Hi All,
As an absolute novice at woodworking I need some ideas on what to do with a piece of Hawaiian Lychee I bought on ebay. It measures 46″ x 9″ x 7/8″ and is air dried, S2S & ready to use. (BTW, what is S2S ?)
I have some basic tools, a 15″ band saw, 10″ bench-top table saw, router and basic power and hand tools. I don’t have a jointer, thickness planer or lath at this time, so I need ideas that won’t require those tools.
So, besides the obvious of making a box, what would you do with this piece of wood? Attached is a couple of pics from the auction. I should have it in my hands in a week or so.
~ WebTrooper ~
“But don’t take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!”
Replies
Hi Webtrooper,
S2S means Surfaced 2 Sides. As for projects well, I'm kind of stumped myself right now. I guess you could try looking at some commercially available plans. I'm sure alot of posts will be made with some good ideas.
Those daring young men in their flying machines!
Webtrooper,
Congratulations - that is a beautiful piece of wood you got there. When I saw that the first thing that came to mind was a pair of bookmatched veneered doors for an entertainment center or armoire.
I must add the disclaimer that I have never done veneer, just hope to have the skills to some day. That said, if I had that piece of wood in my shop, I would put it with the others that I someday hope to be able to do justice to and continue to hone my skills. It would be a shame to use that beautiful (and I assume expensive) a piece as a single slab or small box.
Hope this helps.
Steve
S2S = Surfaced 2 Sides. Thanks, that's good news! As for veneering, I like that idea but havn't a clue how to. How would I make veneers of it?
When you mentioned bookmatched I thought about book ends. That would be pretty cool. As for "(and I assume expensive)", $70 + shipping. Did I get a good price? True, it's probably a bit costly for a novice to start chopping away at, but I have plenty of patience and it's just like me to dive in head first.
So, how would one go about cutting veneer from it? I imagine it would go a lot farther that way.~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
Webtrooper,
I have only read about veneering, so I could be totally off base here, but it is my understanding that you resaw the board to get thin (1/16" or so) pieces (I believe they are called flitches but don't quote me) using your Bandsaw. This takes a saw that is very well tuned, a sharp blade, and mentally sharp operator. You would then clean up the flitches you just made with a sander or some other tool that would get them flat and consistent thickness. We have a couple of shops up here that will do this work for a reasonable price. You might check with a local wood working club to get ideas on who might be able to help with this step.
After everything is prepared, you tape the pieces together using veneer tape and then glue the pieces to a substrate such as an inexpensive wood - poplar springs to mind here, MDF, etc. I think the real trick is to veneer both sides of the panel so it doesn't warp. I don't believe that you would use the expensive stuff on the inside, but perhaps one of the experts here could advise.
The bookmatching would come from opening the board up so it has two sides that are pretty much mirror images of itself. It would essentially be like cutting the board into two pieces that are 7/16 X 9 X 49, then opening it up from one side like a book, only you would probably cut it into 4 or more pieces that are quit a bit thinner. If you played your cards right, you should be able to get 2 doors that are each around 16" X 42" or so. Or split it up into 4 doors 16" by 20". I think you might also end up with an extra flitch or two depending on how you cut them. For a larger/taller door, I would think about using an inlay of walnut burl with an outer border of curly maple, or cherry - basically something to show off the wood you have there. You might want to look in the current work section of Fine WoodWorking for inspiration.
FWW has an article once every year or so, and I recall one not too long ago. Unfortunately, I am away from my collection right now, so I can't advise on an exact issue. Perhaps a web search might yield some good results.
I have never bought Lychee so I don't know what it is going for, but given your dimensions, I came up with roughly $20/Bdft which sounds pretty reasonable for an exotic - especially one that has this much potential. Good luck with whatever project you decide to make with this. The only way we ever expand our skills is to grab hold of a project that is just beyond our grasp. Your good attitude should take you far. I look forward to seeing your project in the gallery.
Steve
One quick reply before (yaawwwwwnnn) bedtime, but I'll be back tomorrow.
Having only read about it, you're a step or two ahead of me :o). I'd like to try the veneer route but I'm not sure my bandsaw can do it. I'm going to try it out on some scrap pine when I get a chance. If all else fails I think I can find a commercial shop to do it for me.
"... an inlay of walnut burl with an outer border of curly maple, or cherry ..."
Picture me drooling like Homer Simpson over a giant donut - that sound's nice! Whatever I finally do with it, I'll definately show it off in the gallery.
"The only way we ever expand our skills is to grab hold of a project that is just beyond our grasp."
Or get myself into trouble - LOL.~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
With a 15" bandsaw you'd probably be hard pressed to resaw a 9" board. What make and model is it?
You might want to think about using it as a top for a table too. Maybe a thin entryway/sofa table? Or a coffee table?
Oops, you caught me still awake at 1:40 AM - LOL - but really, this is my last post tonight. It's a Grizzly, not sure what model but it's the one for $469. or something like that. Anyway, I think you're right.
I think it's too narrow for any sort of table, so if I don't find a commercial shop to slice it for me, It seems better to make some sort of small object(s). If I manage to get veneers out of it though, a table top might be an ideal project.
G'night.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
At 9" it would be pretty narrow, even for a sofa or hall table. But you can certainly join them together to make a 27" top. That's a decent size
Hey all, thanks for all the input. I'm definately going to look into having it sliced into veneer by a professional shop. However, as I said, I won't receive the piece for some time, a week or so.
I'm still open to ideas on what to do with this piece of wood but I'm surrently thinking of maybe a set of table lamps. I put bids on a few other pieces of wood so I'll have something to contrast.
I'll keep you updated. Thanks again for the input.~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
WebTrooper,
Pardon me asking but what is the advantage of purchasing wood on eBay? I would think that you could probably purchase just about any wood through a local dealer and not have to pay shipping costs. Do you have a hardwood dealer near where you live?Regards,
Buzzsaw
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to ask. The reason is so I can discuss it here in this forum and gain a little knowledge before I get started on my first real woodworking project.
I'm currently remodeling a bathroom for a customer and several small handyman type projects as well, so I don't have time to shop around. But yes, there are several suppliers in my area (North Side of Chicago).
I'm sure I'm paying too much but it's only small quantities. And when I finish the bathroom I'll have my first woodworking project on the workbench and at least a clue as to what to do. I placed bids on a few pieces of wood that will contrast well with the lychee - some Bolivian rosewood and Brazilian bloodwood (see attachments). If I get outbid I'll just let them go.
If I do okay with my first couple of projects I'd like to invest in a few woodworking tools (planer, jointer, etc.) and do some larger pieces.
So my answer in short is simply to gain a little initiative. I don't plan on making a habit of it.~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
At $25.00 a board foot that is some expensive stock. I think I’d look at some other stuff to start on before cutting into that board. No doubt the best way to use it would be to resaw it into maybe four 1/8” veneers and do a table top with a nice dark, (maybe wenge?), base. You'll need a bit more bandsaw to do that though.
Given the tools you have, I'd rip it down the middle with the TS, cut each piece in half, then split the 4 pieces with the BS. This will give you 4 sets of bookmatches to use as drawer fronts in the approx. 24" x 40" x 18" deep 4 drawer chest you will build out of cherry, with whatever secondary wood you pick for the drawers. You'll glue the lychee to a piece of cherry 3/4" shorter and 3/4" less tall than the lychee, and cut hidden dovetails into the cherry for the sides of the drawer. This gives you a 3/8" lip all around on each drawer front, 3/8" deep which is sturdy enough to easily withstand opening and closing forces. Round the lip all 4 sides with an appropriate bit on the router (table).
Surprisingly, after all the talk about making veneer door faces, I hadn't even considered drawer fronts. That's an excellent idea. One thing though, splitting it down the middle will yield pieces 4 1/2" wide. Then making the drawer 3/4" smaller, the drawers would end up pretty shallow. On the other hand, using the full 9" might make them too deep.
Maybe I can make a matching set of side tables with drawers. I'm thinking that ripping them down to say 5 1/2" would make for a more practical depth, and even leave a 3 1/2" piece for a single shallow drawer atop the 2 deeper drawers. Or maybe not, might not look right.
At any rate, drawer fronts however they're configured, sounds like a good idea. It will save me the trouble of having someone else slice veneers out of the piece. I believe I can split them on the BS if I work with narrower pieces.
I agree with Jon about keeping with the Asian style. Maybe the case could be black lacquered. I've always liked that look. Asian style hardware would also look real nice, depending on what I can find.
Maybe it's time to invest in a dovetail jig. Does it matter much what brand I get? I mean, they all do pretty much the same thing, don't they? Or is that a case for a new thread? Actually, I'm sure that issue is well covered if I search the forums a little.
I would probably use poplar for the carcasses and drawers. Would that be the right way to go? Oh, so many questions... I gotta hit the sack. Got 2 new helpers starting tomorrow so I have to be especially alert. See ya tomorrow! :o)~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
>>"I would probably use poplar for the carcasses and drawers. Would that be the right way to go?"<<
If you go the black lacquer route, you'll want a fine textured, diffuse-porous wood...so yellow poplar would certainly be the cheap and easy way to go. Depending upon where you are located and what's available, aspen would be another choice...but both of these woods are rather soft and would dent easily.
If you were to think like an Oriental cabinetmaker, you'd probably consider maple for this secondary role. It has all the textural characteristics required and it's a harder, stronger wood...Also, it's very common to the Orient. There are more species of maples native to China than to any other region on earth (I think the Chinese have upwards of 50 some odd species in the maple genus; Acer).
Birch might be another choice, but it's a little coarser textured than maple and it would take a little more effort to get a glass smooth lacquer buid-up on it.
For drawers, I have a 30 year old Craftsman dovetailer. It does strong precise work up to 8" or so wide, 1/2" dovetails. Bigger or widely spaced dovetails I cut by hand, since I don't do enough to justify buying a Keller or learning how to use a Leigh.
As for sizes, you have a large number of possibilities of drawers, the only limitation being a total of 5.75 sq. feet of 3/8" drawer face. Proper planning will give you the bookmatches you want.
Another thought: A few years ago I had a few small (4" x 36") pieces of 3/4" intensely figured quilted mahogany. I sliced it into 1/16" slices on a cheap Delta benchtop bandsaw using a .025" x 3/8" 6T blade. I then glued the slices onto 1/4" plywood and used them for panels in a long frame and panel molding sorrounding a room. I lost almost nothing to kerf; the important thing was to have a strong 90* fence, which I made from a machinist's "angle block" which I mounted on a piece of BB plywood which bolted to the saw table.
I've used poplar, maple, walnut, cherry, oak and mahogany for drawer sides and bottoms. They all work fine.
Webtrooper, this species is native to East Asia (China) and has been used there as a cabinetwood for literally centuries...So, you might want to consider making some sort of knick-knack/accent piece of Oriental design...If you like Oriental style things, you would at least be in the correct "tradition" for this wood...But I don't see any necessity to abide by any rules. It's yours to make whatever you please.
Since I have some experience working with Lychee, I will introduce myself. Woodworking is a hobby for me. I live on the windward side of the island of Oahu. Lychee trees (scientific name Litchi chinensis) grow in backyards in Hawaii for their fruit. Jon is correct that the species is native to southern China. The trees grow slowly and one about 2 feet in diameter is probably 60 years old or so. The trees do not grow straight and people believe that if you stress the tree it will yield more fruit. Common ways of stressing the trees is to girdle it or pound lots of nails into it. Also people attach orchids, etc, to them with nails, wires, etc. I have chain saw milled a few of them and I turn down logs (one just last night) frequently. Most lychee wood in Hawaii goes to the dump because it is so difficult to work with. I have made an island counter top in my kitchen out of 2 inch thick lychee. I believe it is the only kitchen counter top in the world made out of lychee. I have also used it for panels in cabinet doors. Usually in our annual state wide "wood show" in September, there will be some inlay work using lychee veneer, or bowls, etc. When I glued up my counter top I used biscuits and polyurethane glue. After several years, some of the glue joints have failed--you can feel them. Since then, I have used plastic resin glue (Weldwood), or epoxy when working with lychee.
In my house, the humidity is usually 70% or higher (tonight it is 91%) and wood that is air dried reaches an equillibrium moisture content of about 14%. At 14%, I calculate Lychee to have a specific gravity of about 0.98. Because the grain in Lychee usually changes direction frequently, it does not plane well. I resaw it on a Hitachi resaw bandsaw with a Stelite tipped blade and it resaws well if the blade is very sharp. Then I thickness sand it. I make my door panels flat, I have not tried to raise panels with a router or shaper. I have used round-over bits on it and I usually make shallow climb-cuts before the final pass. Although very heavy the wood is brittle. It tears out easily. It sands to an extremely smooth finish. I have used oil finishes, lacquer, or water based poly urethane for finishes. I have made cabinet doors using true Mahagony (Swietenia mahogani) for the rails and stiles and the lychee for the panels. The colors go together well. For flaws in the wood, bark inclusions, nail holes, etc, I fill them using black epoxy (West Systems with powdered graphite). It sands very smooth and compliments the red Lychee. When you first open up a fresh lychee log, the color patterns are incredible. I will try to post some pictures in the next few days. If you guys will really pay $20 a board foot for highly figured Lychee, I'll have to rescue a few more logs from the dump. Aloha, olopua
Hi Everybody,
I just wanted to update you all on the current state my "What to do with the piece of lychee?" project. First off, I need to mention that it will be a couple of weeks till the project commences. As I mentioned at the begining of this thread, I'm waiting for the lychee to arrive via UPS, and for me to finish the bathroom I'm remodeling. Since then I've high-bidded another smaller piece of lychee and expect to win out on some other woods which will complement the lychee. They're all from the same source so I'm holding off on completing the order (i.e. paying them :o)) so I can get all item's shipped together. And yes, they are okay with that.
Olopua - Thanks for jumping in, I'm really enjoying all the attention this thread is receiving and all the much needed advice I'm getting. I'd love to see some snapshots of your lychee projects. I'm already familliar with lychee as a fruit from China, and the piece I'm going to work with came from Hawaii.
I'm definately going to make drawer fronts, and thus drawers and a case (or cases) of some sort. I'm still contemplating the finish though, I feel a little daunted about the black lacquer, but we'll see.
I imagine this thread will be a bit slow in the mean time but once I start the project I'll post about every step at it moves along. Until then, happy woodworking all!
~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
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