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Ebony for pistol stock?
- Thread starter PHI
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Erzulis boat
45 Cal.
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Ebony is "splintery" typically, and I am going to assume that you will be going for Gaboon.
Some Ebony is shipped in pretty "wet" and will shrink after all your hard work. Ebony is hard, cuts good with machines, but requires razor sharp chisels and skill to prevent it from splintering.
It doesn't take shock as nearly as nice as Walnut let's say, but for a pistol it is fine.
In all honesty, I would work with something else first. Ebony is NOTHING like Maple or Walnut, and there is a reason these woods are popular and have stood the test of time.
Some Ebony is shipped in pretty "wet" and will shrink after all your hard work. Ebony is hard, cuts good with machines, but requires razor sharp chisels and skill to prevent it from splintering.
It doesn't take shock as nearly as nice as Walnut let's say, but for a pistol it is fine.
In all honesty, I would work with something else first. Ebony is NOTHING like Maple or Walnut, and there is a reason these woods are popular and have stood the test of time.
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I love Ebony. It is one of my favorite most materials - right up there with Damascus steel.
But, it is a difficult material to work with and trying to inlet a barrel and lock and etc into a piece of ebony would be very time consuming not to mention frustrating.
Speaking of ebony being wet; the last piece that I got has a very smoky smell. I wonder if some wood cutter somewhere didn't take down a living tree and dry it with an open wood fire... :idunno:
But, it is a difficult material to work with and trying to inlet a barrel and lock and etc into a piece of ebony would be very time consuming not to mention frustrating.
Speaking of ebony being wet; the last piece that I got has a very smoky smell. I wonder if some wood cutter somewhere didn't take down a living tree and dry it with an open wood fire... :idunno:
I do a variety of woodworking projects. I classify hardwoods as 'hard' or 'hard to work or turn'. Ebony is very hard but is quite workable. Patience is a must but it is an excellent wood for many project, grips would be one of them. The downside, these days, is it takes a very long time to fully dry/cure. I once was going to buy a pallet (4'x4'x4') of squares from South Africa. The price was very attractive and I could have made a nice profit. But the air freight costs were incredible. However, what I learned was export shipments are cut when ordered. The trees are cut, milled, pieces coated with parrifin and shipped. What arrives at distributors and stores is very wet/green and can take years to dry properly. If the piece you want to work with is not several years old the project will (not 'might' but WILL) crack and be a failure. There are other great very hard woods you can consider for this project. And, IMHO, probably should.
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And don't forget it can cause allergic reactions. A lot of people are allergic to the dust. better to use maple, and ebonies it.
Bill
Bill
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