Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Jan 12, 2003 05:31am | #1

   We discussed that sometime in the last two or three months, but I can't remember the results. Try the Advanced Search button near the top of the frame on your left and see if you can dredge anything out of the archives.

2. 
   jonsherryl | Jan 12, 2003 05:57am | #2

   wannabe, the common name "canary wood" is used for a number of woods belonging to different botanical families...But probably it's most common application is for woods cut from several species (about a half dozen of them) in the genus Centrolobium, native to Central and South America. When freshly cut the dominant color of the wood is yellow, but it tends to turn sort of an amber orange over time.

    Also, woods from a few of the species in this genus sometimes display very attractive pinkish red highlights or streaks. Judging from your description, it sounds like you have come across some canary wood of this type which has been kicking around for awhile. It has excellent working properties (especially shaping and turning) and it's also used as an accent wood for fancy inlays and veneering. If it's top quality stock and you can get it for a good price ( something under $10 per board foot would be a pretty good deal), you might want to load up.

3. 
   DennisS | Jan 12, 2003 10:21am | #3

   In spite of what Jon said, I found canary quite difficult to turn. All I had, though, were fall-off pieces I scrounged from the scrap pile on a job where I was working a while back.

   My project consisted of a staved/coopered vessel, 16 staves glued up and turned round for a cannister. There was quite a bit of variation in the density between sap & hearwood, or at least between various parts of the pieces with which I was working, as well as differences in density between one stave and the other. This was demonstrated to me in sanding the finished piece as sanding on a lathe tends to remove softer areas faster than the harder, more dense areas which in extreme can throw the piece out of round.

   This piece was early in my turning 'career' (which is still quite young, in fact) so the difficulties I had taming the grain tearout may have been as much from lack of technique as anything. I still have quite a bit of that scrap lying around so now that you bring up the subject I'll have to dig it out and try again.

   It is, indeed, an exceptionally beatiful wood. The project where I picked up the scrap used in in stair treads that were made up of canary & chechen edge glued in a fan shaped pattern up an elliptical sprial stair. The end result was, to say the least, breathtaking.

   ...........

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

4. 
   Jimma | Jan 12, 2003 10:18pm | #4

   Great wood for accents and display pieces. Slightly oily, so gluing is best done with a precautionary wipe of solvent. Pilot holes necessary for screws as it tends to split. Matches nicely with cocobolo and other dark woods. Will darken with time. I love it. Jim

1. 
   clarkie | Jan 16, 2003 04:46am | #5

   thanks for the reply jim. curious about the solvent. do you use acetone alcohol or some other type? what do you suggest for glue. we agree on the wood it is beautiful!  thanks  bob

1. 
   Jimma | Jan 16, 2003 06:30pm | #6

   I use naptha, but I don't think you need to be too fussy about the solvent. Try out whatever you have on scrap or just on the edge of a piece and see if it doesn't "dry" it a bit. For glue, I use Titebond II, but that's because I always have a lot on hand for other applications and it's been good to me. Splintie and others use glues I've never tried, but her joints and laminations are peerless and she'll tell you what she does. For simplicity, just take two pieces of canarywood and clamp them up with Titebond as a test. Good luck. I just made a great looking 5" hand mirror out of canary wood, but it was all from one piece -- no joints.

1. 
   jcousins | Feb 07, 2003 09:30pm | #7

   another name is arirriba (no really sure how many r's go where.

   jerry