Where does everyone get their ebony for forends? I found some on Ebay and also on the Brownells website. I was wondering if there is a preferred supplier and didn't know if there is a difference in quality. Some of the ebay ebony has light colored streaks through it, has anyone used that for forends?

In the past, I used Brownells ebony blocks, but I was just wondering what everyone else used.

After bad experiences with "green" wood from other suppliers I tried Dressels and have been very happy with them. The wood has been solid black and ready to use.

Not the cheapest but I don't look for deal's when it comes to this stuff.

Terry

The ebony with the light colored streaking is Macassar Ebony. The solid black Ebony is Gabon Ebony.
You can get either type at many internet hardwood retailer such as Hearne Hardwoods.

http://www.hearnehardwoods.com...hp?manufacturerid=18

You can also get it at a local Rocklers (used to be Woodworkers Supply).

http://www.rockler.com/search_...rch=usr&filter=ebony

i've had some crumby experience with ebony sticks off ebay ... wet,. horrible, and bad ...

go with a long term wood supplier

quote:

The ebony with the light colored streaking is Macassar Ebony. The solid black Ebony is Gabon Ebony.
You can get either type at many internet hardwood retailer such as Hearne Hardwoods.

Be careful though, not all gabon ebony is solid black and it takes forever for this stuff to dry.

Terry

I have had good luck here.

http://www.exoticwoodgroup.com/order_Gabon_ebony.htm

Gilmer Wood an outfit out of Oregon usually has it in stock. ABout the only place I know of that has 2x2x12 Gabon for sale.

GilmerWood

I'm fortunate to have a few local hard wood suppliers. Frost, Rockler, and the other I can't remember the name. But they have or can get just about anything you need from ash to zebra

quote:

Originally posted by DavidReed:
Gilmer Wood an outfit out of Oregon usually has it in stock. ABout the only place I know of that has 2x2x12 Gabon for sale.

GilmerWood

+1 for Gilmer.
That's where I buy most all of my exptic woods, including the several kinds of Ebony.

I just saw a block of Ebony for tip making at Midwayusa for $12.99.

quote:

Originally posted by BEGNO:
I just saw a block of Ebony for tip making at Midwayusa for $12.99.

Yeah, it's cheap enough. When it shrinks after it's shapped because it wasn't dry enough it won't seem like the deal it is now. I've got that T-shirt.

I stopped looking for deals and started looking for trusted sources after that.

Terry

I have had this one for several years "curing" and now it is ready to go. Will be a 1K HG for IBS shooting.

I got one piece from brownells. I scraped some of the wax off to square the piece up and then went to get the drill for the pins. By the time I got back it had a large crack running through it.

Same happened after getting some from a "trusted" local source.

I do not know what it is about ebony, but it will crack in a hurry if not properly dried.

-myers

I used to get good ebony from cookwoods.com

KCStott ; Just up the Road from You ; Mitch is reputable and has been in business for over 30 years

I know of .

He's an equal opportunity supplier ; which means he carries turning blanks ,Lumber ,Slabs an Burls

http://www.anexotichardwood.com/turning.html

He also knows his PRODUCTS and sells it according to Species Specific Genius , so there's NEVER a Mistake !.

2270 Camino Vida Roble
Carlsbad, CA 92011-1503 Next to the railroad tracks
(760) 434-3030


Here's a tip for either drying the wood from the get go or just wringing out a little moisture

after it's been setting around absorbing RH for a while . Keep end grain sealed up !!!.

Drying wood requires supplying energy and also the removal of moisture (about 4 gallons per 1000 board

feet for each 1% MC loss). So you do the math for your size requirement based on KNOWING the MC of your

particular piece of wood . Some people use Attics , sheds some use ovens and Microwaves others use

DH Vacuum kilns ( Which is the Proper way ). However not everyone has those on hand or is willing to

build them.

I borrowed this from Wiki so to shorten a long winded session ;

1. Free water: The bulk of water contained in the cell lumina is only held by capillary forces: it is not bound chemically and is termed free water. Free water is not in the same thermodynamic state as liquid water: energy is required to overcome the capillary forces. Furthermore, free water may contain chemicals, altering the drying characteristics.

2. Bound or hygroscopic water: Bound water is bound to the wood via hydrogen bonds. The attraction of wood for water arises from the presence of free hydroxyl (OH) groups in the cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin molecules in the cell wall. The hydroxyl groups are negatively charged electrically. Water is a polar liquid. The free hydroxyl groups in cellulose attract and hold water by hydrogen bonding.

In plain English some woods are more difficult to dry !.

Now link up here and read about drying wood ( Properly done results in the least amount of

degradation ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying

Eback units or Evaporation Kilns are the quickest cleanest with least degrade

( Including Air drying !!!. ) . If one doesn't get carried away low heat or low power Oven or Microwave

respectively can help do the job quicker . The main idea is getting the water OUT from the inside and the

only way it can be accomplished is FORCING it out SLOWLY but CONSTANTLY until it reaches Equilibrium .

Example ; A small turning blank or fore end cap you could place in a home made covered box

with a low power computer fans ( use one as exhaust other one as a circulating fan ) put a 60 -100 watt

light bulb inside the box ). The three main things to remember Harder or Denser woods take longer,

KEEP END GRAIN SEALED and keep higher temperature air moving over the wood but not to high ,

other wise you end up with expensive firewood !!!.

Doc
They moved then because about fifteen years ago they were right off of PCH at State st Tucked back in a little shop. That was the location next to the RXR tracks. I've been looking for them for the last five or so years with no luck.
THANKS

That's correct he did move as far as I know and your absolutely right he was on State St. in that hole in

the wall next to RXR . I was purveying hardwood back in the 70's when I met Mitch .

I was with a Huge Company that stocked nearly 12 million BDFT of Exotics as they weren't particularly

keen on burl or slabs suitable for Specialty trades ( I worked that end pretty well ) Logs Lumber

and Veneers was our main stock in trade . You know who he is and I believe that's current info I posted .

Yep I checked the site and it's good.
Appreciate the post