Here's What to Know About WENGE LUMBER

[@hbert06]

The guitarsound at the end is very sweet! :-)

[@mm0901]

Hi Mark, so glad I found your channel! I’m a female who has recently gotten into woodworking and I sooo appreciate all the knowledge and tips you share with us. I’m learning so much! I also have to say, and this might sound weird.. but I love the chill music you use in your videos. I find myself not being able to watch a lot of the woodworking videos out there where they use loud metal or thrash music… even though I appreciate all types of music, I don’t want loud, chaotic music in the background of a video I’m watching and trying to concentrate on in order to learn something. So thank you for that!

[@jayschafer1760]

Definitely, DEFINITELY have to keep multiple types of tweezers handy when dealing with this wood, and use thick leather gloves when working with it if at all possible; handle it the way you would handle a bush with stems covered by loosely attached thorns. It really does put nasty splinters in your hands, seemingly if you do anything more than glance at it from across the room. Even with careful handling of finished boards, I still get splinters, and those splinters seem to get more infected/nasty/slower to heal than splinters from most other woods. I love the look of wenge, and if it were less expensive I might buy some to use, but the price and the splinters from it are such that I won't be buying it again unless I have a very good reason, such as a project or look that I want to do that can only be achieved with wenge.

[@Mattvalor]

I have to wear gloves and long sleeves when especially when ripping wenge, and if you do get those nasty little porcupine darts in your skin, get them out or that will often fester for week to 10 days. It does chip when routering and if you get a scallop on a flat surface, tough to sand that our without leaving tiny splinters that will snag tack clothe. Otherwise, I love it for the contrast on my projects.

[@ginoasci2876]

sounds like it may have toxin. be careful and prevent splinters or at least immediately remove them. the look after the finish must be unbelievable though, yes?

[@valebliz]

I play a guitar with an unfinished wenge neck and once it's well burnished, it doesn't make splinters.

[@idiotburns]

odd, never had a splinter from it yet

[@ivansbacon]

@@idiotburns I can attest to the fact that you do NOT want a Wenge splinter.

[@Wood_Slice]

I would definitely add some more of these specific woods, I really enjoy them and give great info. Lacewood, Bubinga, Ash, Purple Heart, Hickory, Teak, etc

[@donna30044]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed wenge as "Critically Endangered" (next level below extinct) because of loss of habitat due to land clearing, and from loss of trees for lumber. Please obtain lumber from reputable and reliable sources.

[@pigup2]

Millettia laurentii is a legume tree from Africa and native to the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The species is listed as "endangered" in the IUCN Red List, principally due to destruction of its habitat and *over-exploitation for timber*. Just use walnut, you don't need wenge, no one needs wenge.

[@DIYHGP]

Mark thanks for the videos. quite informative, makes me want to get some wenge and start working

[@douglashelsel]

That bleaching looks AMAZING!!!

[@Metalbass10000]

It's great for use in multi-laminate necks on guitars, and especially basses. It's great for neck through builds. It can be oily, which can affect the quality of the glue up. A quick wipe with acetone prior to glue up can help this.

[@abbersj2935]

I have some Wenge for a project, just seen your video, bleaching is FANTASTIC! Thanks :)

[@KarlBunker]

It's always a joy to see a new video from you. Great info about the wood and a cool project too.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you

[@schmerer1]

I've used Wenge as accent to Maple jewelry boxes as well as thinner strips on trays and cutting boards but never thought of making dishes out of it. And that bleaching technique is great. Thanks Mark, for another super informative video.

[@25christian]

Whoever is that sad of an idiot to dislike this video should smash their devices and never watch these videos again. How can you not appreciate good information, craftsmanship, and great content?

[@larrycurran7005]

Stupid troll with nothing better to do in their life! Woodworkers Source is a great company to use. Their videos are top knotch.

[@georgehanson2321]

Several different species of similar wood are sold as wenge. Some of those alternate varieties carry a significant resin content. That resin may prevent a good glue joint. To be sure of getting a good glue joint aggressively wipe all glue joint surfaces down with acetone and allow those surfaces to dry.

[@Ian-xb3ov]

I can not find any other woodworker who talks about wood and their variety. Great information. Sadly it's hard to get a lot of these tropical spices in the UK.

[@nicklessig]

Beautiful wood, but not so good for those of us with wood allergies. I get significant rashes from it, and have consequently also developed more sensitivity to my beloved padauk. But with the appropriate safety measures, and some conscientious handling, it’s all good. And thanks for the bleach tip!

[@southernindianasawmill1367]

Keep up the good work guys! Famed guitar maker Ervin Somogyi calls Wenge the modern day replacement for Brazilain Rosewood.

[@davecable3104]

Cool tray!

[@TheSkiggly]

WOW what a great video. I learned a ton of great info from the absolute best spokesman on the planet.

[@RobertWarrenGilmore]

The splinters are awful. Masking tape pulls fibres out like crazy.

[@peathead4450]

In addition to the splintering: be sure to remove them asap from your skin because they more or less immediately start an infection!

[@chewar7537]

Yes the splinters will definitely cause infection!!

[@gfotinakes316]

I also make youtube videos but your videos are art. Where did you develop this skill?

[@stevesharonkoby5074]

Mark, please..please never stop doing what you do so well! Giving us new ways to appreciate exotic woods and how to use them. Great video.

[@tawilk]

I was thinking of using some face grain or edge grain for some accents in a cutting board. would this work? would I have to worry about it splintering from use/cleaning?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

It’s a good question but don’t worry it works fine in that application. Ease over any of the exposed edges and you’re good. If the edges aren’t exposed, same thing you’re good 👍

[@jochemamkreutz1723]

Also Wengé is poisonous, would not use it with food unless varnished.

[@AZCobraman]

You don't want to breath the dust but it's not 'toxic' to touch and won't leach anything into your food. Any wood cutting board needs a food-safe finish.

[@jmac2o229]

most woods are toxic, but unless you straight up eat the wood or inhale its dust, youre fine

[@paul-ld9vh]

Great information. I love this wood along with Ebony. You can actually sand this wood to a natural gloss finish. I have done several items this way and the results are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this wood!

[@davidbright8978]

Folks should ask for proof of legal import. All importer should be able to show legal.import

[@TheFeFactor]

would be nice if you can talk about the zebrawood

[@jakevalent6180]

marvelous

[@Bshwag]

It always makes me smile when I see someone use a RO150 festool sander. Thats the one festool I will always have in my shop.

[@paultay23]

Loved that bleached look...cheers for the video

[@zacheiriksson]

Should mention the slivers/splinters are more likely to cause infections and prolonged exposure to dust can cause neurological problems

[@tomgould2410]

New to your site. Your management of time, letting the video speak, and subject matter are five star.

[@JS-xs5hq]

African Wenge is endangered due to severe over harvest. From where is your Wenge sourced?

[@phantomcreamer]

Please do one on eucalyptus! We have a ton of it in AZ

[@Metalbass10000]

Really appreciate these videos. I've been building with these exotics for a couple decades so I'll add what I can. Wenge is great for inlay. It's great for guitar and basses in multi-laminate necks, but not the best for fretboards, due to the grain and fiber structures (Ebony is great in both applications). If glue up us difficult, a quick wipe down with acetone will remove some of the surface oils that interact with the glue in not so beneficial ways. SHARP, SHARP tools. HARD tools. DO wear gloves. DO, ALWAYS, wear a mask.

[@zxzs328]

It smells a fair bit like coffee, so consider it morning wood.

[@richardwaiz6132]

I appreciate that you mention the botanical name of the woods you work with.

[@jonathanjacob5453]

I could watch your content all day. Amazing.

[@buffyarx]

Would Aqua Coat be ok to fill in the grain for a smooth finish ? I’m curious if it would be cloudy looking or cause any discoloring against that really dark wood ? Like your videos !

[@joshuathorson8813]

Is wenge generally sustainably sourced?

[@mikeamboy7292]

Great video. Have you thought about making more how-to videos? Most of your videos feature a wood. By the way, I moved away from Mesa four years ago, really miss your store

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Aw man, well you know where to find us if you’re ever in the ‘hood again 👍

[@dddmmm21]

Love this exotics series... I really like Wenge, but it is indeed quite splintery and with lots of blowouts when cross cutting, frustrating sometimes when trying to make small fine pieces... However, being so black you can use Black CA glue and it hides defects pretty well (with some dust so abate the glue shine). The bleaching idea blew my mind... I will have to try it. Just watch that wood dust... Some say it is one of the most "toxic". Thanks

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Yes agreed, but it’s a nice benefit that the wood is dark as it’s easier to hide those repairs. Good point about black CA

[@17hunter00]

I made some pens and other turned goods out of wenge and don't recommend it for that application too much. Like you said it's a very splintery wood and that becomes very evident on a turned piece. You could get around this by having some thick coats of finish or an epoxy I guess. Anyways great video!

[@ronhochhalter3491]

I've been looking forward to this video , thanks for choosing Wenge this week. I really enjoy working with Wenge besides the splinters. Those little suckers can be difficult to remove, haha. I really like the look you achieved from Bleaching. Definitely going to try that out soon. You are always educational and you have a great format to your videos. Thanks for your contributions to the craft!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

We’re here to serve! Thank you for watching.

[@oferel79]

I love-hate wenge! Love the looks, hate to work with it. Nasty splinters, it mess up plane and choose edges in 3 strokes. Real nasty wood to work!!

[@The_Joker_]

Wenge does not like woodworkers. Wear a mask, gloves, over alls and get a dust extractor. Beautiful wood 🪵 though.

[@kenny-anjanettehorn7722]

I can see where this would make great knobs and totes for a couple of antique Stanley hand planes that I need to restore!

[@5urg3x]

I would not use Wenge for a fingerboard wood as a substitute for Ebony. Wenge has much wider pores and can feel very dry, it has to be oiled constantly. If it gets too dry, it can actually crack and split open. Ebony doesn’t really have any of those problems…at least not from my experience. I would rather use Brown and black striped ebony (rather than all black) if you’re looking to save a buck.

[@Agar4Life]

Wonderful video with loads of insights! I have one question - I hope I'm not far too late to the party. If someone wanted to commit the sin, and try to stain wenge to a jet black, for example to make it even closer to ebony, is there any chance? I see that it's quite an oily wood and probably resists most attempts... I wonder if only the lighter grain would take a black stain. Any experience?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

No experience on this side, but a black dye would likely do the job

[@Agar4Life]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom Thanks for getting back to me! I have a wenge guitar neck coming my way in the nearish future. I have some water based and so solvent based black dye - I'll give it a test on the heel joint and report back!

[@Agar4Life]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom Well yesterday it finally came, and I stained it... Took a water based black dye just great. It turned out jet black, so I can confirm it works a treat! My guitar feels and looks excellent!

[@passacaglia28]

This is incredibly therapeutic to watch. Thanks for showing us what you do!

[@imager8763]

Wow, nice! Could you let us know which angle grinder disc you were using?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

You bet, it’s a big carbide burr by Kutzall.

[@nottheone582]

do you know if your wenge is ethically sourced and logged? I just worried with it being endangered and coming out of Africa it may not be sustainably harvested potentially depriving future generations of this beautiful tree.

[@raymondfisher5552]

What a great video. Thank you for providing great information and teaching us what we need to know.

[@VALLAERION]

My Guitar's fretboard is made of wenge and I can't find any specific instructions of how to maintain it. Do I maintain it with lemon oil and fretboard conditioner just like I would do with a rosewood or an ebony fretboard?

[@parkerwhite4170]

is the bleached wood food safe? it seemed like you used regular household bleach, correct? this is kinda odd but i think i’m gonna make a pair of chopsticks out of a spare piece of wenge i have and i’d love to bleach one of them for a kind of yin yang effect lol

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Once it dries it’s harmless.

[@ianwoods1384]

Hello Sir, My name is Ian, I'm from the UK, not far from where Manchester United football team play. I'm going to take advantage of modern technology and send you a message! I just wanted to say thank you for your video on explaining the details of this Wenga timber. I was looking online and took a chance on purchasing some of this timber without knowing much about it. I was looking for a very dark timber, ideally Rosewood. However, my local stockist said he hadnt got any and was difficult to obtain. With this in mind, I saw the Wenga and purchased what I required straight away. I hadn't considered whether the wood was dangerous for my skin to work with, or if the dust particles were dangerous to inhale etc. You video was extremely helpful and gave the ooomph, strength and enthusiasm to go forward. I'm hoping to make an air rifle gunstock as the particular one I would like arent made any more. As Wenga is very dark, I intend to laminate it with Ash. I think it will look nice through the surface undulations. I'm planning on three layers of Wenga and two layers of Ash. It will be a thumbhole stock. I'm not lucky enough to have a workshop, I'll do the build in my kitchen, photographing the different stages and journey. The wood will all be hand sawn to show my love of woodwork and working with my hands. I'm really excited and I thank you for inspiring me to go forward and have a go. This will be my third gunstock having already made two previously. I send you good luck and best wishes and thank you for what you've done for me. Ian.

[@cocainehernandez919]

I’m having a hard time finding what I need I need a block of Wenge about 4” x 4” x 6” for an old shotgun what would be the best place to look? Your site mostly has boards and places like eBay are much the same I could glue pieces but I want solid grains what would be the best place to find what I’m looking for? Thank you.

[@ralphbaxter2655]

The wenge is the veneer on my Peavey Cirrus bass (5)

[@hectorreyes3675]

What kind of disk you use for carving that plate? I will love to try

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

That's a Kutzall carbide disc. They've got a lot of options, check 'em out.

[@barkingshark6413]

Beautiful wood, but when I hand cut my dovetails, I went through a few fret saw blades. You also want to wear a mask when sanding as it can cause some problems to your nervous system.

[@toemasmeems]

Have this wood in my high end guitars and apparently the saw dust is very toxic...which is pretty metal if you ask me bahahaha

[@c.garcia2363]

What is the tool you used for carving? It looked like a Dewalt something or another...

[@bigofishbone]

What does Wenge go for per bd. ft.???…What lengths do you sell in???

[@cristianvalentin8575]

Question, when you bleach the wenge it change the density or it stay the same?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Seems to say the same, or at least it's not noticeable

[@johnkosichek8981]

Hey brother you forgot to mention how toxic the wood is and also the dangers of slivers. Other than that the price is pretty much up in the top range.

[@mcorrade]

wow never heard of wood bleaching. Looks very cool. Can you bleach others woods?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Yes but I’m not sure of any others that come out with such a dramatic result.

[@mcorrade]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom ok thanks. I have to get some of that wood.

[@VileSins]

Def wear a respirator, the dust can cause neurological damage.

[@lindellschiermeyer]

New to the site. Watched great videos! But did you know Wenge is on the endangered list.

[@PondokKlene77]

terima kasih info-infonya

[@thijs199]

what disk do you use on your angle grinder?

[@airnashville3883]

One of the things not mentioned here is the allergic reactions that many people have to Wenge.

[@Jade8]

African Slabs is a great choice for sourcing your next piece of Wenge or other hardwoods of African origin. They are supremely committed to quality and sustainable sourcing.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Please repeat

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Shooting a CA repair with accelerator is fraught with danger because it can turn the CA cloudy down inside the crack. On dark woods like wenge this can be impossible to repair or make invisible. Best approach is to tape up one side of the board to retain the CA and apply medium CA to the other side. Allow it to kick by itself or use the vapor method of applying accelerator. The repair will be invisible.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Niiiiiiiiice yes

[@joem6859]

Great video, very informative. But seeing you covered in wenge dust.... you need a cnc router for those concave surfaces.... alot less dust flying everywhere.

[@monjoe732]

Would you still be able to bleach it if you were using the wood for a cutting board? I haven’t seen that before. Seems off putting bleach on something you would put food on, but I’m no scientist.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Sure, it would work fine.

[@redhed9776]

bought 20bf of it when it was $10/bf...used it with curly maple for jewelry boxes.....loved the look....be a long time before I use it again....for quality finish , filler must be used...and lots of it. Deeper grain than any oak I've worked with.

[@KSFWG]

I have a couple of questions about bleaching wenge. After bleaching, do you rinse with water? Once you get it to where it's white, or almost white, does using an oil finish give the white an amber tone?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

No need for water just wipe it down and let it dry. Oil will give it a kiss of amber color yes

[@johnconrad5487]

that wood looks great and so is its price. VERY EXPENSIVE. Maybe good for small decorative strips etc. All that wood he is showing is probably worth a good few $100.

[@Rsama60]

I make knives and used Wenge as handles for 3-4 knives. (I got scraps large enough for knife handles but not usable for larger projects). I love Wenge, it makes beautiful knife hanldes, but I can’t use it anymore. Even when I use dust collections and a respirator my body reacts to it. I have cold like symptoms for days and the joints in my hands hurt. Never had issue with splinters though.

[@scaira60]

Mark I am a guitar & uke builder, I find wenge a bitch to do inlays on when I use it for fretboards it splinters out so freaking much. I thought it was just me but I have talked to a lot of luthiers who have the same experience. But I have used wenge to build furniture quite a few times & as You said its Beautiful**** Keep up the vids your Awesome, I need some tiger maple for a project but I didn’t see any on your website. Thanks Scott

[@edwinghysebrechts9377]

Been working with wenge for some time now, not an easy wood in my experience: it dulls any tools that aren’t carbide in a matter of minutes, even top quality steel, carbide doesn’t last that much longer really. The gluing is arduous, especially miters being basically endgrain, even when using titebond iii i had to start over many times because it just came lose after a night in clamps. Using oil as a finish also a no go, ruins the beautiful pattern leaving it dull and dark. Pu varnish or shellac is a better choice. Nice tip on the bleaching though! Will try that.

[@rontocknell5400]

It is my all time favourite wood to work with. One point I would make about splinters: if you do get a splinter, however small, stop what you're doing and remove it immediately. Wenge splinters are highly prone to infection and it can be very nasty. Resist the temptation to just carry on. Stop and dig that sucker out... then put on some tough gloves.

[@johowohoj]

Made my first acoustic guitar from this wood...about 40 years ago...my daughter just acquired that guitar from its former owner...still sounds great though it needs a refresher like maybe a neck reset...not unusual after that time...yes on the respirator while working this wood, splinters as well...

[@kmbrezina]

WOW! I have gotta try out bleaching wenge. Do you use straight bleach or do you water it down?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Straight out of the bottle!

[@bartloncke9359]

I don't know about water based finishes, but solvent based varnish tends to blur the figured grain quite a lot. I usually apply wax rather than a varnish, that will not affect the grain. I also find it hard to glue as this wood is quite dense and doesn't readily absorb wood glue, compared to oak for instance or american cherry...

[@robertvasi]

My wenge has little white spots coming out after 1st coat of clear coat. Do you know how to remove them ? Thx

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Send pics, we’ll help. What kind of finish BTW?

[@albundy6284]

I tried making a cutting board out of this with some other hardwood but after planing it I found it to be extremely porous, just like the original stock. Any ideas on how to get that glass finish? Sanding didn’t seem to do much. Lots of little pores for food particles to get trapped in.

[@studio_o2a]

Hi, I love this wood! What oil did you use on the cutting-board? What oil or finnish do you recommend to use if youre using wenge for a chair or table? Keep up the good work!

[@dishinthkushal9233]

Dear Mark , love the video. What's the difference between African wenge and kwila /marabou wood

[@bwedesign]

Good video I'd like to see one on another black wood: ziricote.

[@KSFWG]

Is the bleach applied full strength or is it diluted? If diluted, how much?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Full strength, direct out of the bottle

[@adelalaslawy]

If I may ask, after bleaching it, can I still use it as a cutting board? Idk if the chemicals will evaporate or stay..

[@ralphiewigs2208]

About 20 years ago, I made a plant stand out of Wenge. I still think it's the nicest looking thing I've made, but I was digging splinters out for a month afterward!

[@greatplanesmillwork]

Wenge looks fantastic when polished to 2500 grit, them waxed.

[@ccchicken8889]

Is bleaching wenge a permanent thing? I've never bleached any wood. I know some of the exotic woods can change color over time, for whatever reasons. Maybe a specific type of finish can prevent that?

[@craigbowman1656]

Thanks, very good info. Also, the soundtrack is fantastic, who is that?

[@lilredrocker3151]

Can you add a juice groove to a wenge cutting board? What is the best way to achieve that?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Sure thing . Same method as others, with a router and a template or a guide

[@vinceearl4240]

I just did my first project with wenge yesterday, and then I find this. I made a handle for a Harry-Potter-style wand with a spiral. Two are deeper channels and two have a two-toned twisted wire inlay. www.reddit.com/r/Wandsmith/comments/j1fnq2/first_attempt_at_a_spiral_i_dont_know_if_this/ Not the nices stuff to turn, but it finishes well, and the sanding isn't bad at all if you don't have a lot of tear-out.

[@timconnell4570]

Thnx. I have some im about to use so this was great advice. The bleaching looks amazinggggggg

[@MrBonners]

after bleaching, is it pore-ish in the light areas? would it take up a dye or stain well? rich blue and greens.

[@joem5332]

Stuff is a bitch on hand tools