Lignum Vitae gloat

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I saw my neighbor yesterday, and he said, "Hey Malcolm, I just cut some lignum vitae branches- do you want them?" Me: :eek::D:cool:

The termites ate the bark off, but they don't touch the wood. The long one is 6', and the shorter one about 2.5'. I'm going to use them for mallets, and maybe some chisel handles. For now they will sit and dry out.

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[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Thats wood porn Malcolm

[Pat Barry]

They look a bit on the skinny side for mallet heads. Are you thinking laminating pieces?

[Malcolm Schweizer]

They look a bit on the skinny side for mallet heads. Are you thinking laminating pieces?

True, but the short one is wide enough for a small carving mallet. Probably I will make some plane hammers and wait for the need to arise that these will fill.

[Chris Fournier]

Those are almost entirely sapwood. Still cool as a freebie. When we sold lignum we measured out and often removed the sapwood for the buyer. I don't know enough about this wood to say that the sapwood does or doesn't have the same endearing properties as the heartwood. Regardless I would hang onto these pieces as you have. Wood junkies are a pathetic lot.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Those are almost entirely sapwood. Still cool as a freebie. When we sold lignum we measured out and often removed the sapwood for the buyer. I don't know enough about this wood to say that the sapwood does or doesn't have the same endearing properties as the heartwood. Regardless I would hang onto these pieces as you have. Wood junkies are a pathetic lot.


Yes, the long one is mostly sap wood. The short one has a lot more heartwood. The local stuff is true lignum vitae. It has a much harder sap wood than some of these decorative varieties. His home is as old as mine- 180 years, and his trees are huge. There is a stump in St. John that I am soon going to harvest. It is going to make some serious mallets.

[Chris Fournier]

But not before it air dries for 20 years!