# Lignum Vitae



## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

First time posting here almost feels like a blue uniform in a field of grey.....

LV- the real stuff- tell me what they do with it now. I know it is limited -cites. Have access to some old stock. Will buy some either way but what do we do with it now. Also some old stock Monkey Pod. This is not a thread looking for a list of buyers- Just info. Neither wood do I have much - almost zilch- experience with... Thanks

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## gman2431 (Jul 14, 2016)

I would buy some and hoard it. That would probably be my only use. 

Is this where the line starts?

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## Kevin (Jul 14, 2016)

LV is still used in industrail bearings especially marine applications. I know because I almost bought a crate of it last year but before I did I called Bob Shortridge and picked his brain. He's the biggest seller of LV I believe. Type his name into google followed by the word lignum and his site will come up. There's other uses for it also but I've slept a bunch since I talked to him. 

Old stock monkeypod should be separtaed into two groups; the sappy and the non sappy. The sappy stuff should be sold at near cost to peppermill makers down south especially in Texas. Hope that helps.

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## Tony (Jul 14, 2016)

I never have laid hands on lignum, would like to get some to play with. I've heard of people replacing the push blocks on bandsaws with it. Tony

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## Schroedc (Jul 14, 2016)

I like LV for mallet heads, handles, anything I'm going to beat on.

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

Kevin said:


> LV is still used in industrail bearings especially marine applications. I know because I almost bought a crate of it last year but before I did I called Bob Shortridge and picked his brain. He's the biggest seller of LV I believe. Type his name into google followed by the word lignum and his site will come up. There's other uses for it also but I've slept a bunch since I talked to him.
> 
> Old stock monkeypod should be separtaed into two groups; the sappy and the non sappy. The sappy stuff should be sold at near cost to peppermill makers down south especially in Texas. Hope that helps.



So my guess is LV is not in big demand?/ and The 3" sappy MP is in demand to the happy/sappy/pappy in texas???

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## DKMD (Jul 14, 2016)

Both are superior turning woods with little use in the flat world...

I really like monkey pod... Kind of a poor man's koa, but it's softer in my experience. It's very light weight and cuts/sands very easily.

Lignum is for smelling... And turning. It's beautiful when fresh cut, and it turns a deep almost blue/green color over time. I'd bet it's miserable to try and glue up, but I've never tried. It's got a dense, waxy consistency. Holds great detail and buffs to a nice sheen without any finish.

Looking forward to seeing the haul!

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

The nice thing is pieces usually are odd/large size. some of the coco I got last time was 5x5" x 4' made very good fence post......

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## DKMD (Jul 14, 2016)

Forgot your original question about what it's used for... The last lignum I got came out of a water treatment facility, and my understanding was that the wood was used as some kind of bearing for a large, underwater rotating shaft. I was told that there's some kind of regulation that requires replacing the blocks after a certain amount of time even though there's nothing wrong with them. Finally... A worthless government regulation that benefits the woodworker!

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

I knew lv was used for bearings. Funny that it still is. Mostly looking for modern uses. @DKMD you did not use that lv ya got from the sewage treatment plant in the pm ya gave to @ kevin ...did ya???

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)




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## DKMD (Jul 14, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> ...you did not use that lv ya got from the sewage treatment plant in the pm ya gave to @ kevin ...did ya???



Yeah, but I wiped it off pretty well first...

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## Don Ratcliff (Jul 14, 2016)

How big is the monkey pod? If it's a slab it makes a great coffee table. Just burn the sap wood it's not worth the postage

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

Don Ratcliff said:


> How big is the monkey pod? If it's a slab it makes a great coffee table. Just burn the sap wood it's not worth the postage
> 
> View attachment 108987



Nice table

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

Had LV on the rails at the sawmill that I worked at in the 70's had to be decades old..


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## Kevin (Jul 14, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> So my guess is LV is not in big demand?/ and The 3" sappy MP is in demand to the happy/sappy/pappy in texas???

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## Blueglass (Jul 14, 2016)

I read a really cool article about LV for bearings in powerplants. In short LV lasts upwards 30 years. Modern synthetics around 30 minutes. I want some but from the island I grew up on. Apparently a close enough but different relative.


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## Don Ratcliff (Jul 14, 2016)

I had not heard of the stuff so looked up LV, that's amazing what it is used for. Trees are as important to man as water and food.

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## Mike1950 (Jul 14, 2016)

Blueglass said:


> I read a really cool article about LV for bearings in powerplants. In short LV lasts upwards 30 years. Modern synthetics around 30 minutes. I want some but from the island I grew up on. Apparently a close enough but different relative.




Amazing.... this will be from what ever island ya want it to be from...... Hold it- I don't think I should have said That....

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## Blueglass (Jul 14, 2016)

As a kid I knew the head of the Wildlife Refuge so I had no problem later in life asking if I could collect dead fall. The answer was if they saw me with one stick I would be arrested on sight. Nope I don't have connections there anymore. So you may not want to claim it is from Big Pine, ha ha.

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## duncsuss (Jul 14, 2016)

I've made two pens from LV. One was a ballpoint for my father-in-law on his 80th birthday -- I figured it's called "tree of life" so that would be appropriate, the other was a kitless fountain pen. It turns beautifully.

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## Spinartist (Jul 14, 2016)

When I went to Puerto Rico to help teach a three day woodturning class with the American Assoc. of Woodturners 2 1/2 years ago. Most of the turners there made "pelons" (mortar & pestals) using LV. Some of them were 15" diameter & 4" tall !!! They said the landfill was full of LV logs & other nice wood free for the taking !! I brought back a nice 10" half log bowl blank. It weighed a lot!

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## Tim Carter (Jul 14, 2016)

I have made several handles for turning tools out of LV. They are great!

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## barry richardson (Jul 14, 2016)

I think LV is mostly a utility wood with some amazing characteristics. I brought a big stick of it back from Puerto Rico that was in the Navy base wood shop there. Someone had glued up two 2x4s for a long turning blank, then abandoned it, so the guy gave it to me. Kept it for a while, and later I noticed the glue joint was coming apart, don't glue worth a darn. I still have some scraps of it around. I used a bit to make my own bearing in the base of a rotating carousel in a jewelry box; turned nice and smooth. I think a lot of wood junkies like us would like a piece just to have in their collection, but the wood grain is not very interesting IMO, and oxidizes to a dark color rather quickly.....

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## ripjack13 (Jul 14, 2016)

I have a 6x6x10 block I found at woodcraft on sale. I also got a couple blocks from a guy my other forum. A trade for some grips. It is a great looking green colored wood. Straight grain. I'm going to be making a custom grip/clip for a lil 22 magnum revolver. Like this one out of the big block...






I'm hoping it works out. My neighbor wants one too.
I'm always looking for it. It's one of my favorite woods.

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## Sprung (Jul 14, 2016)

I've yet to work with LV, but it's something I've been wanting to try. Don't know why I haven't yet as I've got a pen blank or two of it on hand. Can't help with the Monkey Pod either as I've never worked with it. I was supposed to be getting a piece from someone, but that person didn't hold up their end of the deal and has left me hanging...

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## Don Ratcliff (Jul 14, 2016)

Sprung said:


> I've yet to work with LV, but it's something I've been wanting to try. Don't know why I haven't yet as I've got a pen blank or two of it on hand. Can't help with the Monkey Pod either as I've never worked with it. I was supposed to be getting a piece from someone, but that person didn't hold up their end of the deal and has left me hanging...


Wow... you cut me, you cut me deep. Since I didn't have any mp ready to go I substituted for some nice stuff... ok, I'll send you a "monkey pod"  right after I pm brink...

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## Sprung (Jul 14, 2016)

Don Ratcliff said:


> Wow... you cut me, you cut me deep. Since I didn't have any mp ready to go I substituted for some nice stuff... ok, I'll send you a "monkey pod"  right after I pm brink...



Lol! No, it wasn't you, Don! It was someone I had worked a trade with earlier this year. I sent my end of the deal, but he stiffed me out of some nice stuff - a large Monkey Pod blank, Kingwood Burl, Pink Ivory, African Blackwood was what I was supposed to receive, but never did.

(BTW, I've been setting aside some stuff for you and hope to have a package ready to go sometime this weekend. I hope you like burly or figured wood!)

And, please don't have Brink send me one of his "monkey pods"!!!!

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## Don Ratcliff (Jul 15, 2016)

Sprung said:


> Lol! No, it wasn't you, Don! It was someone I had worked a trade with earlier this year. I sent my end of the deal, but he stiffed me out of some nice stuff - a large Monkey Pod blank, Kingwood Burl, Pink Ivory, African Blackwood was what I was supposed to receive, but never did.
> 
> (BTW, I've been setting aside some stuff for you and hope to have a package ready to go sometime this weekend. I hope you like burly or figured wood!)
> 
> And, please don't have Brink send me one of his "monkey pods"!!!!




Sounds good, I'm in no hurry at all. Still have weeks before I can get into the shop. I'm more curious to see what you make.

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## NYWoodturner (Jul 15, 2016)

I have only used LV on pilóns like Lee said. I made one that spun off into three other orders. They are apparently very popular in spanish cooking and finding one that will hold up over time is very rare. Thats why LV is great for making them. LV also make great muddlers. Anything you might need waterproof application for LV is a good candidate

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## ClintW (Jul 15, 2016)

It's great for shaving brushes too.

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## phinds (Jul 15, 2016)

Don Ratcliff said:


> How big is the monkey pod? If it's a slab it makes a great coffee table. Just burn the sap wood it's not worth the postage


Don, that's a beautiful coffee table. How close is that to the natural wood color? I've only ever seen dull red-brown monkey pod and the stuff I've handled (a very limited amount) is so light-weight that I didn't figure it was useful for much.


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## duncsuss (Jul 15, 2016)

ClintW said:


> It's great for shaving brushes too.


Thank you! I've got a couple of brush & razor sets waiting for the right wood and/or inspiration to come along, LV will be perfect for one of them

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## Tony (Jul 15, 2016)

@Mike1950 , if this is out of line somebody call me out. If you do get it and sell it please tag me. Tony

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## Mike1950 (Jul 15, 2016)

Tony said:


> @Mike1950 , if this is out of line somebody call me out. If you do get it and sell it please tag me. Tony



I am sure that almost anything is allowed in this thread at this point........ PS. I want to see you on Kevins shoulders- first time ya would be 6'3" ..............................................

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## Tony (Jul 15, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> I am sure that almost anything is allowed in this thread at this point........ PS. I want to see you on Kevins shoulders- first time ya would be 6'3" ..............................................



Y'all are just jealous, everyone wants to be under a Greek!

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## Mike1950 (Jul 15, 2016)

Thanks for all the info- So many different woods and so little time to really find let alone use them. The collective knowledge is nice.

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## Don Ratcliff (Jul 15, 2016)

phinds said:


> Don, that's a beautiful coffee table. How close is that to the natural wood color? I've only ever seen dull red-brown monkey pod and the stuff I've handled (a very limited amount) is so light-weight that I didn't figure it was useful for much.


I only used a clear gloss, that is the wood color.

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## Kevin (Jul 15, 2016)

@Blueglass Les I can't remember if we've discussed this before or not but when I was diving out of the Keys in 99 I wanted to pay a visit to this place .... I could see it from Hwy 1 as we'd travel to and from keys to dive . . . 



 

We were always too busy for me to try and see if it was possible to go to it without a permit or something but I assume you'd need one.

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## Blueglass (Jul 15, 2016)

As long as it is not a private island you could get away with going ashore as far as taking anything I think you would be very lucky to get a permit. 

A couple years ago Bahia Honda State Park was going to cut all the Lignum Vitae they had on that island because it wasn't native to that island, never mind that it is native to islands all around it. They wisened up and left them. I was slightly disappointed because I did have the connections to take all I wanted if they would have. Oh well the island is better off with the trees and at some point I will get some in a legal manner. It is funny that they protect it so much it is not very rare down there.

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## Spinartist (Jul 15, 2016)

You could walk to Lignumvitae Key since the water there is 3'- 4' deep except fer in the channel. But you could stand on Kevins shoulders to cross the channel.

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## SENC (Jul 15, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> I am sure that almost anything is allowed in this thread at this point.


In that case, put me at the front of the line for the LV. Love that stuff!

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## gman2431 (Jul 15, 2016)

SENC said:


> In that case, put me at the front of the line for the LV. Love that stuff!



Hold on bud!!! Read the first response to this thread!!!


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## Mike1950 (Jul 16, 2016)

SENC said:


> In that case, put me at the front of the line for the LV. Love that stuff!





gman2431 said:


> Hold on bud!!! Read the first response to this thread!!!



.......................

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## SENC (Jul 16, 2016)

gman2431 said:


> Hold on bud!!! Read the first response to this thread!!!


I did, but I also saw that anything goes in this thread so I changed the rules!

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## Mike1950 (Jul 16, 2016)

SENC said:


> I did, but I also saw that anything goes in this thread so I changed the rules!




...............................


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## duncsuss (Jul 16, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> ...............................


Mike, did you start handing out numbered tickets?

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## Mike1950 (Jul 16, 2016)

duncsuss said:


> Mike, did you start handing out numbered tickets?

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