One of the greatest things I like about woodworking is checking out the many different species of wood.
Some are easy to work with, others not so much.
There is so much to learn about the different types of wood, including how hard they are, their smell, texture, workability, density, the tree they came from, where they are native to, and so on.
As I continue to work with various species, I intend to share with you my experiences with that wood.
One such species I have already shared on this blog is the Wood Characteristics of Black Palm. It’s one of my earlier posts and is due to be updated.
Lignum Vitae happens to be one of my favorite woods to work with despite its difficulties in sanding and the dulling of tools.
Its’ uses and the color changing aspects fascinate me.
The one and only block of Lignum Vitae I have started off at approximately 2″ x 2″ x 16″ and was bought at Rockler, maybe sometime around the year 2005.
I am kind of guessing here, but I know it was quite a few years ago; sometime either shortly before or after my wife and I got married.
Either way, I have had this wood blank for some time now.
I really haven’t done much with this wood over the years as I have only made about four wine bottle stoppers from it, but it is enough for me to know that I really like this wood.
I like it because it is very unique. It is interesting to work with and the transformation of color it goes through is fascinating.
What’s more interesting, though, are the characteristics and uses of this wood.
Types of Lignum Vitae
According to The Wood Database, the best way to tell the difference between the two is by looking at the end grain.
The image below is the best I could get using my phone with a 20x macro lens. It might be kind of hard to tell from this photo, but which type of Lignum Vitae to you think this is?
There are a few types of Lignum Vitae out there in the world, but the two listed below seem to be the most common when referring to Lignum Vitae.
Both are in the same family: Zygophyllaceae.
Lignum Vitae
True Lignum Vitae has a scientific name of Guaiacum.
Argentine Lignum Vitae
Bulnesia sarmientoi is the scientific name for Argentine Lignum Vitae.
Verawood appears to be another name for this particular version of species.
Characteristics of Lignum Vitae
The wood comes from a slow growing tree.
It has a very unique, fairly pleasant smell.
It is one of the hardest and heaviest woods in the world. It is also very dense and will not float in water.
With a Janka hardness of about 4,500 lbf, this test puts this wood at almost the top of the list of being the hardest in the world, just a few below Ironwood.
The blank of wood I have starts off as a tan/brown color and then turns green as it is exposed to UV light.
It took a week or two for this wine bottle stopper to change from the brown to green:
The color difference for such a short period of time is just amazing and I love that color green.
It tends to be very oily and clogs the sand paper almost instantly. This is why I made the comment above about “despite its difficulty in sanding”.
It will dull your cutting tools fairly quickly. I have even experienced the oils gummy up on the wood turning tools.
What “Were” It’s Uses?
I say “were” instead of “are” because this wood is no longer readily available and is on the endangered species list.
To give you an idea on how unique this wood is, here is a list of uses I have found throughout various websites:
- Tool handles
- Mallet heads
- Bearings
- Propeller bearings in ships
- Bushings
- Boats
- Pulley wheels
- Wood turning
- Outdoor applications
- Bowling balls
- Cricket Bails
- Rudder bearing material in the U.S.S. Constitution
I am pretty sure this is just a small list of uses for this wood. But what surprises me most is the use as bearings and bushings. That right there I believe gives you a pretty good idea on how hard, dense, and oily this wood is.
Listed as an Endangered Species
Just like many exotic wood species, both Guauiacum and Blunesia sarmientoi, are listed on the CITES Appendix II as endangered species. Being on Appendix II, these species are restricted from trade across international borders.
Conclusion
That is what I currently know about this particular wood. Its fun to work with and has some interesting history behind it.
There is quite a bit more information out there on this wood than what I can cover here or even know.
For more reading, check out these links:
- The Wood Database
- Keim Lumber
- And of course, the good old Wikipedia
Now, before you go out looking to buy this wood, I want you to know that it is now very difficult to find it at any reputable source, and if you do, it may have a very high price tag.
I have recently come across a couple sources (not sure how reputable they truly are) and this species around the same size I have goes for somewhere between $50 and $100, all depending on the quality of that wood blank.
There is no way I would have ever paid that much for the blank I have, but at that time, this species was not on the endangered species list, that I am aware of.
I think I am going to treasure the remainder of this wood blank I have for a little while. I need to at least keep one bottle stopper made of this wood.
It should make for a nice conversation piece for those who are interested in unique characteristics such as those of this wood.