods are extremely oily and clog
sandpaper very </div>
<div>>>quickly. Keep a good supply on hand and change your
sandpaper out </div>
<div>>>frequently. </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>I really don't know of any carbide turning tools. Do you
know of a </div>
<div>>>source? </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>Charles Faulk</div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>On Fri, 19 Feb 1999 18:23:17 -0700 John R Fortiner </div>
<div>>><pianoserv440@juno.com> writes:</div>
<div>>>>Charles, I am just curious. Have you ever tried
turning Mexican </div>
<div>>>>Ironwood? That stuff, I would think, would make a
great tuning lever </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>>as it is very dense and strong (sinks in water). I
have a piece here </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>>that I have been saving to make a lever with, but have
never done so </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>>as I only have a small piece - roughly 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x
15 inches. It </div>
<div>>></div>
<div>>>>is certainly well aged as I acquired the wood in
1969. The only </div>
<div>>>thing </div>
<div>>>>that I know for sure about it is that it is really tough
on steel </div>
<div>>>>tools. I have seen my piece take the edge off HS
steel jointer </div>
<div>>>blades </div>
<div>>>>in about 2 seconds ( OUCH ! ). The
"natives" where it grows use </div>
<div>>>tools </div>
<div>>>>made of stone to work it. I suppose that carbide
would hold up to </div>
<div>>>it, </div>
<div>>>>but you know the price of carbide turning tools.
If you have any </div>
<div>>>>thoughts about this, please respond.</div>
<div>>>></div>
<div>>>>John R. Fortiner</div>
<div>>>>pianoserv440@juno.com </div>
<div>>>>___________________________________________________________________
</div>
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<div>>></div>
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<div>>></div>
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<div>></div>
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>
<br>
<b>Vince<br>
</b><i>vince@byu.edu<br>
</i></html>