Woodworking Talk: Gaboon Ebony

Woodworking master craftsman David J. Marks talks about the beautiful black wood, Gaboon Ebony, and its unique qualities.

[@goldenpoptart2077]

I found a huge piece of ebony wood a few weeks ago. I know of a beach where there was a shipwreck off the coast off the coast of it in the 1800s where they were transporting alot of exotic woods. Every once in a while some ebony wood will roll up on the beach because it’s too dense to float. It rolled on the bottom for 150+ years before I found it. Just think that’s cool.

[@gerritburgel3048]

Would be wicked to make guitar parts of it!

[@-LSTR-]

Lately I got some beautiful, almost black unfinished ebony blocks. I needed to sand them for my diy guitar cabinet so I tried sanding them by hand first... It didn't work out, its like stone

[@albert333pool]

My pool cue is made off gabon ebony. It's almost jet black. Love it!

[@accumulator4825]

It's INCREDIBLY hard. Truely an amazing material 🌄🌿

[@juanmatus100]

That's right one of the best Woods, strength and beauty in creating furniture

[@VeryTucker]

Haha I made my girlfriend a frame with ebony plugs and her family thought they were plastic.

[@MitchBensel]

found a long bit of this at the river..it is beautiful

[@user-wo2rc3bf4x]

I’m going to make 2 guitar pickup rings and a pick guard with ebony. Going on an Inspired by Gibson Epiphone Les Paul with a Koa top. The fretboard is ebony, so I wanted to match it all. I need to glue 2 pieces of ebony together to make the pickup rings (3.2” x1.75” x3/8 roughly) Any suggestions are greatly appreciated and welcomed!

[@whycuds]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@kameelelian6044]

About to shape a knife handle of Gabon ebony and west Tennessee white tail. Had to sacrifice the thickest part of the each side of the rack for spacer material but I ran out of reindeer and the moose I had didn't provide the outside diameter I needed but I'm very excited. I've seen this wood polish as good as any other wood with minimal effort to get a "plastic" shine so I'm ready to go . I appreciate your content it's been of great value for a pipe maker gone knife maker

[@ppezaris]

One of the challenges of working with gaboon ebony is that it's prone to cracking. If you turn it on a lathe, for example, be sure not to put too much pressure when clamping it between the headstock and tailstock, otherwise cracks will develop.

[@brucey39]

I recently found and old , what I thought was a Bakelite inkwell .That was until I saw Gabon Ebony written on the bottom in small letters. Amazing wood.

[@buchwaldt123]

Sustainability: This wood species is in CITES Appendix II (for Diospyros species from Madagascar), and is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as endangered due to a population reduction of over 50% in the past three generations, caused by exploitation.

[@touxiong519]

My boss have a table made from African black wood. It is hard as rock and required three people to move it.

[@woodricks7019]

David, I am thinking about using Gaboon Ebony for kitchen knife handles. Does this wood need stabilized? How would you finish it for kitchen use? Thanks

[@sanjirosanjiro6529]

Hi David, I have black ebony finish on my snooker cue however over time the polished sheen has dulled, can you recommend an oil or polish I could use to buff the ebony butt back to the shine finish I had when the cue was new pls? Thnx in adv

[@ironDsteele]

I would like to know how long it takes one of these trees to get to a mature size.

[@Erowens98]

200 years to reach harvestable level. The population of mature ebony decreases by 5% every year because of poaching.

[@shadowjudge921]

Okay, I have a very stupid question. Considering the overall blackness of ebony wood, does this mean you can't stain it with any kind of color?

[@cvcrosslover]

What type of oil do you use to finish?

[@Tinhhoadatviet123]

In Vietnam we also have this type of wood. We call ebony wood because it is black and shiny like horn. In Vietnam we also have this type of wood. We call ebony wood because it is black and shiny like horn.

[@C137kp]

Can u tell me where I can order a large log like the featured here in your video?

[@BLTspace]

Damn that's nice...

[@Ibaneddie76]

Great video, I'm a guitar builder and use ebony a lot on my builds. That log must have been very expensive seeing as ebony is $100 a bf. I'm sure you didn't pay that much but it probably wasn't cheep either. I love to work with ebony, it's a staple for most of my builds. that, mahogany and claro walnut. I'm working on a guitar right now that has an ebony neck, snakewood fingerboard, ebony top, paduke body with all of the knobs, headstock plate, and accents built from snakewood. I have over $1000 just in lumber and abalone alone I'm really having fun with this build and the best part is I get to keep this one.

[@cyd2700]

Hi sir, i have ebony wood here and planing to build a guitar in the future, have you try using ebony on the body of the guitar?

[@greg6162]

@@cyd2700well ebony is mostly used as a fretboard piece. The reason for this is its a very heavy and very dense wood and it would too much weight to the guitar if you used it to make the body. It’s also expensive and very tough to get pure black Gaboon ebony that’s completely smooth without defects

[@17th_Street_Preacher]

where do you get logs of it?

[@wrongfullyaccused7139]

So, who is a reliable supplier for Gaboon ebony?

[@shuai420]

Wait... Was that an urn?

[@brice2597]

what type of oil rub should I use so that it dose not look like black plastic

[@Erowens98]

Use lower grade ebony, Grade b ebony has brownish accents to the grain which make it look much more like wood.

[@sgdeluxedoc]

+ Birki gts That's the kind my National pool cue (I believe a 17 oz) had in the gripping end.Only cost me $120 in 1975.. Did a check recently for the same cue , but the price was way out of my wheelhouse!

[@mjgg07]

I need that log for some nice chess pieces.

[@xcaper]

For me, when sanding, the fine dust makes my nose burn - along with lots of sneezing! This is on a lathe, so obviously, dust extraction is not perfect. (and yea, get a better mask 1)

[@Kurtlane]

Does anyone know where I can get a small live ebony tree? Or African blackwood tree? Or seeds of them?

[@primeministerofgreenteam1983]

Before you do that, I'd check if it will actually grow in your area.

[@etsjamesewangtrading3594]

I can get it for you

[@hman9581]

21:50 - Eternal bodies

[@HazbinHotelStaff]

It's not a lie. Ebony can grow in rocks too so you can mine it.

[@3548vr4]

do you think it would do well as a shift knob for a car long term?

[@quiltedmahogany]

Humberto Madrigal , yes I do think that ebony would be a good choice for a shift knob.

[@vtrmcs]

I'd say you need more clamps. Lovely wood though :)

[@balfemotor6067]

The most important thing you will ever learn, you never have enough clamps.

[@bradcarroll3719]

That 2x3" plank (looks like) is just begging to be made into fretboards.

[@earlibee]

damn, those were my thoughts exactly

[@jackc6716]

Me too

[@squareswing]

Is there black glue?

[@nicolek4076]

Mix the sawdust into the glue - that makes it match the wood.

[@quiltedmahogany]

Yes, Starbond makes a black cyanoacrylate glue.

[@sallymaggiespotty]

Can you get this at Home Depot??

[@greg6162]

Lol

[@doobysnacks8094]

Cut down a few ebony trees and use it to trim out an entire house...cabinets, floors, casings, crown molding, ceiling beams, etc. While you're at it, build a wine cellar with ebony flooring and wine racks, and cedar paneling. That would be awesome.

[@varun009]

Anything else, your majesty?

[@roryp7415]

mahogany floor joists obviously.

[@roryp7415]

and teak stud frames

[@brushcreek42]

Brazilian Rosewood paneling would be nice.

[@crazycutz8072]

use Geboon Ebony... because its not rare at all... and it grows fast like Bamboo.... ahem...

[@richardphatthenguyen195]

How is the price wise compared to standard ebony?

[@JohnSmith-id5yz]

I think you’re mistaken. There’s no such wood as geboon ebony. If you try googling it you’ll end up defaulting to gabon ebony. Gabon or Gaboon ebony is expensive stuff.

[@JamesWalton1999]

At $161 a board foot at the place with the best prices I know of for wood stock, I'm afraid to touch the stuff.

[@copperbot10]

I get 15 pounds of scrap for 60$ and use it for random little projects like inlay or small turned objects, despite the price I believe it is most definitely worth it. It's tough and takes an insanely high polish, highest I've seen on any wood

[@whytewavestudios3039]

@@copperbot10 what would you use to clean an ebony fretboard?

[@ryanwilson5936]

Rhys Whyte I have several guitars and have played for almost 20 years. For cleaning unfinished fretboards like ebony and rosewood, I find that regular rubbing alcohol works the best and is the cheapest “cleaner” you will ever find. I use a microfiber towel, saturate a small section of that towel, and scrub the fretboard until it’s clean alternating between a wet and dry portion of the towel. Repeat until your fretboard is clean of all filth. The alcohol dissolves the oils left behind from playing and evaporates very quickly as to not saturate the wood. Although the alcohol evaporates quickly, it can prematurely dry out your fretboard if not followed by a generous oiling. For oil, I like to use Music Nomads F-One oil but any food grade mineral oil will work just as fine. Spread a generous drop of oil across each fret spacing and let in soak in for 5-10 minutes. After the soak-in, grab a clean microfiber towel and remove the excess oil and use the towel to massage and buff in whatever oil is left over into the wood until the oil is gone from the surface. Repeat that process again but this time buff the wood until of the oil is gone (you can’t feel or see any) and you have achieved the sheen you’re going for.

[@colinmurphy2214]

What’s the place?

[@Zane-It]

This is a stupid question but can you make a bow out of ebony

[@doesitmatter1055]

Yes but it would be quite expensive. That little strip of wood on the top of the bowl it's self was $10.

[@user-gp6ln5eh3n]

Does it Matter I've never touched a log or ingot of ebony before, but I'm wondering: is it possible to make, say, a set of medieval-looking armor out of it; I know it wouldn't compare with steel or iron but, is it 'hard' enough to be dealt with that way?

[@sallymaggiespotty]

Zane Fierro Of course.It also makes a fine violin.

[@ironDsteele]

+sallymaggiespotty I'm only taking an educated guess, but based on what I've experienced with fretboards , Ebony would be far too hard and "unflexible" to serve as a bow. I think it would crack as soon as you drew it back. You may be able to laminate it with other woods or use it as a grip. Otherwise I think you have an expensive mistake and besides, you can't beat English Yew!

[@sallymaggiespotty]

+ironDsteele Thanks!

[@grahamhiggins1816]

Is it renewable? Or is it an endangered natural resource... To me this is like rhino tusk.

[@dwoodsky]

It's a very slow growing tree so no, it is grown entirely for commercial use though and isn't a crucial part of any ecosystems as far as I know

[@varun009]

Then you know nothing.

[@morganolfursson2560]

It is interesting how in the west the blacker the ebony is the greater its value while in Asia , the brown and black countrast is what makes the wood valuable . A pure jet black piece of ebony is only worth its weight in wood in Japan , but the one with the amber pattern on it is worth more than gold. Pieces like these in Japan are worth five or six cars, a piece . kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaalm35ml5dgf7s

[@dbadagna]

Species: Diospyros crassiflora

[@crazycutz8072]

Beatiful.. but might not be legal at all to buy or use. -- its on the in-dangerous Trees list.

[@Erowens98]

There are some legal sources, Though there is also a lot of poaching. Just be careful who you buy from unless you don't mind supporting poachers. Gibson was raided in 2012 by the faws for using poached wood

[@sgdeluxedoc]

AFAIK, Gibson guitars was NOT using poached wood. They were only accused by someone in some kind of political "sour grapes" situation. Although they provided complete documentation for all their sources, their business was interrupted and shut down for some time until everything was resolved, and all the confiscated material was returned. I don't know if they were ever able to prove their innocence satisfactorily, since all one needs is to be accused for the taint to never leave.. I think that was the point, actually.

[@blessethishe31]

$2000 log?

[@etsjamesewangtrading3594]

Can supply you more lesser than that get in contact WhatsApp [phone]

[@JohnSmith-id5yz]

At least that much. That was my guess.

[@StephenStine]

i suppose $45.00 isnt bad, but it could be worse

[@danielfritz7670]

so its a wood? skyrim lied to me

[@chucklemuchuckle2170]

Max Sproelich lmao

[@greenfractals2827]

I don't get this can someone explain?

[@Dev9172]

I have 2 Taylor guitars . ebony fret board . Its the best . The brige and pins too . Why the guitars cost a bit more

[@Erowens98]

And ebony fretboard is only about 20-50$ worth of wood. But it raises the value of the instrument by about 200$-300$ because it's ebony and people love it. I however prefer african blackwood "Dalbergia melanoxylon". It's even harder, just as black, and not as endangered.

[@maskarmadi]

macassar ebony more beautiful....

[@hvrtguys]

It is brittle, likes to crack and lacks toughness. Not suitable for knife handles that get rough service. Not suitable for tobacco pipes as the wood has a lot of wax/tar in it. When the wax cooks out the pipes tend to crack.

[@PicturesqueGames]

Well, it's decorative. what about using it as decorative pieces for the regular pipe? Or hell, just for shits - decorate corncob pipe with it.

[@Zane-It]

Now this might sound weird but I found it makes a great arrowhead

[@colinmurphy2214]

114 year old Ebony keys on my piano are still strong after having the living daylights played out them for over a century. No cracks or anything.

[@albert333pool]

My pool cue is made off gabon ebony. It's almost jet black. Love it!