A word of warning about zebrano

[FogggyTown]

Zebrano (zebra wood) is a lovely light wood with irregular wild dark "stripes" (almost like spalting) running along the grain. If you ever decide that you would like to work with this wood be warned about one thing. When you work it (saw, plane, drill, sand, whatever) you are immediately surrounded by an aroma which is almost identical to that of a fresh cow pie. I just hope the oil and poly seal that little characteristic in!

 

[woodbloke]

Pong soon fades though...unlike the 'in your face' grain pattern :x - Rob

 

[Harbo]

There's a nice Jewellery Box using it in the latest British Woodworking.
It looks better when mixed with plainer woods?

I thought at first Robert Ingham had used it for his box in F&C, but that turned out to be some very stripy Macassar Ebony.


Rod

 

[Calpol]

It goes well with black walnut... I think so anyway 8)

 

[Philly]

Yes, a lot of the African timber have that "farmyard" smell, especially when you burn them on the table saw blade
Farmer Philly :lol:

 

[dicktimber]

April fool!

 

[JonnyD]

It goes well with black walnut... I think so anyway 8)

I have done a few jobs with black walnut and zebrano such and it goes together well. I have used it with wenge as well as in this set of tables. I think its a love it or hate it type of wood

I dont think its an april fool as it does stink

Jon

 

[Ironballs]

At the college the day students are making some hall tables in a variety of woods, there is one that has the carcass and legs made out of ash and the top out of zebrano. Didn't have the heart to tell them it looked awful

 

[FogggyTown]

At the college the day students are making some hall tables in a variety of woods, there is one that has the carcass and legs made out of ash and the top out of zebrano. Didn't have the heart to tell them it looked awful

I use it as an accent wood. Don't see it as a wood you would want all (or even a big part) of something made from.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

... there is one that has the carcass and legs made out of ash and the top out of zebrano.

It's not ash; it's hard maple and zebrano. Slainte.

 

[wizer]

... there is one that has the carcass and legs made out of ash and the top out of zebrano.

It's not ash; it's hard maple and zebrano. Slainte.

#-o

I love the stuff and also came to the conclusion that it works well with Walnut.

I think it's an age thing

 

[woodbloke]

It's one of those timbers that has to be used very carefully. I don't know if anyone remembered the suite of stuff made in F&C a few years ago now? Huge, gothic pieces entirely in zebrano - Rob

 

[wizer]

yes I do agree too much of it's a bad thing

 

[Sgian Dubh]

For lovers and haters of zebrano alike, here is something in maple and zebrano... lots of zebrano: http://www.richardjonesfurniture.com/Be ... en-17.html

The customer liked it enough to pay over US$25,000 for it. Taste, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. I have to say that in this case the piece did look quite stunning in the room as the centrepiece. Getting paid with effusive thanks and praise always makes the design, execution, delivery installation, along with further orders from the client sweeter from the designer maker's point of view. Slainte.

 

[promhandicam]

Very very nice Richard - was the choice of woods yours or the customers? I guess you did the veneering yourself? Personally I think that too many customers just want the same as everyone else and those who are prepared to have something a bit more creative and distinctive are few and far between.

Steve

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I guess you did the veneering yourself? Steve

The customer specified maple and zebrano as the show woods. They didn't specify what proportion of each showed and I was commissioned to design it, price it, and make it.

The custom veneering was sub-contracted to a specialist. At the time it cost ~$7 a square foot for the maple and ~$10-11 for the zebrano, and it's impossible to compete with those prices doing it yourself. The prices covered the cost of the ground and both the show veneer and the backing veneer. eg, one sheet of 8' X 4' MDF veneered in maple and a backing veneer cost me $224 tax exempt as I was reselling the item. I don't recall exact numbers, but I think I spent roughly $3,500- $4,000 on custom veneering, which I simply marked up by the usual 50% and resold to the client. Slainte.

 

[woodbloke]

Richard - I remember that piece as well (it was featured in F&C I believe)...very tasteful. The pieces I'm referring to was the self-standing boardroom suite made my Ley...not at all to my taste - Rob

 

[Sgian Dubh]

The pieces I'm referring to was the self-standing boardroom suite made my Ley...not at all to my taste - Rob

Rob, I'd twigged which furniture items you were referring to in F&C. And yes, I wrote the article about rod use that included the zebrano and maple built-in unit as one example of their use published in issues 85 and 86 of F&C. Slainte.

 

[woodbloke]

The pieces I'm referring to was the self-standing boardroom suite made my Ley...not at all to my taste - Rob

Rob, I'd twigged which furniture items you were referring to in F&C. And yes, I wrote the article about rod use that included the zebrano and maple built-in unit as one example of their use published in issues 85 and 86 of F&C. Slainte.

Richard - I thought you might have done...just so there was no confusion in the ranks :wink: :lol: - Rob

 

[Ironballs]

... there is one that has the carcass and legs made out of ash and the top out of zebrano.

It's not ash; it's hard maple and zebrano. Slainte.

Richard you're quite right, there was another that was all ash. I assume the students have been given a bit of free reign over design touches and timber choice, that one was well built but the top was a bit in yer face.

There was another poor chap who'd made a pretty good table out of oak but every single one of his legs had developed bad checks. One of our lot on the evening class is also using thick oak and had to send a board back due to the checking

Cheers

Damian