African Mahogany for neck and end blocks

[Kevin Sjostrand]

See any problem with using this wood as long as its quarter sawn with the orientation correct?

Kevin

[tippie53]

it is a great wood.
use it

[darren]

I'm using it now for the first time. The additional weight over Hog is probably negligible.

[B. Howard]

I prefer the African, I find it more consistent as far as density when compared to Honduran.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I purchased a 3/4" x 8" x 36" long board, quarter sawn. I could use it for a couple of necks, end blocks, kerfing,
not quite wide enough to resaw into a b & s set unless I got really good at resawing.
It has nice ribbon figure.

Kevin

[B. Howard]

It has nice ribbon figure.

Kevin

A word of caution if you will be carving necks from it. That nice ribbon figure will most likely contain a complete reversal of the direction of the grain in each alternating stripe which can make carving a bit more challenging. In that regard most Bigleaf Mahogany is a bit easier to work. That said, I love it, it's what I have been making my necks from.

[darren]

A word of caution if you will be carving necks from it. That nice ribbon figure will most likely contain a complete reversal of the direction of the grain in each alternating stripe which can make carving a bit more challenging. In that regard most Bigleaf Mahogany is a bit easier to work. That said, I love it, it's what I have been making my necks from.

Brian, would you say that a rasp and working through the sandpaper grits work much better than carving with edge tools?

[B. Howard]

A word of caution if you will be carving necks from it. That nice ribbon figure will most likely contain a complete reversal of the direction of the grain in each alternating stripe which can make carving a bit more challenging. In that regard most Bigleaf Mahogany is a bit easier to work. That said, I love it, it's what I have been making my necks from.

Brian, would you say that a rasp and working through the sandpaper grits work much better than carving with edge tools?

A rasp can grab a bit also unless it is used exclusively across the grain but it could be a bit easier. I still use my spoke shave, I just reverse the cut on the figures. I push away from me or pull towards as needed. The key to using edged tools on figured woods in general is keeping them surgically sharp and taking light cuts.