Ebony

[Walt2]

Need some info on ebony. You guys who have used ebony, do you seal it or not? I am thinking of sealing it and then using Carnauba wax. Any comments appreciated.

 

[rlinger]

I haven't intentionally sealed it. I have finished it with oils though. Ebony appears to be naturally stabilized.

 

[Mike Hull]

I try not to use Ebony if I can help it. It has a penchant for cracking, and swelling/shrinking that I don't like.

Use sharp belts, and a light touch. Don't heat the stuff up too much.

All that said, I've used Watco neutral Danish oil as a sealer, as per instructions, followed by Watco satin wax. Carnauba would work well too.

 

[indian george]

I am in the same place as Mike H. I really like the looks of it, but now I use Blackwood.

 

[Bruz]

Sure you know but it is especially important to use a mask when dealing with Ebony...I just use Renisance Wax.

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

Because ebony is so dense it must be .375” or thinner for the stabilant to completely penetrate. The tendency to crack is reduced by stabilizing, but not eliminated.

African blackwood is much nicer to work. However the cost is higher. We sell 3-4 times more blackwood than ebony.

 

[Walt2]

Thanks for the info. I bought some wood scales on ebay and there was a set of ebony scales in the batch that I purchased. Thought I would give it a try, was not aware of the cracking.