Rosewood - Finishing Question

[Alan Turner]

This weekend I built most of a Shaker end table for LOML, of Bolivian Rosewood, with a lacewood top. This is my first time around with rosewood. Just finishing up the drawer now, and my thoughts are turning to finishing it. On a wood I know, I will spray dewaxed shellac, and then put a couple of coats of varnish on the top only for durability, then rub out, and wax the whole thing.
Will this be OK with the rosewood?
The rosewood just ate my edge tools. They all look like scratching planes at this point, and a major resharpening session is called for. Wow; tough stuff.
Thanks for any help.
Alan

[jerry cousins]

hi alan - i did a hewelry wall cabinet out of rosewood - finish was 6 padded coats of shellace then 2 coats of wax. no problems at all - polished our beautifully

and your right - rosewood is tough on tools - and really makes a mess.

jerry

[jerry cousins]

oops that was "jewelry" -- and here's a close up

jerry

[Alan Turner]

Nice piece of work. I assume that is your marquetry (sp) work. Reminds me a bit of a Sara Steele syle of flower (a local Philadelphia artist/painter). Glad to see that the shellac approach worked for you. Thanks so much for responding. I will give it a shot.
Yes, rosewood makes a mess, but I found the smell of the cut wood to be pleasant, although I know some are allergic to it. A fellow I know who does South American wood stuff (importing and such) says that the French are buying up all of the Brazillian Rosewood that they can, and having it boiled locally in Brazil, and paying a very dear price for the oil, for use in perfume.
BTW, what flavor of Rosewood is it that you used. Looks similar to the Bolivian I just used.
Alan

[jerry cousins]

thanks alan - yes - my work on the marquetry. i used thai rosewood - found a fellow who specializes in it - incredibly dense. after awhile i found that i needed to wear a mask pretty regularly.

jerry

[Jim Becker]

Yes, rosewood makes a mess, but I found the smell of the cut wood to be pleasant, although I know some are allergic to it.
http://www.mendelu.cz/~horacek/toxic.htm

[Anthony Yakonick]

I am highly allergic to it, I was bit four times by a rosewood (any dalbergia inc cocobolo) each time was more severe than the last. The next time could be the last! One note Bolivian Rosewood is not a true rosewood

http://www.righteouswoods.com/Bolivian_Rosewood.html

[Anthony Yakonick]

Nice work, by the way! :D

[Mark Singer]

Alan,
I have always used oil on Rosewood and Cocabola. It brings out the natural highlights in the wood. I usually finish it with a scraper ending with a small hook and a light touch. Wet sand with the oil to 600 grit wet and dry. Daly's or Tried and True. I just saw a table I made about 8 years ago at a friends house and it still looked great!

[Dave Anderson NH]

I have used both tung oil and wax and I now use Waterlox clear finish on my East Indian Rosewood marking knives and awls. The Waterlox is mostly polymerized tung oil with a small percentage of phenolic resin varnish added for build. The advantage of tung oil based products is that tung does not darken the wood like BLO and the other drying oils do. The colors stay bright and vibrant and don't get darkened or yellowed over time.

[Alan Turner]

Dave and Mark -
Humm. Oil. Will ck. with my bride.
I have used waterlox original, which I think of as an oil varnish, rubbing finish, wich does build, slowly. I used that on a cherry slab table, and added japan colors to it to make the sapwood go away, and it worked well. Didn't think of it for this piece. Shaker is not my usual cup of design tea. But, much of the shaker stuff does have an oil finish, such as Chris Becksvoort's pieces. He uses Tried and True, which I tried, and hated. Too much elbow grease for me, I guess.

[Ross Lowry]

Hello Dave.
So Tung Oil does not turn yellow over time?
Thanks

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Ross,

Tung Oil (the real stuff) has almost none of the yellowing or ambering that BLO has over time. It allows the wood to stay almost its natural color.