Why Bother

[jonbikebod]

The head was an old pre war bowling ball. Originally made by my Uncle on a treadle lathe, I recently re-worked and re handled it. The Lignum was almost black with age but revealed stunning patterning when I cleaned it up.
Jon.

 

[Harbo]

Lovely colour jonbikebod - much nicer than the green of mine - perhaps it will turn brown in time too?

I did follow some bowling balls on the Bay a while back but they went for silly money!

Rod

 

[Racers]

Hi,
I have lignum 4 bowling balls all from charity shops I paid £4 for the first two and £7.50 for the last two. One set has a inspection stamp on them from 1937. Just need to get round to making something from them.

Pete

 

[woodbloke]

I've got a decent bowling ball that Marin the Woodkateer gave me...haven't yet got a round to doing anything with it yet. Biggest thing I'm puzzling over is how to make the hole down the middle (23mm ish?) and how to mount it the the lathe - Rob

 

[mudman]

I've got a decent bowling ball that Marin the Woodkateer gave me...haven't yet got a round to doing anything with it yet. Biggest thing I'm puzzling over is how to make the hole down the middle (23mm ish?) and how to mount it the the lathe - Rob

Rob,

I've made two from bowls now and I just mounted a sawtooth forstner in the pillar drill and held the bowl in my hand. You can exert plenty of pressure to stop the bowl from moving and if it does, it isn't going anywhere.

I was looking at the ones on eBay the other night and they really seem to have shot up in price. Must be lots of turners after them.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I was going to cut a big hole in a off cut and pop it in that should stop it rolling away.

Pete

 

[Harbo]

My piece was a cylinder but used screw chuck on both ends to minimise waste for shaping up. Then used 25mm forstner bit in Jacob chuck on lathe to drill nearly through - finished drilling on pillar drill.

Rod

 

[Benchwayze]

Well I did bother using a £10 piece of Lignum and a spare bit of ash:


Bit of a brute but I did not want to waste too much wood - handles about 7" long!

Rod

I'd like a mallet like that as a Dovetailing mallet.

At the moment, (if I could find it) I am using the business end of an oaken, 'Indian Club'. One that went wrong, when I was aked to make a pair for a Physio friend.


Regards
John

 

[Benchwayze]

Hello David and all,

This is in regard to Lignum vitae (Guiacum officinale and G. sanctum) and its substitutes, especially Bulnesia sarmientoi and B. arborea. I couldn't walk into a shop and know the difference--would have to ask the vendor. I was suggesting that differences in price can sometimes be explained by differences in the article being sold.

Here is a vendor who sells both Guiacum and Bulnesia, and discusses both a bit:

http://www.exoticwood.biz/lignumvitae.htm

If you follow his links to Argentine lignum vitae, B. sarmientoi, he says that it is a bit lighter in color than true Guiacum, and is the best of the substitutes. He also says that Guiacum is very rare these days in trade.

Here is a link which discusses Argentine lignum vitae, or Palosanto, and its uses. Note its density which is in the same ballpark as Guaicum:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulnesia_sarmientoi

In the above and elsewhere, I found 5 or 6 different spellings of Guiacum--and used the one most seen in dictionaries.

Wiley

Thanks for that Wiley. Although the nearest I am likely to come to any in my workshop, is to keep the old fishing reel I have. Another use for it was the making of the sheaves (pulley-wheels) in old ships' pulley-blocks'

I have heard that L/V doesn't float . Maybe the Argentinian variety does. How you might test it before you buy is a problem though!
:lol:

John