desert ironwood burl

Joe Calton

Joe Calton

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Jul 8, 2008
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I was looking for some nicer wood to cut up for handles, block type contruction, and found some desert ironwood burl that is 2" thick, ive never worked with desert ironwood or burl before, but my understanding is that the grain isnt straight like the trunk of the tree, does it still need to be cut from top to bottom like a normal block or can you cut it sideways and still get a good block? Also, i hear that desert ironwood doesnt need to be stabilized, but what about the burl, especially in block type handles?

Thanks,

Joe
 
I can't speak to the cutting with definite surety but I believe it can be cut either way. And it does not need to be stabilized in any form. It is truly fantastic wood to work with. One of my absolute favorites.
 
thanks Jared! I just got a piece thats 24" x 10" x 2" for $150, is that about going rate?
 
Sounds pretty good to me. You should be able to cut 64 sets of scales that measure 1.5" x 5" x 1/2" at a price of about $2.34 a pair. Assuming you can cut it that way you're doing pretty well at that price.
 
Great! I figured it might bE a good price.

Ive never worked with desert iron, or any type of burl, is it any different than any other hardwood or micarta? Im guessing that i wont have to seal it with tru-oil, so maybe just a rubdown with wax when its done?

Ill be doing mostly block style hidden tangs with it
 
Very nice piece Joe! A good buy too. Ironwood is a great handle material.
 
Yeah, that's worth what you paid and then some. You've got plenty to play with, just cut a moderate-size piece from each direction and see how difficult is to split/break.

With a piece that large, I wouldn't cut it all up at once unless you plan to sell some of it off. Cut pieces out as you need them to maximize the grain you like in each particular shape. This will result in more "waste", but all the little pieces can be used for lanyard beads, spacers, contrasting bolsters, firesteel handles...
 
Mark (burlsource) on here can tell you the best way to cut it, but I don't think you could go wrong either way with that much figure. When i use ironwood, i give it 2-3 coats of danish oil and actually do the final wet-sand with danish oil and 400-800 grit paper to fill any pores. It doesn't need to be stabilized but it's still a natural material. treating it with tru-oil or danish oil might be overkill, but it can't hurt,

randy
 
Her is how to determine the cutting direction of that burl slab.
If you use 2X5X1/2 scales:
Trim the end by cutting off about 1/4"
Cut a 5" block off this end ( plus a tad for sanding). This will give you a block 2" thick, one 5" side face, two 10" side faces, and the outer bark side.
Sand the three cut sides and the top and bottom to 120 grit. (a hand held belt sander will make fast work)
Spray the sides with Varathane or similar spray.

Look at the sides and decide which shows the most activity. Most likely it will be the 2" side parallel to the outer bark face. Rip the scales at 1/2" width from the side you like best.

As James pointed out. No need to cut up more than needed. Put the other 19X10X2" piece away until you have used up the slabs from the first block.

BTW, if you decide the top/bottom of the slab looks best, cut the block into 2" strips (2X2X5or10") in the direction desired. Then slice off the scales from those blocks.
 
Thanks guys! The wood wont be here for a bit, so ill have to come back here and reread all this! Thanks for the tips!
 
That piece looks a lot different than any Desert Ironwood burl that I have ever seen.
With that said, what I would do is make my first cut trimming away a thin portion of the outer edge and see how that surface looks.
That would be a flat sawn surface. That will usually show the eyes and burl figure the best.
The faces of the slab in the photo look like a quarter sawn surface (or close to it).
That will usually show the stripes, curly or flamed figure. Not the most dramatic presentation for burl but can look cool sometimes.
Cut the blocks how you like the look.
It is best to cut them oversized and let them sit for a while before using them.
Even ironwood that appears to be old and dry will still have interior moisture with larger chunks.
If you are curious how dry it is and don't have a moisture meter to check you can try this.
Cut a 1/4" thick strip and set it aside for a couple days. Then check to see if it has moved.
If it has curled or warped it is most likely not ready to use.
 
I went and looked at the ebay sellers site. I am not sure what that wood is. Looks more like some sort of Australian burl. Whatever it is , it is nice looking.
 
I hadn't paid attention to Stacy's post before writing what I did.
I tend to think in the form of blocks and not scales. So Stacy's advice was spot on.

Only one thing I would suggest doing differently.
I would not leave the piece in slab form if you plan on using it in the next year.
I would cut it into 2 inch wide strips and then seal all the cut surfaces.
Then when you need to use some, cut off a section to length and decide which surface you like best for the faces of your scales.

I may be totally wrong, but
This wood looks a lot like some wood that has been coming in to the US from SE Asia starting a little over a year ago.
A couple of the importers have been calling it Asian Ironwood and the name has been morphing from there.
The slab looks way to big to come from a Desert Ironwood Burl which grow in AZ through Mexico.
I may be going off on a tangent here and I may be totally wrong.
Either way it looks like a very nice piece of wood.
 
Thanks Mark and Stacy.

I thought it might be awfull big for the desert ironwood from what ive read, never seen any desert ironwood trees.

But it does look like nice wood, i was planning on taking a piece of it and doing a hammer test on it before i did anything else, see how it comes apart under a hammer will tell me alot.

I will be cutting it into blocks mostly, as i have only made about a dozen full tangs, almost everything i make has a block style handle with a guard.

The moisture test is a good idea, hadnt thought of that. I may do wayne goddards test and weigh a small piece on reloading scale and the put under a lamp for a day and reweigh it.

Mark, since everyone says you are the go to man for wood, and you arent sure what this is, would you like me to send you a piece to have a closer look? Ups says it should be here thurs, so i should be able to get in the mail before the weekend. Pm me with mailing adress if you want a peice of it.
 
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