Okay Gentlemen---

I know we have discussed this before, but I have had a few different pieces of Gaboon [Nigerian] Ebony for the sole purpose of making it into forends for rifles and especially my custom being built. They have all checked to some degree eventhough the moisture reads `8% on my meter.

What other species do you recommend for then tips? I want it to be generally black and I want tested materials [wood only] not just something that we see on the Internet that looks good. I have bought and sold a few different species that I am considering such as Macassar Ebony [doesn't check nearly as bad, if at all], Bocote, and Ziricote. What do you recommend. I would love to hear what you stock makers have to say.

Thru the years I've used Ebony,Rosewood,Vermillion,Amaranth (PurpleHeart)very successfully. All make pretty tips and gripcaps depending on the color of the stockwood.

I'm partial to African Wenge - dark but with grain.

I am currently doing one in African blackwood. One of the guys in my practice turns a lot of bowls in blackwood and I got some from his supplier. It is going to be dark, but isn't truly 'black'....at least not like ebony. Personally I think it looks better because it has really nice grain.

quote:

Originally posted by Lfaler:
I am currently doing one in African blackwood. One of the guys in my practice turns a lot of bowls in blackwood and I got some from his supplier. It is going to be dark, but isn't truly 'black'....at least not like ebony. Personally I think it looks better because it has really nice grain.

If you get a chance, once you have it formed, could you please post a picture? I am very interested in its use. I am told it is the best turning wood every and that it is the standard for turning that all other woods are compared against.

I bought a chuck of Bocote at the local exotic wood supplier with the intent of using it on forends. I put a piece on a military stock I was piddling with and although I never finished it, the lines and striations in the wood make it a fairly interesting piece. Its just not very traditional. You might use bocote on a lighter colored stock like maple where the contrast would be interesting.

Glad too. I got a piece that is large enough to do 2 sets of handgun grips and probably at least 2 and maybe 4 forends. If I have any left, I may be able to sent you a piece. Either way, I will try to get you a picture when I get it roughed out. I have already cut the slabs for the handgun grips, and am trying to figure the best way to cut the rest. I am going to try to do a schnabel forend. While some may not prefer the look, the color of the sapwood really sets off the wood, so I may include a little bit since it shouldn't affect the function of the gun.

Gaboon Ebony....period.

I have a foreend tip made of African blackwood, which I think turned out pretty nice, got some grain, not perfectly black, but was/is very oily. I had trouble getting it to take a finish, actually DRY a finish, even though I gave it a good wash with mineral spirits first. It did work easily and has not checked (yet). In my amateur and humble opinion, it's got better color than Macassar (sp?) ebony...

In another post, Chic had suggested coloring your foreend tip wood with black shoe polish if you wanted it really black. Chic?

MKane160

For waxy or oily woods scrub them with acetone before applying finish. Once you get the first coat to stick good the succeeding coats should do fine. Paul Dressel taught me that little secret.

I really havent had any issue. But I use such small amounts. A crack or check in ebony can usually be fixed. Super glue or clear acraglass can hide it unless its really big.

I had one piece of ebony that checker pretty badly. I filled the cracks with acraglas and ebony sawdust. I still have a piece of wood from that stick, and it has really checked and cracked over the years. None of the other pieces I have or had of ebony cracked like that. It is all I use for tips, but I am thinking of doing a buffalo horn tip just do do something different.

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Originally posted by Marc_Stokeld:
but I am thinking of doing a buffalo horn tip just do do something different.

Hold your nose when you sand it on the belt sander.

I ordered two pieces of African blackwood from a dealer that trades in music grade wood for woodwinds such as clarinets.

One piece is figured with a little curl to it and the other has burl in it. Nice solid stock, but not what the music men want.

Since blackwood is actually a rosewood like all of the others dalbergia family it should be nice and stable.

Ebony's the way to go.. sealed with shellac.

rich

Gaboon Ebony is the classic, and looks very nice, but for me, it has no character. Black is black. I prefer the slight figure of blackwood, or macassar if I want black. I actually prefer woods with more figure like the rosewoods, bocote, or cocobolo (my personal favorite). If the wood is dark, I prefer the contrast of light accents, and vics versa. I have one dark claro that I put a mesquite tip on and think it looks very nice, even if it was my first attempt at forend tips.

For a truely classic look, go with black. Either gaboon ebony or buffalo horn. Sorta black tie with tuxedo. The forend tip should contrast not compete with the stock blank, unless you are of the opinion that Weatherby rifles are the best looking rifles you have ever seen.

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unless you are of the opinion that Weatherby rifles are the best looking rifles you have ever seen.

Good one Roger! Not at all in my opinion. The blackwood I have coming is nearly completely black, but up close you can see the grain flow in the wood. I hope to get a traditional look, but also have something a little different. I will post pictures as it comes in and gets finished.

There are several spieces of nearly black wood suitable for end caps . Some lignumvitae is almost ebony black ( familiy Zygophyllaceae ) Same goes for Greenheart ( Familiy Lauraceae ) Ocotea rodiael . Brazilian Rosewood ( Familiy Leguminosae ) Gaboon Ebony , Bocote , Borneo Ironwood ,Partridgewood coffeewood ( Familiy Leguminosae ) Even real teak ( Tectona grandis ) .Even Ipe Can be black , depending on region of origin .Heartwood only is what your after not sap wood !.

Contact either local or internet exotic wood suppliers and look see !.

A tip for working with difficult tropical hard woods no matter where they originate. If you receive a piece to your liking and are not ready to cut glue or other wise assemble to the stock. place the piece in a good oil ( tung oil ) of some type . If wood is received from a reputable dealer it will be moisture stablized already !. unless specified green ( not likely ) . This will arrest surface checking. Now when ready to use , remove from oil a couple of days before using . Wipe with acetone or lacquer thinner several times each day only where it's to be glued. Now rough up end to be glued with coarse sand paper .I prefer cross hatching . Wipe again with solvent , use a GOOD Quality Adhesive Epoxy . NOT wood glue !.

Certain woods continue to exude oil from with in the wood it's self . A finish of exterior oil or complete wipe down of stock with solvent before applying a Urethane finish or combinations of finishes is a must .

A note of caution be careful when working especially cutting , sanding of certain exotic woods . They can cause severe dermatitis such as Imbuia - Brazilian Walnut , Mansonia smells like Elephant piss. Don't ask how I know just trust me I do !.After 40 years of working with most woods of the world I should . Good luck .

I had a piece of unmarked wood in my stash and cut and sanded it to get a better look.......dammit is smells like rotten fish! What the hell is that???

Overall it looks like ironwood or a piece of very dark cocobolo.

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had a piece of unmarked wood in my stash and cut and sanded it to get a better look.......dammit is smells like rotten fish! What the hell is that???

hmmmm...Pussy Willow Tree?.....no probably not, nevermind.

The blackwood just came in the mail. I have two pieces that are 4X4 and 2 inches thick. One of them has curly/fiddleback grain [piece that also has sap wood] and the other has small pockets of burl and irregular grain pattern. The wood came out in the photo lighter in color than in person. It is basically jet black with barely noticeable grain.

Tell me what you think and which one you would use?



I really am happy with this wood so far as a replacement for ebony. It is dense, does not check as easily, and is a hard member of the rosewood family like cocobolo.

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unless you are of the opinion that Weatherby rifles are the best looking rifles you have ever seen.

We don't have any of those folks here do we?

Hehe

What about Texas ebony? Not quite as dark as true ebony, but plenty hard and it buffs to a nice luster. It is one species I use for my custom knife handles.

Here's a link to some photos of the wood:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/texas%20ebony.htm

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What about Texas ebony?

It was a thought but further investigation shows instability and trouble finding a piece that is not checked. I called two dealers and got the same comment.

I like Gaboon/Nigerian, but the above blackwood will be selected for the tip. Now I just need to decide what piece to use amongst the two. As I stated the wood is music grade wood and very fine grained and dense.