Ebony Chunk; What would you make?

[Moses Yoder]

I was looking around my shop, has been closed up for winter. About to get into it for summer. I found this ebony chunk again. It is 2" thick, about 2-3/4" wide and about 8-1/2" long. I am thinking of making a plane but my skills are limited to making a Krenov style plane; I would have to cut it into pieces and then glue it back together. It is wide enough for a 1-3/4" iron I think. It really should be left in one piece and the mouth and shoulders for the wedge just cut out of it, something that would require more time than I have. Maybe more skill than I have. What would you do with it if it was yours?

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[Steve Juhasz]

I would keep it until I had a project which required ebony, rather than trying to invent a project in which to use ebony because I have it. But that's just me.

[Dave Cullen]

Ebony is expensive. I have a chunk similar to yours that I reserve for special occasions, like finials or trim pieces. I suppose a plane would be a good final destination for a special piece of wood too, if you can pull it off.

[John Downey]

That's a nice piece of cherry it's sitting on too :D

I would make a plane. I've made a couple in the Cecil Pierce style - I think his book is still available from Astragal Press.

They're a bit like Krenov planes in that the mortise for the blade is pretty simple - no need for those lips for a wedge to bear against. Instead you use a wood screw to retain the blade/lever cap. You can either make your own lever cap or use one from an iron parts plane.

Only hard part is getting the bed for the blade nice and flat - sharp chisel or custom scraper and some patience is all you need for that though.

I have a similarly chunky piece of ebony.... bought it to make a plane and never got around to it :D

[Jim Finn]

I have a few small pieces of ebony and I save it to use for doing intarsia. Makes great eyes.

[Chris Fournier]

I would be careful to make sure that the ebony billet does not degrade. I would place it somewhere in my shop where I could look at it and ponder its value to me. I would do this for years and then one day a light would go on, "I want to use this old friend for this!" Then I would either commit to the project or place my old friend back on its perch and enjoy thinking about where it came from, how long I have owned it and thought about it for many more years. I have done both.

[mike holden]

How do you feel about greene and greene style furniture? They used ebony as accent points.
Ebony makes beautiful turned finials.

However, I would not use it for a plane as the only planes made of ebony I am aware of are presentation planes, i.e. not for use. (I may be wrong in this, but that is my experience.)

My best recommendation is to second the poster who suggested keeping it in a safe place until a use comes for it.
Mike

[Christopher Collins]

Ebony is one of those woods that I think should be saved for very special occasions, used for items that will be looked at and enjoyed for many years. It's getting so rare that it should be used for heirlooms.
But of course, some people consider their tools to be works of art and heirlooms in and of themselves.
So if that describes your attitude towards planes, then you might as well go for it.

[Charles Coolidge]

I would save it for when you need to break a blade or machine to get it replaced under warranty. In the mean time it can serve home defense duty, just throw it at an intruder then call EMS to collect the poor guy.

[lowell holmes]

I agree with Mike. +1 for Greene & Greene accents.

[Wade Lippman]

I have two pieces very similar to that that I got on CL cheap.
They have sat on my shelf for about 5 years now.
Oh, you want to do something constructive! Can't help you there.

Only time I ever used ebony was in a bowl glued up of ebony, wenge, granadillo, and walnut.

[Mike Henderson]

I'd keep it for accent applications. Ebony is expensive and not getting any cheaper. Making a plane out of it would waste quite a bit.

Mike

[Jim Neeley]

Cutting it apart and re-gluing, if the parts were carefully aligned to go back adjacent to where they were should make it appear carved, if done carefully.

Jim

[Andrew Hughes]

Hi Moses,if you haven't worked ebony before be careful.Its very unforgiving wood to cut or sand.The dust is foul and just like poison to me at least.
Gabon ebony is the best pure black and I think it's not harvested anymore.
I have made boxes and more boxes,handles for drawers and boxes.I also have a rat I am carving in a block when I feel up to it.Sometimes I feel like a crazy person working with ebony it's really challenging.The piece you showed is very nice looking. Andrew

[Sam Murdoch]

I wish I had photos but so sad that I do not - I made some really lovely cabinet pulls on rawhide thongs from ebony for a cherry dressing room.
Didn't use much material but they were certainly the elegant finishing accent of the room.

[Tai Fu]

Cut it up into bridge sized pieces and sell it to guitar builders...

[Bob Falk]

Would make a nice peppermill if you have a lathe.

[Matt Mackinnon]

If you are building a plane, have you looked at the Lee Valley plane kit (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71379&cat=1,230,41182,46334)? this could help out in making a more versatile plane that will give you many years of good use. As for holding on to pieces of wood. I guess I have the unlucky fate of living really close to Exotic Woods who seem to have those small chunks of Ebony, Rosewood, African Blackwood ... that always seem to be on sale when I visit so the mystique of them doesn't seem to be there as it's as if the wood is just common place. Now, put a nice piece of wood into a finished product then it takes of a whole new life as the beauty of the wood and craftsmanship transform it from 'Oh that' to 'WOW that'.