Cutting Ebony with ts55

[JCLP]

Does anyone have any recommendations on cutting ebony, 1" thick, with the ts55 track saw. What blade to use. Thinking of using it for a project. I want to use it to use as part of a coffee table I'm thinking of building. Also, anyone tried drilling dominos into it. It's rock hard wood.
Thanks,
JC

 

[peter halle]

I don't think that you will have to make any adjustments to the blades used but it might make sense to make more shallower cuts.

Peter

 

[jacko9]

When cutting with the Domino just keep your feed rate very slow and make sure that the initial contact between the cutter and wood is gentle.  The Domino cutter will have no problem cutting ebony if fed slowly.

With the price of ebony I would want to cut it on a bandsaw to save wood.

Jack

 

[Birdhunter]

I use a lot of ebony in my projects. It is beautiful when sanded to 320 or higher.

It is not only hard, but also brittle. I use a backing board to minimize blowout at the back of a cut. A very sharp fine toothed blade is necessary.

I find ebony splinters tend to fester so be careful with the stuff.

 

[mouppe]

If you score it all the way round with a marking knife you will reduce the chance of splintering. If you want to save the offcut score both sides of the kerf.

What glue are you planning to use? Ebony can be tricky to glue- I prefer hide glue to yellow glue for ebony.

 

[jacko9]

Titebond III is my glue of choice for oily woods and I even conducted a few fracture tests with rosewood and the Titebond III outperformed Epoxy.

 

[Birdhunter]

I wipe both surfaces, ebony and the other, to be glued with alcohol then glue with TB III.

Two part epoxy works well too.

 

[jacko9]

Most solvents will work, I use acetone and wipe until you don't see color on the wiping cloth.

Jack

 

[Mauri Motti]

Haha, over here we can't even get a piece of Ebony thick... neither long enough to cut with a 55

Good luck with your project!

 

[junk731]

With the cost of some Ebony reaching over $100.00 BDFT I would not be cutting it with a circular but a bandsaw, a lot less waste/dollars going to the dust collector. I just priced some 5/4 Macassar Ebony at $85.00 a BDFT.

John

 

[Birdhunter]

I find that cutting ebony and other exotics using my Sawstop table saw has less waste than using a band saw and then having to run the piece through a planer to clean up the edge. The Sawstop produces a glue ready edge.

 

[junk731]

I find that cutting ebony and other exotics using my Sawstop table saw has less waste than using a band saw and then having to run the piece through a planer to clean up the edge. The Sawstop produces a glue ready edge.

If you use the right blade in your bandsaw you don't have to joint the piece and still get a glue ready surface with a light sanding while still saving very expensive wood.  I don't think a Sawstop is a requirement for a glue ready edge you could get the same edge with the TS55  and waste the same amount of material.

John

 

[JCLP]

Thanks everyone for you advice. As I have never worked with ebony before, all of your advice/comments will be invaluable. I hope, weather permitting, to go and get some tomorrow. Will need to get that platinum card to buy this stuff.