Cutting ebony

[misterfish]

My father-in-law is experimenting with intarsia at present using his Delta scroll saw. He has a small piece of ebony that has been in the 'useful' box in the shed for many years and he wants to use this to cut a couple of eyes for his current project.

Has anybody any advice about working with ebony? As he only has a small amount of the material he wants to keep experimenting to a minimum. Should he use a particular type of blade - he has tried with his 'usual' woodworking blade but has only made a mark on the edge of the wood and he now wonders if he should use a metal cutting blade.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Misterfish

 

[Gill]

My only experience cutting ebony is using a scalpel for marquetry - and it's probably the hardest, most brittle wood I've ever used. There's nothing to match its effect in a piece, but ebony is awful stuff to work with.

I suggest your father-in-law takes the standard measure to keep his blade well lubricated and covers the workpiece with low tack masking tape. The first blade I would turn to would be skip-toothed in order to clear the swarf effectively and minimise the risk of burning as the slow progress is made. And progress will be slow! I would also use as large a blade as possible.

While some people prefer to use their saws at full speed when cutting hard woods, I have often found this makes the blades overheat and they lose their cutting edge very quickly. That is why I normally cut challenging woods at a slow speed, and I reckon that will be the best way to approach cutting ebony.

I notice Flying Dutchman have some 'Heavy Duty' blades which are not only size #2, but standard toothed :roll: . I've never used them so it would be inappropriate for me to comment, but they may be worth checking out.

If your father-in-law gets really stuck, the nature of intarsia means he could always turn to a bandsaw . Mind, those eyes he's cutting do sound fiddly and I wouldn't like to get my fingers as close to a bandsaw blade as I would to a scroll saw blade!

Alternatively, there's always the option of using a different wood with a high tannin content and ebonizing it artificially. I know it's a cheat, but that's the way my mind works...

Gill

 

[MIGNAL]

I cut Ebony ( 1.5 mm thick) with a hand fretsaw without problem, not sure if the blades are exactly the same as those used in the scroll saws. Turn the speed down until you get to the pace of my hand sawing

 

[hawkinob]

Hi,
By coincidence, just spotted on another forum, someone's (a Pom I think!!) trials at ebonising timbers. Might be of interest.

http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/wood-f ... /22568.htm

Hope it helps.
Bob H. (another Pom!)

 

[Blacklabradorman]

Hi

My only comment is that in the woodturning books they say that Ebony can be dangerous so make sure proper precautions are taken to not breathe in the dust.

Sean