Kathy Marshall
10-18-2011, 1:50 AM
I was at Woodworker Source last week looking for spindle blanks for a few more salt & pepper mills and saw some 2x2x18 Black Limba. Had not seen it before, but it looked pretty cool and the size and price was right so I bought one. The also had White Limba, but I wanted to see how the Black Limba turned first.
So Sunday afternoon I turned the Black Limba pepper mill. It's a pretty soft wood, but it turns very nice (just don't bump it with anything!) It sands up very easily too. I sanded from 220 to 800, wet sanded with BLO at 800, then wiped it dry and finished it up with about 4 coats of General Woodturners Finish. Boy that finish is quick and easy! I used light coats, wiped on with a shop towel then rubbed it down with another shop towel between coats (each coat only took about 4-5 minutes to dry). It didn't raise the grain at all, probably due to wet sanding first, so I didn't have to sand after finishing. I'll be applying some Ren wax and then call it done.
Since the Black Limba went well, I stopped by today and picked up a blank of the White Limba. The only difference between the two is the color, the white turns equally well. So tonight I turned the salt mill. Finish is identical to the pepper mill.
210467
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.
So Sunday afternoon I turned the Black Limba pepper mill. It's a pretty soft wood, but it turns very nice (just don't bump it with anything!) It sands up very easily too. I sanded from 220 to 800, wet sanded with BLO at 800, then wiped it dry and finished it up with about 4 coats of General Woodturners Finish. Boy that finish is quick and easy! I used light coats, wiped on with a shop towel then rubbed it down with another shop towel between coats (each coat only took about 4-5 minutes to dry). It didn't raise the grain at all, probably due to wet sanding first, so I didn't have to sand after finishing. I'll be applying some Ren wax and then call it done.
Since the Black Limba went well, I stopped by today and picked up a blank of the White Limba. The only difference between the two is the color, the white turns equally well. So tonight I turned the salt mill. Finish is identical to the pepper mill.
210467
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.