Turning nasty ebony

[Jerry Crawford]

https://home.comcast.net/~boondocker1/ebony%20knobs.jpg I spent two days turning these ebony knobs for a bow & frame saw I'm making. What a mess. I look like I've been shoveling coal all day (& I'm old enough to recall shoveling coal into the furnace to stay warm :o )

These are the first ebony turnings I've done and I discovered my files load up really fast with that oily black gunk off the work piece as I worked on th4e wood. Since I don't have a wood lathe I used my metal lathe. After I cut down to the index diameters I shaped the wood freehand with patternmaker files. Is that just the nature of working with ebony or can something be done to reduce the stickyness of the wood while your shaping?

[Alan Turner]

I have never turned ebony, but cutting it with power makes a mess. On the ohter hand, it planes beautifully, and scrapes quite well also.
Alan

[Jim Becker]

Jerry, I suspect you'd have a more pleasant experience using traditional turning tools since they would create less dust during the process. The rasps pretty much only create the "coal dust" you're loving!

Those knobs look great, by the way!

[Jerry Crawford]

Thanks Jim. I'm winging it on the turning project. I don't have a setup for wood turning so I had to use what's handy in my shop - which are metal working tools. I was doing OK till I had to do the shaping by hand using files and abrasive paper.

[Tyler Howell]

Great handles Jerry, Can't wait to see the rest.

[Jerry Crawford]

Thanks Tyler. A couple of weeks ago there was a string over on the Neanderthal page about bow saws. I needed a set, I could take the time to do it, so I launched into the process. I made a set as a prototype and now I'm making the "real things". I'll put them up for critique here when the finish is on. Meantime, I'm documenting progress on my web site.