Exotic Hardwoods

Written: May 3, 2022

One of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of woodworking is the many different wood species which are available to use. While there can be frustrations living in a major metropolitan city (Houston) there are some incredible benefits. One such benefit is the access that I have to some different lumber mills that have numerous wood species, various dimensions, and milling levels. While in one of the mills which I often purchase lumber I came across the wood known as Zebrawood. I was fascinated by the detail of the wood and the unique overall look. Well that meant it was time to purchase some of it and attempt a few projects. I thought at this time I might take you through some of the issues in a step by step process of turning the wood into a piece of "wood art". Zebrawood is extremely hard, grainy, and porous which makes working with it a bit of a challenge. The first step to do after selecting the board (not an easy task finding a straight piece) was to cut and plane the boards. I immediately noticed little holes popping up throughout the wood which is not a good thing if you are considering a cutting board design. Because of this I shifted gears and decided a charcuterie board would be a much better use of this style of wood. The second step, perhaps the most difficult, was to glue the two boards together to provide a wide enough surface for what the customer desired. The obstacle was getting the board to lay flat and not buckle. Because I was using a 1 inch board there was not a lot of wiggle room for planing after the glue up. My first attempt was fairly good but not perfect...the second attempt was much better. I would suggest using calls to help keep the boards flat in the gluing process. The third step was cutting the design of the board at the bandsaw and then the jigsaw. I would suggest that as you settle on a design make a template as this will save you time in the future. One thing peculiar I noticed was the smell of Zebrawood being cut...it was not a pleasant odor. Now it was time to use the router to round the edges for a more comfortable touch. The fourth step was a bit of planing but honestly it was a TON of sanding. The process I use to get a glass-like finish includes the following: 80 grit sanding, 150 grit sanding, 220 grit sanding, spraying the board with water to raise the fibers (perhaps the most important step) then re-sanding with 220 grit, and finally one last pass with 320 grit sandpaper for the glass-like finish. One word of caution with this type of wood is to pay attention and be careful because it can splinter on the edges if you are moving to fast. The final step will be to soak the board in mineral oil and apply CoachKWoodworks Board Butter. I am not sure yet if the customer will want some type of personalization applied to the board but the laser is ready to go. As always I keep some scrap on hand to show a small sample to the customer of what the engraving will look like on the wood species they have chosen. The most important things: try new projects, try new woods, and always plan for changes!