A wood tale and questions

[scott boyd]

I hadn't visited the Creek in weeks, when several days ago I stumbled across a post that mentioned excellent service received in Columbus, Ohio at a place called Wood Werks. Living in northern Illinois, I had never heard of the store.
By pure chance, I happened to be in the Columbus area several days ago with time on my hands.
I stopped by Wood Werks and am glad I did.
Not only was the selection of tools and goods terrific, but the service was wonderful.

Best of all, I was stunned to find genuine Cuban mahogany slabs way in the back of the wood storage area.
I labor under the impression that this wood is virtually extinct. Wood Werks had a number of live edge slabs upwards of 12-15" long as well as slightly smaller pieces.

Apparently, a wood scavenger had collected them in Key West after a hurricane years ago. I left with a 6-7 footer over two feet across and 5-6 inches thick, along with a smile.
I can't say enough about the folks at Wood Werks. I wish there were more like them.

Questions:

The folks at Wood Werks suggested using a water based poly on the slab. I usually use nitrocellulose. I intend to make a live-edge table out of it suitable for a hallway or perhaps behind a sofa.
There is evidence on one edge of beetle or some other similar invasion, but no damage to the slab itself. It is dried to 6-8percent.

I would like to have suggestions on finishing, especially from anyone who has worked with this wood, as well as what legs I might us on the table. I initially thought of metal.
Any thoughts?

[scott boyd]

Should have said 12-15 feet long, not inches.

[Andrew Hughes]

I would use Rubio monocoat pure. I haven’t found any wood it didn’t look good on. The plus it’s easy to apply the catch is it costs a lot.
I thought Cuban mahogany is mahogany from Cuba?
Do you have any pics of the slabs? Sounds like the tree was big

[scott boyd]

I would use Rubio monocoat pure. I haven’t found any wood it didn’t look good on. The plus it’s easy to apply the catch is it costs a lot.
I thought Cuban mahogany is mahogany from Cuba?
Do you have any pics of the slabs? Sounds like the tree was big

No photos. I was told that the scavenger did not know what he had until he started sawing.
Cuban mahogany as I understand it, grew in Cuba and the southernmost area of Florida.
It was so heavily used in the 18th century that it became rare and is certainly endangered now, if not almost extinct.
This apparently was from a tree that had been destroyed in the storm.

[Mel Fulks]

Also called Santo Domingo mahogany , or for those who took Latin ,“swetenia mahogani” , ( or something close to that ) .
Yes , It’s expensive, but easier to spell “than “swetenia macrophyla”. Santo Domingo mahogany is about 20 percent heavier than “regular”
mahogany “ and has less figure. Some sources say the Santo Domingo stuff was pretty much gone by 1830 .then “protected “

The old way of finishing that wood was to oil it and rub it with oil and plaster dust , which filled and polished.

[Brian Tymchak]

My understanding is that "cuban" mahogany is protected, not extinct, and can only be cut/sold from storm damaged trees.

Those slabs at Woodwerks have been there for quite a while. I'd love to put a slab on my lumber rack but I think they're priced at $25 bf which is too rich for me, and most have significant bark inclusions. I don't remember seeing any 5-6" thick stock. I remember them being 8/4, maybe 10/4 at most.

[Justin Rapp]

I hadn't visited the Creek in weeks, when several days ago I stumbled across a post that mentioned excellent service received in Columbus, Ohio at a place called Wood Werks. Living in northern Illinois, I had never heard of the store.
By pure chance, I happened to be in the Columbus area several days ago with time on my hands.
I stopped by Wood Werks and am glad I did.
Not only was the selection of tools and goods terrific, but the service was wonderful.



Scott,

That was my post giving WoodWerks praise. I really need to get to this store, however it is a 500 mile drive each way for me. I passed right through Columbus in 2019, and even stayed at a hotel 10 minutes from there, but in 2019 I didn't know the store existed. If I go to the Indy500 in May i'll make sure I schedule time for a stop, or maybe just a road trip for the heck of it. I did try to get my wife to do a small road trip / weekend away, and her response was, Ok, let's do a long weekend but we are not going to Ohio. So much for that idea.

[Ronald Blue]

Scott,

That was my post giving WoodWerks praise. I really need to get to this store, however it is a 500 mile drive each way for me. I passed right through Columbus in 2019, and even stayed at a hotel 10 minutes from there, but in 2019 I didn't know the store existed. If I go to the Indy500 in May i'll make sure I schedule time for a stop, or maybe just a road trip for the heck of it. I did try to get my wife to do a small road trip / weekend away, and her response was, Ok, let's do a long weekend but we are not going to Ohio. So much for that idea.

Sounds like you need to make a trip to Woodwerks and plan a side trip to the Indy 500. Priorities....lol

[Mel Fulks]

I’ve wondered if anyone has tried growing the stuff anywhere else. The rarity of it probably has a lot to do with all the water around the
small islands.

[Bradley Gray]

I have a piece I got 25 years ago in Jamaica when the new road from MoBay to Negril was being built. Big enough for sides, neck and back of an arch top guitar one of these days...