Thread: Afzelia Burl for a box and/or scales?

I had a request for a nice 2 razor box. I decided to look into some burls, Afzelia looked good to try out.

I picked up these two pieces each big enough for a box and maybe some left overs for scales.

Never worked with burl or afzelia before so it might be tricky.



I think both grains when finished with CA will glow nicely.

Does anyone have experience working with burls and Afzelia in particular? I could use some pointers to help me from ruining these two.

Afzelia Burl is a great wood, but it has more bark inclusions and soft spots than other burls. A Laotian friend of mine imports it from south east asia along with Amboyna burl. Afzelia is sometimes known as "amboyna's little brother" or "amboyna's cousin" though they aren't of the same genus.

The wood will take a very high shine but the bark inclusions and voids will need to be hardened/filled with CA glue. Use the #1 (watery) type for better penetration. A very nice look is filling the voids with a mix of CA and a contrasting wood dust. Gaboon Ebony (jet black) or bloodwood (red) would stand out and look nice. Also beware that afzelia will have a tendancy to chip at any edge since the grain isn't straight. Burl wood will not do for any stressful situation. It should look and work great for one of your decorative boxes though.

I've attached a small pic of an Afzelia Burl bowl I finished last week. This piece has the lighter sapwood, though the basic finish gives you a good idea what the piece will look like when polished up.

Afzelia Burl Bowl
Afzelia Bowl, close up.





Matt

Thanks Matt. This is exactly the info I was looking for.

That is a very nice Afzelia bowl you made. How long have you been turning wood?

I always wanted to try it. Not having a lathe is a show stopper. I will get one eventually, it is just too enticing not to.

I think I will make an Ebony/Afzelia box out of the larger Afzelia piece. Here is a mockup I made.



Will post results when the wood gets here and the box is done.

Vlad,

The mock up looks very sharp with the Ebony borders. Afzelia is perfectly suited for a decorative/low stress panel.

Regarding the razors in your mock up, are they a mop/abalone combo? Are they real or digital? I've been working on a similar set of razor scales with shorter sequence.
"Large White MOP/Abalone/Large White MOP/Abalone/Large White Mop"

The white mop is very "stormy" or figured and the abalone is a natural shell with alot of ripple to it.

BTW, if anyone is looking for shell (MOP,ABALONE, PAUA) for inlay on a small scale, I found some small panels in Walmart and AC MOORE stores in the USA. They are found in the craft/beads/buttons section and I managed to get some rather large gold mother of pearl cabs at a decent price. Just another close source of cheap supplies.



Matt

Vlad,

Tricky? I don't have a clue. Beautiful? No...it is gorgeous! Can't wait to see the finished product!

RT

The mockup was done for a box inquiry for these specific razors. They are MOP. I used the photo I received with the request. The ebony and afzelia make the box expensive and the gentleman was not crazy about the afzelia burl.

I figured trying to make the box frame out of afzelia would be asking too much of the burl, mitering and rabeting for the panel and hinge would make a weak box.

When I get the Afzelia Burl I will make the box and either ebony or afzelia scales for a razor to make a nice set. Have to get the wood to see what I can do with it.

I'll try out the Wal-Mart here in Montreal to see if they carry any MOP, doubt it but worth a try.

Man, I don't know why he didn't like it--I'd be crazy about a box like that!

How expensive is 'expensive' in this context?

Originally Posted by vladsch

The mockup was done for a box inquiry for these specific razors. They are MOP. I used the photo I received with the request. The ebony and afzelia make the box expensive and the gentleman was not crazy about the afzelia burl.

I think that's the best looking box you've made, yet Vlad. Nice pairing. Very austere. A Gentleman's box.

X