# Wenge, nasty stuff!



## Be Young (Jun 16, 2004)

I was in the local hardwood store a couple weeks ago looking for some ash. They told me they didn't sell ash anymore due to the beetle outbreak. Anyway they suggested pecan or hickory for what I was doing.
I never new pecan and hickory is the same wood just with a different nut, anyway I bought what I needed. 

As I was leaving I saw a small piece of black wood and picked it up, it was wenge I bought it thinking I would make a nice bowl out of it. That stuff puts out the nastiest dust, I have a film of black on everything in the whole shop. I worked on that bowl for 2 weeks, probably used about 20 sheets of sandpaper and the bowl is just black hardley no grain and nothing special at all, I swore I would not use it again.

Well today a guy asked me to make him 2 pens with as black wood as I could find. I have a small piece of the wenge left, enough for a couple of pens. 

Has anyone turned any pens out of this stuff, is it worth messing with.

Thanks
Bill


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/search.php?searchid=12135981

been some things made on here....seems to vary in colors and it is nasty


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

get some Macassar Ebony - shouldn't be too expensive and it's black.


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## Be Young (Jun 16, 2004)

Yea, just went out and looked at the peice of wenge it's a cross-cut peice about 1"1x7". It looks like it would really be hard to turn with the loose grain. Not worth the trouble, doesn't look that good anyway.

Bill, I didn't realize there were so many color varaitions. I bet the one I got was one of the cheaper ones, although it wasn't very cheap. I think it was like 45.00 for a peice 2x7x23".

I think my biggest problem was the way I turned it. I cut the peice into 3 peices 7" long, glued them together lten I attached the faceplate to peice with the grain running long ways. I think I should have attached the side with the end grains to the faceplate.

When you look at the bowl you see a short section with grain then the black end grain, then a little grain then black again.
I don't know I think I'm learning....I hope... I know I don't like the grain of wenge and the mess and hope I don't have to use it again.


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## mr bill (Apr 1, 2006)

Be Young, Fist of all, let's be sure you have some Wenge. The wood is dark, as you said but it has black and brown grain pattern. Wenge is a very hard wood, and to us woodturners it is an exotic wood. The grain pattern is vary simular to Bocote, but the brown in the Wenge is darker...

Exotic woods, do not turn like hardwards....the wood has a lot of natural oil in it, and when you turn it, the shavings look like you are scraping a block of hard chocolate with a knife. You must use a sharp tool and it turns very will for pens. Unfortunantly, I could never afford to buy a piece big enough to make a bowl. A neat little trick with Wenge....after you get the pen blanks turned to size. Drop the blanks in household bleach, for about 20 minutes, let it dry and lightly sand the raised grain. If you over sand you'll sand through the bleached area. Wenge works well for pens....a little patience and a sharp tool goes a long way....


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## lady linda (Nov 25, 2008)

I have turned a number of of pens from Wenge wood. All very nice to turn and nice looking when finished.


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## Be Young (Jun 16, 2004)

Thanks for the tip Mr. Bill, your right it has alot of dark brown. From a distance it looks black to me but up close you can definately see some nice grain. I haven't had much luck laminating 3 or 4, 2" thick peices together and turning a nice bowl out of it. I think I just need more practice and alot more patience.

Got up this morning determined to make 2 wenge pens, one with the bleach. Well there is about 100 peices of wenge all over my shop and no pens to be found.

I'm sure they do look nice Lady Linda, I got a couple blanks round but chipped off before I got done, and I was using my new Eio easy finisher very lightly.

Oh well I'm sure I will learn in time.

Here are a couple pictures of the bowl and a little cabinet I made to keep all the wifes different teas.


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## lady linda (Nov 25, 2008)

The bowl is nice. I am sorry about your pens ! I will get you a picture today of the ones I did. Do not give up ! Some times a person just gets a piece of not to good wood.


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## lady linda (Nov 25, 2008)

*Wenge pens*

Finally got the pictures of the WENGE PENS.


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## WildThings (Jan 2, 2007)

real nice


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## Be Young (Jun 16, 2004)

WoW beautiful pens Lady Linda!

I like the one on the left best, beautiful work!
I guess the wood varies alot, all 3 look like different woods. The middle one almost looks like Zebra wood.

Bill


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## lady linda (Nov 25, 2008)

Depends a lot on the finish. Just keep the tools SHARP.


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