Lyptus Questions

[Bob Oehler]

Hi All:
I am thinking of making some bedroom furnature to go in my bedroom. I have a few Mahogany pieces and I know that Lyptus finishes out somewhat like Mahogany. My question in how well does Lyptus work with hand tools. Especially planing, dovetailing, etc.. I have asked my local hardwood dealer to get some quotes and get me a sample of the wood to see how it works. I do not want to get into a wood that does not work well.

Thanks in Advance
Bob Oehler

[Tristan Raymond]

I've worked with Lyptus a little. I haven't done any dovetailing, but it planes fine as long as your tools are sharp.

[mike holden]

My experience with lyptus is that it is very hard to sand, or rasp.
It has a tendency to break off chunks along the grain when routered.
It cuts with a handsaw nicely, trims very smoothly with a chisel.
Tends to chip along edges.
I will think twice before using lyptus again. The straight grain is pretty, but working it is much more complicated and frustrating then real mahogany.
Just my experience, YMMV

I have attached some pics of my current project. Five boxes, two cherry, a flame birch, canary, and the lyptus. This gave me a chance to compare the wood as directly as possible, doing the same thing to all of them.

76430

76431

76432

[Prashun Patel]

I really like the idea of lyptus; grows like a weed.

I've read (on this forum and others) that it splinters like there's no tomorrow. It seems to machine and finish beautifully, but you have to take special care in handling the rough lumber.

- shawn

[Steve Wargo]

IMHO Lyptus does not work at all like mahogany. Mahogany is the most perfect lumber you can use with hand tools. There was a reason that all of it was shipped up here from the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it wasn't because it was the most beautiful wood. It cuts well, planes well, scrapes well and finished well. Lyptus is not bad to work with hand tools, but I wouldn't consider it an easy wood to work with either. Probably works something like a hard maple. Not as bad as wenge, ebony or boxwood but not as easy to work as pine, poplar or mahogany. It is much more dense than mahogany. It splinters easily. What you save in $$$ you'll have in extra work. I actually give a discount on labor when I do a piece out of mahogany.

[Bob Oehler]

Thanks for all the feedback.
From what I have read and glued together for the replies is.

1. It's very dense
2. Works better with hand tools then power tools.
3. Can splinter easy
4. Works like hard maple.

Well I will have to think on weather to build using Lyptus or some other wood. Again the reason I asked about it is I have seen a few piecs made with Lyptus and put next to mahg. I know it's not mahg. but the look is not too far off.


Well Thanks again
Bob Oehler