Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) is an exotic hardwood specie coming primarily from West and East African countries such as Zaire where it is called "tule", Ghana: "kambala", Mozambique: "moreira", Cameroon: "band", and East Africa: "odum". The actual tree sizes vary from 30 to 50 meters in height by 1.7 to 2 meters in width. These timbers produce lumber and slabs cuts in thicknesses from 4/4 to 16/4 by widths from 6” to 30” and lengths from 6’ to 16’. At Hardwoods Inc. our inventory consists of mostly 4/4 & 6/4. Iroko lumber appears to have a golden brown to almost orange color with lighter streaks throughout on both the sliced and quartersawn surfaces. The grain tends to be coarse and interlocking resembling that of Khaya mahogany. The working properties of this exotic wood are such that it works fairly easy with carbide tipped power tools and well sharpened hand tools. It glues and sands easily and can be finished beautifully with all types of hand rubbed techniques as well as top coats such as lacquers and urethanes.

In the Hardwoods Inc. millwork shop we use Iroko for bar rail, moldings & millwork items for both interior and exterior applications due to its superior moisture resistant qualities. Our customers are using Iroko for boatbuilding, carving, furniture making, cabinetmaking and flooring. Visit the Hardwoods Inc exotic and domestic lumber store located in Frederick, Maryland to see Iroko and numerous other exotic hardwoods, or take our video tour here on line.

Iroko is our Wood of the Month, so we are offering 10% off on all Iroko lumber for April 2012, while supplies last!

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Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) is an exotic hardwood specie coming primarily from West and East African countries such as Zaire where it is called "tule", Ghana: "kambala", Mozambique: "moreira", Cameroon: "band", and East Africa: "odum". The actual tree sizes vary from 30 to 50 meters in height by 1.7 to 2 meters in width. These timbers produce lumber and slabs cuts in thicknesses from 4/4 to 16/4 by widths from 6” to 30” and lengths from 6’ to 16’. At Hardwoods Inc. our inventory consists of mostly 4/4 & 6/4. Iroko lumber appears to have a golden brown to almost orange color with lighter streaks throughout on both the sliced and quartersawn surfaces. The grain tends to be coarse and interlocking resembling that of Khaya mahogany. The working properties of this exotic wood are such that it works fairly easy with carbide tipped power tools and well sharpened hand tools. It glues and sands easily and can be finished beautifully with all types of hand rubbed techniques as well as top coats such as lacquers and urethanes.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]] In the Hardwoods Inc. millwork shop we use Iroko for bar rail, moldings & millwork items for both interior and exterior applications due to its superior moisture resistant qualities. Our customers are using Iroko for boatbuilding, carving, furniture making, cabinetmaking and flooring. Visit the Hardwoods Inc exotic and domestic lumber store located in Frederick, Maryland to see Iroko and numerous other exotic hardwoods, or take our video tour here on line.

Iroko is our Wood of the Month, so we are offering 10% off on all Iroko lumber for April 2012, while supplies last!

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) is an exotic hardwood specie coming primarily from West and East African countries such as Zaire where it is called "tule", Ghana: "kambala", Mozambique: "moreira", Cameroon: "band", and East Africa: "odum". The actual tree sizes vary from 30 to 50 meters in height by 1.7 to 2 meters in width. These timbers produce lumber and slabs cuts in thicknesses from 4/4 to 16/4 by widths from 6” to 30” and lengths from 6’ to 16’. At Hardwoods Inc. our inventory consists of mostly 4/4 & 6/4. Iroko lumber appears to have a golden brown to almost orange color with lighter streaks throughout on both the sliced and quartersawn surfaces. The grain tends to be coarse and interlocking resembling that of Khaya mahogany. The working properties of this exotic wood are such that it works fairly easy with carbide tipped power tools and well sharpened hand tools. It glues and sands easily and can be finished beautifully with all types of hand rubbed techniques as well as top coats such as lacquers and urethanes.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]] In the Hardwoods Inc. millwork shop we use Iroko for bar rail, moldings & millwork items for both interior and exterior applications due to its superior moisture resistant qualities. Our customers are using Iroko for boatbuilding, carving, furniture making, cabinetmaking and flooring. Visit the Hardwoods Inc exotic and domestic lumber store located in Frederick, Maryland to see Iroko and numerous other exotic hardwoods, or take our video tour here on line.

Iroko is our Wood of the Month, so we are offering 10% off on all Iroko lumber for April 2012, while supplies last!

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) is an exotic hardwood specie coming primarily from West and East African countries such as Zaire where it is called "tule", Ghana: "kambala", Mozambique: "moreira", Cameroon: "band", and East Africa: "odum". The actual tree sizes vary from 30 to 50 meters in height by 1.7 to 2 meters in width. These timbers produce lumber and slabs cuts in thicknesses from 4/4 to 16/4 by widths from 6” to 30” and lengths from 6’ to 16’. At Hardwoods Inc. our inventory consists of mostly 4/4 & 6/4. Iroko lumber appears to have a golden brown to almost orange color with lighter streaks throughout on both the sliced and quartersawn surfaces. The grain tends to be coarse and interlocking resembling that of Khaya mahogany. The working properties of this exotic wood are such that it works fairly easy with carbide tipped power tools and well sharpened hand tools. It glues and sands easily and can be finished beautifully with all types of hand rubbed techniques as well as top coats such as lacquers and urethanes.

In the Hardwoods Inc. millwork shop we use Iroko for bar rail, moldings & millwork items for both interior and exterior applications due to its superior moisture resistant qualities. Our customers are using Iroko for boatbuilding, carving, furniture making, cabinetmaking and flooring. Visit the Hardwoods Inc exotic and domestic lumber store located in Frederick, Maryland to see Iroko and numerous other exotic hardwoods, or take our video tour here on line.

Iroko is our Wood of the Month, so we are offering 10% off on all Iroko lumber for April 2012, while supplies last!

“Slab Lumber, Hardwood Slabs, and Live Edge Slabs”, whatever term you use, conjures up visions of artistic furniture and architectural applications and a journey through the life of a tree - from the center heartwood, with its darker rich color, knots and defects to the new sapwood which tends to be lighter in color.

The outer bark, or what is sometimes called the natural or live edge, tends to be the most interesting part of the slab as it follows the vertical and cylindrical form of the tree which can vary from straight and round to angular and egg shaped or even star shaped in some exotic wood species.

The slabs vary in size; for example, in the domestic hardwoods such as cherry, walnut, ash and maple they are from 4/4 to 12/4 in thickness by 12” to 30” in width by 6’ to 16’ in length.

The exotic hardwoods tend to be a bit larger such as in the case of Bubinga which is cut in slab form from 5/4 to 16/4 in thickness by 16” to 72” in width and lengths from 6’ to 30’.

Milling slabs can sometimes be a challenge especially on the very large exotic slabs that do not fit into a wide belt sander. In this case, we suggest using a floor sander to do most of the heavy work and then the fine finishing can be done with hand held power tools and scraping tools. For finishing the live edges we recommend using a drill fitted with a wire brush wheel or a flap sander. Of course, if the slabs are small enough to fit into a planer and wide belt sander, all of the flat surfaces can be processed and the final sanding completed by hand. In the Hardwoods Inc. Millwork Shop we have the equipment to sand your slab selection up to 43” wide and straight-line rip edges of book matched slabs up to 25’ long with a glue line quality edge that is ready to assemble. As far as finishing is concerned we like to suggest hand rubbed oils such as Tung oil, Teak oil, or water lox. Although, we have several commercial installations where conversion varnish and pre cat lacquers have been used with stunning results.

Some other uses for domestic and exotic slab lumber are mantles, shelving, bar tops; table tops, and counter tops.

See our New Arrivals page as well as our Hardwood Slabs page for a complete line up of our slabs inventory.

Also check out our recent email alert to receive a 5% discount on slabs.

 

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5% Off Slab Lumber, Hardwood Slabs, and Live Edge Slabs

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Exciting news for all woodworkers: For a limited time, we are receiving large shipments daily of some of the most unique hardwood slabs we have ever seen! Our 10,000 square foot exotic lumber wharehouse is chalk full of exotic slabs from around the world including:

• Live edge cherry slabs
• Live edge walnut slabs
• Live edge wormy maple slabs
• Mottled Sapele Slabs
• Highly figured exotic Bubinga slabs with live edges 
• Book matched wormy maple slabs sets
• Book matched figured walnut slabs sets 
• Highly figured exotic Bubinga slabs
• Swiss pear slabs

just to name a few! You have to come check them out! Nothing can compare to seeing these live and in person, but take a peak on our new arrivals page as well as our Hardwood Slabs page for a complete line up of our slabs inventory. When you are ready to come visit us in person at Hardwoods Inc Exotic & Domestic Lumber in Frederick MD, mention this email and receive 5% off on all domestic slabs and Swiss pear slabs and special pricing on all highly figured bubinga slabs!*

We look forward to seeing you!

*Sale ends 04/30/12, while current inventory lasts

Nicaraguan Rosewood (Dalbergia Tucerensis) is our Hardwoods blog topic for today. Other names for this exotic wood are Nambar, Palisandro and Caviuana. The lumber comes mainly from the Pacific coast areas of Central America and Mexico. The color of Nicaraguan Rosewood varies from a deep orangish – red to brown with deep dark streaks throughout then turns into white sapwood at the outer edges on selected boards. This exotic hardwood works fairly easy with both hand tools and carbide tipped power tools. However take precautions and wear a mask when working all hardwoods but especially this one as the sawdust has been reported to be an irritant to some woodworkers. This lumber is also oily so it can be more difficult to glue up than other woods. In the finish room oils are recommended but sprayed lacquers and brushed urethanes will work with a little more care. Nicaraguan Rosewood is a dalbergia and is part of a larger genus of smaller to medium size shrub & trees and as such the lumber tends to be smaller than other exotic lumber species. The typical size to expect from this wood is 4/4 in thickness by 2” to 5” in width x 2’ to 3’ long. Some uses for this lumber that our customers have reported are knife scales, tool handles, chess pieces, jewelry boxes, fine furniture making, wood turning, musical instruments and decorative veneers. At Hardwoods Inc of MD we stock Nicaraguan Rosewood and many other Dalbergia exotic hardwoods  for all your woodworking projects. Visit Hardwoods Inc Exotic & Domestic Lumber Store we are located at 2 Worman's Mill Ct. in Historic Frederick MD.

 

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We have selected from our inventory of exotic hardwoods a really cool figured wood known as lacewood for our blog topic today. Lacewoods scientific name is (Panopsis Spp) other common names include Brazilian Lacewood & South American Lacewood. There are other similar exotic woods out there like Australian Silky Oak and Leopardwood that are related and sometimes substituted for but are of a different family. The actual tree sizes vary and can vary from 2’ to 3’ in diameter and reach heights of up to 50’. The boards produced from the timbers range from 4/4 to 6/4 in thickness by 4” to 8” in width by 3’ to 10’ in length. This exotic timber comes primarily from tropical South America. The lumber color is a reddish tan with light brown waves that resembles a lace pattern. Lacewood is almost always perfectly quartersawn: this process produces the largest and most figured flakes caused by its extra wide medullary rays. This lumber has a fairly coarse grain but can be sanded, stained and finished very well. Oils, urethanes and lacquers work rather fine. This exotic timber machines and turns easily with both hand and power tools tipped with carbide or high speed steel. At Hardwoods Inc our customers are using lacewood for musical instruments, fine furniture, cabinetry and intarsia work. Visit Hardwoods Inc of MD here online or visit our lumber store located at 2 Worman's Mill Ct. Frederick, MD and see our selection of over 150 species of domestic and exotic hardwoods.

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Australian Blackwood (acacia melanoxylon). This exotic hardwood is also called Black Wattle and can be recognized by its brownish-gold to brownish-red heartwood with shadowy dark streaks that appear at the growth rings. These colors and characteristics make it very similar to its cousin, the Hawaiian Koa and it is often used as a Koa substitute. Blackwood has a mostly straight grain, but does sometimes have a wavy, interlocking grain that produces a beautiful curly figured wood pattern. The lumber works fairly easy with both hand tools and power machinery with our usual recommendation for carbide tipped cutting edges. This is especially true when planning, routing or shaping. Blackwood sands very well and can be glued up using regular yellow glue of your choice. As far as finishing goes, Australian Blackwood finishes beautifully with oils as well as brushed urethanes and sprayed lacquer finishes and can be brought to a high polished sheen. The tree itself grows rather rapidly and straight with trunk diameters up to 3’ and heights up to 145’ with the first branches appearing after 13’ to 16’. The lumber is generally available in 4/4 and 8/4 thicknesses with widths ranging from 6” to 10” and lengths from 3’ to 10’. At Hardwoods Inc., our customers are using Blackwood for fine furniture making, cabinetry, wood turning, gunstocks, bent woodwork and musical instruments. In Australia the bark is used for the extraction of tannin which has industrial and organic value. Come to Hardwoods Inc. of MD to see Australian Blackwood and scores of other domestic and exotic woods or take a video tour

 

 

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Our blog topic for today is going to be about an exotic wood commonly called Cumaru but also known as Brazilian teak or Tonka bean its scientific name is Dipteryx Odorata. This exotic timber can grow to heights of up to 160’ tall and have trunk diameters from 3’ to 5’. The actual lumber is typically available in 4/4, 5/4 & 8/4 thicknesses with widths ranging from 4” to 10” and lengths from 6’ to 16’ long. The color of cumaru varies greatly from a light to medium brown that sometimes includes purple and reddish hues. The grain and texture is fine but almost always has some type of figure to it caused by its frequent interlocking grain patterns. This lumber tends to be complicated to work due to its extreme hardness and wild grain patterns that are incredibly unpredictable. It also has high silica content and as such dulls your tooling faster than other exotic species. Use carbide tooling only when working this lumber! One characteristic which we found pleasing when machining this wood was the essence of an almost vanilla smell. We find cumaru to glue satisfactorily and suggest the use of bisquets where possible along with your glue of choice; we favor Titebond products in our millwork shop. Cumaru can be finished nicely with oil finishes such as Tung oil and Teak oil or brushed varnishes and urethanes. We like the results achieved with spraying catalyzed lacquers. Our customers are using this exotic hardwood lumber for flooring, decking, wood turning, furniture and fine cabinet making. Cumaru is available kiln dried in rough sawn lumber form or milled to your specifications at our facility Hardwoods Inc Exotic & Domestic Lumber in Frederick MD

 

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