Met a guy picking up an order from my restaurant earlier today. We got to talking about all my firewood outback and he said he collected wood. I asked, Firewood? No different kinds of wood. Okay I'll bite I said. Really he said I have a piece I just bought in the car was his response. Ok, so he brings in what he called Lignum Vitae "wood of life" tells me it will sink in water and is from the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America and was used in ship building. Now I know we all have a problem hoarding firewood but he tells me he belongs to a club that collects different woods from around the world and that they display them in their homes. The piece weighed 3.65 lbs. and was completely dried and sanded. Also learned that Cedar is the "tree of life" The leaves when boil have a high amount of vitamin C. So I guess hoarding firewood isn't all that bad how would the wife or girlfriend feel about pieces of wood decorating her living room.
Forgot to say that in ship building meaning that it was used where ropes ran across the wood as it's so smooth it wouldn't fray the ropes and as bearings. I'm not sure how but checked it out on the internet and said they used it for over 40 years.
I never had any, pricy stuff , but I've herd of Lignum Vitae before , saw them using it in projects in the woodworking magazines
The hardest & heaviest wood known in common (though not so much anymore nowadays) everyday use.Specific gravity 1.2,77 to 83 pounds per cubic foot @12% moisture content,air dried. Not just ship building but other marine items that need long life & to be lubricated such as pulleys,sheaves,bearings etc. I replaced the upper & lower guide blocks on my bandsaw many years ago with ones made from small scrap pieces of Lignum - cost less than $2.00 & a few minutes time.Up to 35% of the weight of Lignum heartwood is a natural oily resin,its self lubricating properties are world renowned for centuries. Not easy to find the stuff now,centuries of harvest make it quite scarce on the international market.I still have quite a few chunks/blocks in my stash bought 15 -30 years back when it was (somewhat) affordable. One of the best woods for wood turning,even certain carving/sculpture can be done with lots of patience & the proper tools,it takes a very high polish,finishes very smoothly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignum_vitae Once found as far north as the Florida Keys,Jamaica,Cuba,Haiti (I have a couple of 1970's vintage mallets stamped Haiti on the bottom) ,Dominican Republic,Bahamas,& most other inhabited islands of the Caribbean.Now mainly found on Mexico's Pacific Coast scattered down to Central & Northern South America.
My wife lives with a guy who collects wood......so much wood, in fact, that she's starting to think he's slightly nuts!
Yes, I collect wood. Hello all, first post here. I am not as serious as the guy in the first story described, but I do have some very nice small scale lumber in my collection. Some of my most prized pieces are the 60 year old Brazilian Rosewood, it's impossible to get the real old growth stuff any more and the color is remarkable. Also the smell, when sanding the wood it smells just like the sweet sticks of chewing gum that came in baseball card packs. Heaven in wood form. I also have rich black Ebony, also 60 years old. I have been fascinated by all things wood my whole life. Now, I am joining this great firewood hoarding club!:stacke:
Great to meet you dusky! Can u put up some pics of your prized specimens? Oh, and watch out for papadave- he'll skew you you where you stand
Welcome to the club dusky I made some Arts and Crafts style mirror frames out of Jatoba, most people call it Brazilian Cherry, nice color, pretty hard stuff, polishes up nice
Welcome to the show Dusky!!! Sit back, relax and enjoy. Do you have a stove, fireplace, pellets, etc…. ? This place is an electronic encyclopedia of information. If you have a question, someone here will have an answer. Oh, and don't mention "BEER" ever…… if you do, you'll find out what happens...
Hahaha, I have a fireplace but it needs updated. So far, I am at the log gahering, chopping, and stacking phase. I want to get a professional to line my chimney and install a wood stove, or whatever... still in the beginning planning stages lol. We have a gas furnace, but I am always striving for self sustainability. Just picked up my first splitting maul this week, it has been loads of fun! I have a local source for tons of dead ash, and am trying to haul home as much as I can.
Everyone starts somewhere, we all started from scratch at one point, that dead ash should split pretty good with a maul. Does your fireplace function as is?
Sounds like your off to a good start! Make sure your ash is not rotted. Dry and dead is good, but if it's moist and flakey inside is best to leave it alone. HD Rock is on the mark, it should split very good with a maul. I suggest also purchasing a moisture meter until you get good at reading your wood. Any of the Big box stores, lowes, Homedepot, even a good hardware store has them. I've seen them for as cheap as $15.00 and as high as $75.00 You don't need one that pricy for checking logs. Anyway, were all here for any help you need.
