How badly does Idigbo leach it's natural colour?

[DigitalM]

I read that idigbo can have a tendency to leach a yellow die that occurs in it naturally. I'm about to go grab some in the next couple of days as it was recommended by several people for outdoor work (windows, doors).

Is this leaching of colour much of an issue, or a rare thing?

If it does, do you have to treat it first to avoid it?

There wasn't much further info than a mention of it, which has got me a little paranoid!

 

[PAC1]

I have seen Idigbo leach. In my experience it leaches when painted (but that is not a scientific finding). When I made 17 windows 5 years ago for my own house I stained them externally and varnished them internally and I have not had any leaching problems.
It is easy to machine but slightly brittle if you use hand tools.
I am happy with the windows.

 

[custard]

I've no personal experience of working with Idigbo. But the "Handbook of Hardwoods" (which is generally taken to be the authoritative source in the UK) has this to say,

Chemical Staining
Liable to stain if in contact with iron under damp conditions. Contains yellow colouring matter which may stain moist fabrics in contact with the wood.

Corrosive Properties
Has slightly acidic properties and, when moist, tends to promote corrosion of metals, especially iron and steel.

That may sound off-putting, but something similar could actually be written about many timbers!

 

[Beau]

Made some external doors for next door out of idigbo. They are finished in sikkens but no sign of any leaching in the 5 or so years that have past. The only issue that I know of with it is it's reaction to iron causing staining much like oak does as pointed out by Custard. Most external hardware is stainless or brass so no big problem

 

[RobinBHM]

Seal end grain very well.

It can stain brickwork and masonry.

If you are painting your work, then I would suggest using douglas fir or red grandis. If you want a stain finish to look like oak, idigbo is quite good.

If you want a very durable timber for staining or painting then iroko is very good, although not universally liked on here!

 

[ColeyS1]

I'd rather work with iroko than idigbo. I hate iroko so.....

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[RobinBHM]

I'd rather work with iroko than idigbo. I hate iroko so.....

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You must really hate Idigbo then

 

[RobinBHM]

Talking of horrible timbers to use, Brookes Bros offered me some Movingue timber.

We ripped down a 2.5" × 8" board in half and it bowed so much, when butting the boards bext to each other there was a 2" gap in the middle the timber is really abrasive and bluntened HSS cutters after putting 3 or bits through.

Maybe I was unlucky, but since I havent had the urge to try it again, I dont know.

Idigbo doesnt mortice very well its too woolly.

Iroko in my experience, once machined and assembled is very stable. I the last 10 years Ive probably only had to remake half a dozen window sashes / door leaves due to warping in service.

The quality of iroko we get these days isnt great though, mild straight grained stock is becoming a rarity. Ive now swapped to engineered siberian larch for framework and accoya for door leaves.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Idigbo is very woolly and brittle. I made a transom once, dropped it on the floor and it snapped in half. It was a clean break which glued back together like a scarf joint, but it would not have happened with, say, redwood.
It was to be painted and I remember that I had to get some special primer, as anything else wouldn't stick to it, it just spread around.
Not nice to work, but the end result was good.
I don't think I'd buy it again, TBH.

 

[Beau]

Surprised at the dislike for Idigbo. Found it pretty good to work and took mouldings well. Most stable wood I have ever used with very small seasonal movement which is boon for external work. Only problems I had was it was relatively soft and got damaged on a door threshold. Would take it over Iroko any day unless ultimate durability was required.

 

[ColeyS1]

I'd rather work with iroko than idigbo. I hate iroko so.....

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You must really hate Idigbo then

With a passion. If I had to work with it everyday I think I'd give up woodworking :lol:

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[PAC1]

Surprised at the dislike for Idigbo. Found it pretty good to work and took mouldings well. Most stable wood I have ever used with very small seasonal movement which is boon for external work. Only problems I had was it was relatively soft and got damaged on a door threshold. Would take it over Iroko any day unless ultimate durability was required.

Same here. You do have to be careful handling the finished product. I have been using Meranti for door cills.

 

[PAC1]

I'd rather work with iroko than idigbo. I hate iroko so.....

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You must really hate Idigbo then

With a passion. If I had to work with it everyday I think I'd give up woodworking :lol:

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Iroko nearly forced me to give up. I spent a few weeks one summer machining it up for some project. The heat, sweat and dust combined and I ended up with a horrible skin condition and breathing problems. As long as I do not let Iroko anywhere near the workshop I am fine.
Idigbo has a strange nutty smell but was easy to work.

 

[ColeyS1]

I'd rather work with iroko than idigbo. I hate iroko so.....

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You must really hate Idigbo then

With a passion. If I had to work with it everyday I think I'd give up woodworking :lol:

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Iroko nearly forced me to give up. I spent a few weeks one summer machining it up for some project. The heat, sweat and dust combined and I ended up with a horrible skin condition and breathing problems. As long as I do not let Iroko anywhere near the workshop I am fine.
Idigbo has a strange nutty smell but was easy to work.

I have exactly the same issues using it, but I still prefer it over idigbo. I think my issues with iroko came after using the stuff as an apprentice. Despite having a thing that looked remarkably like an extractor, it just didn't work. Ripping iroko back on the saw was just like turning on a snow storm, but with nasty itchy stuff instead.
I'm probably being a bit harsh on idigbo. I just found it completely unpredictable to scribe/chisel joints to fit. Even with a sharp chisel/gouge, it would almost shatter instead of paring nicely. I guess if you just allow extra for spares, it could be a useful timber to work with.

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[PAC1]

The trick with Idigbo is not to use hand tools. If you scribe on the spindle/tenoner it is fine if you try and chop a scribe with chisels and gouges you are left with a pile of rubble.