I certainly don’t need this and I don’t even know what to do with it. But despite the price, I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy this humongous piece of Katalox or Mexican Ebony (Swartzia spp. S. Cubensis)
It’s eight feet long, slightly more than two inches thick and fifteen inches wide and heavy as hell.
As I’m led to believe Katalox is usually sold in much smaller pieces for turning or inlay, so I consider this a rare find for a boy in Minnesota.
Like I said, I don’t need it, but I won’t sell it and considering the difficulty working Katalox and the fact that it can be troublesome to glue, my only option may be to make a bench too heavy to steal or just lean it against the wall and look at it until I die. The late Andy Rooney said he had several pieces of wood too beautiful to abuse by making something from them. That’s the way I feel about this wood. Although I did rub on a few coats of Shellac.
Blog entry by Belford | posted 01-06-2017 02:12 AM | 1819 reads | 0 times favorited | 17 comments | ![]() |
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17 comments so far
papadan
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3584 posts in 4860 days
#1 posted 01-06-2017 02:39 AM
Looks just like a bar top to me, and I don’t drink.
TheFridge
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10863 posts in 2977 days
#2 posted 01-06-2017 02:52 AM
Chop that puppy up and use it. It’s look better if it was used as something.
-- Shooting down the walls of heartache. Bang bang. I am. The warrior.
Ted78
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415 posts in 3491 days
#3 posted 01-06-2017 02:04 PM
I’d be all for hanging that ting up on the wall and staring at it. Something about the sapwood and the bark and the size make this piece really appealing. I guess I see slabs a walnut kinda like that all the time and certainly eastern cedar boards, and while both are really cool and beautifiul, they don’t’ have the same mystique as this piece seems to have.
-- Ted
Picklehead
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1055 posts in 3421 days
#4 posted 01-06-2017 02:07 PM
It ALREADY IS something that you appreciate. Enjoy it “as is”, also knowing that if nothing else you could always sell it for what you have in it. Can’t say that for a lot of things people buy without knowing exactly why. Congratulations and enjoy.
-- Quote from ebay tool listing: " Has nicks and dings wear and tear dust and dirt rust and pitting but in good working condition"
RTV
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106 posts in 2006 days
#5 posted 01-06-2017 02:12 PM
What beautiful Slab.
-- Ray Vanderpool
theart
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233 posts in 2046 days
#6 posted 01-06-2017 02:53 PM
Waterfall table?
This is why I stick to buying ugly wood. That way, things can only get better once I fire up a saw.
AandCstyle
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3306 posts in 3748 days
#7 posted 01-07-2017 01:08 AM
Belford, that is a beautiful slab. It screamed “coffee table” to me. Run a center line down the length, then make 45° cuts from the center line. The 4 triangular pieces can be arranged into a square. Adjust the triangles to maximize the slab. Either use walnut or steel for the legs so they don’t visually detract from the top.
I apologize, I can’t get this to display right side up even though it is on my computer. FWIW
-- Art
robscastle
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8615 posts in 3695 days
#8 posted 01-07-2017 01:22 AM
I think two words apply and they are not “foolish choice” either!
-- Regards Rob
Marcial
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209 posts in 2037 days
#9 posted 01-07-2017 03:21 PM
Looks like a workbench top to me. Can keep the live edges by slicing length wise and making it wider. If it’s oily, use alcohol on the edges and super glue (gotta work fast).That will help with possible movement issues. The vises can go at the ends which will also help with movement.
dannmarks
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1040 posts in 2073 days
#10 posted 01-07-2017 06:13 PM
So it is obvious that you need to have a stone fire place built and that is the mantle. What a wonderful problem my friend.
Madmark2
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3485 posts in 2079 days
#11 posted 01-07-2017 06:28 PM
Put a talking fish on it and put the whole thing on the wall.
M
-- The hump with the stump and the pump!
helluvawreck
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32122 posts in 4358 days
#12 posted 01-07-2017 06:33 PM
That is a wonderful piece of wood.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
NormG
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6576 posts in 4495 days
#13 posted 01-09-2017 06:44 AM
Great looking wood, lean it against the wall.
-- Norman - I never never make a mistake, I just change the design.
dannmarks
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1040 posts in 2073 days
#14 posted 01-09-2017 11:52 AM
Talking fish is the best Idea…
papadan
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3584 posts in 4860 days
#15 posted 01-10-2017 12:32 AM
Rip it about 3/4 ths the way across, stand the narrow piece on end behind the wide and YES it would make a fantastic mantel over a stone fireplace. Oh hell..just ship it to me and I’ll show you.
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