What to Make with this 200 Year Old Wood

[DavidCBaker]

I picked up a piece of bulletwood from Greener Lumber, supposedly harvested between 100-200 years ago but just recently dredged from the river. I like wood that has a story. Anyway, the larger of the two pieces is 21 x 65". I was thinking of making two larger end-tables with solid, one-piece tops.

Give me some ideas about how to use a large piece of wood like this and treat it respectfully and give it a proper place in our home. I know that probably sounds weird to some of you, but wood like this doesn't come along very often and I want to make something that the tree would be proud of. Okay, now I'm sounding nuts. [tongue]

 

[peter halle]

David,

I don't think that you sound nuts when you write about wanting to respect wood and its usage - i.e. to make it proud.  That feeling has been around for centuries and in many cultures.  Take the Japanese and their timber framed temples for example.

The larger slab would be great for one or more table tops if you make the allowances for wood movement and finish all sides equally.  I am going to go look for something that you might find interesting - and relevant.

Peter

 

[DavidCBaker]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing it. [thumbs up]

I've thought about a parson's table, too.

 

[peter halle]

David,

go to this thread:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/building-materials/rare-(reclaimed-antique-river-enhanced)-timber/

You should find the thread interesting, but in reply #11 there is a link to an article I dug up from 1985.  Check that out.

Peter

 

[Jay Knoll]

Dave

What style furniture do you like?  I'm into shaker/oriental influences so I'd build a simple base and float the top on it.  Clean crisp lines. and I'd take the finish up to the 12000 grit using micromesh so the grain would gleam.

I don't know what I'd do with that wood if someone asked me to do more traditional design................ LOL, yeah I do know I'd tell them that I don't do that kind of work.

Looking forward to seeing what you're going to do!

Jay

 

[Jay Knoll]

And if you want some inspiration here's a great place to look

http://www.pritameames.com/archives.html

Enjoy

Jay

 

[mwhafner]

David,

I may be a little artisan in these circumstances, but the wood will tell you what it wants to be.  Just honor its wishes. 

As a fellow Nashvillian, I would feel negligent if I didn't tell you that you do have a more local source for fine quality lumber.  Middle Tennessee Lumber is a great source, and just a few miles down the road.

 

[bhendrix]

Hi David,

Such a rare speciman as your bulletwood will might be cherished for generations.  Rather than seeking inspiration from the "what" to make, perhaps seeking inspiration from "for whom" to make will yield your answer.  Is there something your wife might enjoy that might later be handed down to a daughter or grand daughter?

 

[jvsteenb]

David,

To me, you don't sound weird at all.
Seeing that this piece of wood has "a tale to tell" and you being a writer, I'd probably try to come up with a way to make this in to a writers desk of sort.
I realise that the bigger piece is a bit narrow for that purpose, but OTOH how much depth is really needed for a piece of paper, or a keyboard for that matter?
A Shaker style or modern Danish style could be a nice compliment to this piece of wood, and two sets of drawers with retractable tops/armrests above them might make for a nice desk that might inspire you.
But first and foremost: obviously these pieces of wood ring your bell somehow - so make them into a piece that gets USED - not just stared at.

Just my 2 eurocents....

Regards,

Job

 

[DavidCBaker]

You should find the thread interesting, but in reply #11 there is a link to an article I dug up from 1985.  Check that out.

Peter, that was a great article. It also opened my mind to the idea of "thickiness sanding" since obviously it's way too wide for my thickness planner. That was very inspirational.

 

[DavidCBaker]

What style furniture do you like?  I'm into shaker/oriental influences so I'd build a simple base and float the top on it.  Clean crisp lines. and I'd take the finish up to the 12000 grit using micromesh so the grain would gleam.

Jay, I like very simple design (shaker influences, too) that shows off the wood. I'm starting to get some ideas from these posts, and can't wait to do something with it.

 

[DavidCBaker]

,
I may be a little artisan in these circumstances, but the wood will tell you what it wants to be.  Just honor its wishes. 

As a fellow Nashvillian, I would feel negligent if I didn't tell you that you do have a more local source for fine quality lumber.  Middle Tennessee Lumber is a great source, and just a few miles down the road.

I like that thought about letting the wood suggest its own form! Now you're sounding a little loupy like I am.  [tongue]

I've heard good things about the Dickson plant--I've used Summer's extensively. I don't think any of them have bulletwood that's 200 years old though. I did just pick up some nice 8/4 cherry, walnut, and maple to make butcher blocks out of.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Such a rare speciman as your bulletwood will might be cherished for generations.  Rather than seeking inspiration from the "what" to make, perhaps seeking inspiration from "for whom" to make will yield your answer.  Is there something your wife might enjoy that might later be handed down to a daughter or grand daughter?

Excellent thought, Bill. I'll talk to my wife. Probably, it'll have to be something that inspires both of us. I'm also thinking that I'll let it sit for a bit until my skills improve. I'll be too nervous otherwise. That'll give us both time to think.

 

[DavidCBaker]

To me, you don't sound weird at all.
Seeing that this piece of wood has "a tale to tell" and you being a writer, I'd probably try to come up with a way to make this in to a writers desk of sort.
I realise that the bigger piece is a bit narrow for that purpose, but OTOH how much depth is really needed for a piece of paper, or a keyboard for that matter?
A Shaker style or modern Danish style could be a nice compliment to this piece of wood, and two sets of drawers with retractable tops/armrests above them might make for a nice desk that might inspire you.
But first and foremost: obviously these pieces of wood ring your bell somehow - so make them into a piece that gets USED - not just stared at.

Excellent! I've added those two elements to my list--I'm actually creating a bullet point list of things I want to consider. Just added: a) make sure it's something that gets used; b) tell the story in written form, too.

 

[fshanno]

I see a vertical application.  I'm hearing the larger piece say, "Don't lay me down, don't put things on top of me. I was buried and now I'm risen." 

See?  There are weirder people than you.

 

[nickao]

Not to be a downer..

That sure does not look like Bulletwood to me. Bulletwood is Manilkara bidentata(somtimes Manilkara huberi) and also sold under the name  Massarunduba. I actually have it as flooring throughout my entire home and if he pulled out out of a river in the US it can't be bullet wood, it is not indigenous to here, Bulletwood is general known as a  tropical wood.

Obviously the locals came up with that name because it is hard. I am wondering if you can get the scientific name and the location they pulled this wood from. From a quick look the color and the grain is all wrong for Bulletwood. That is why I hate names that are used in the industry instead of the scientific names. Local areas come up with these names and it really screws up the identification process.

If you can send me a 1/2" x 1/2" piece off the end grain(or a perfectly razor blade cut piece of end grain about a 1/16" thick x 1/2" long and 1/2" wide  off the end grain) I can try to tell  you an exact species for it and find if it is what is commonly called Bulletwood.

Here are some other names people call Bulletwood, you can see where the confusion comes in:

Acana
Aus
Ausabo
Balata
Balata franc
Balata gomme
Balata rouge
Beefwood
Bolletri
Bolletrie
Bulletwood
Chicozapota
Macaranduba
Maparajuba
Massarandu
Nispero
Pamashto
Paraju
Quinilla colorada
Red balata

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

It says it is Bucida buceras on the Greener lumber site.

Click on the link in the first post.

It also says it was found in tropical rivers.
Must not be local.

 

[nickao]

Ah I believe  that is an olive tree type. I will have to run in the shop and check my books and samples.

That makes no sense, I do not think that species gets big enough for boards like that ever, even 200 years ago. It seems like it may be mis-identified(lumber sellers often do this as identification is expensive), but as Bucida buceras it is definitely not what people call bulletwood in the industry, must be a regional name.

Actually, my books say it is black olive tree and I think I have a sample.

Yep it seems the black olive or  Bucida buceras can possibly get that big at the base if it reaches it biggest size, you have a pretty rare width size for that species. But nowhere do I see Bulletwood as a nickname for Bucida buceras in my books.

 

[nickao]

AHA they made a mistake on the web site! They have Bucida buceras listed for two different woods.

They also list the Sapodilla as Bucida buceras, which is wrong as well. But Sopadilla is Commonly refereed to as Bulletwood by mistake and is very very close to Bulletwood or Massarunduba, some companies an web info even interchange the two.! At least that is a common mistake.

Sopadilla is actually Manilkara spp, very close family to actual Bulletwood, which is Manilkara bidentata.

They need to fix their web page. It seems both listings are partially incorrect.

What he has purchased is nice, but is not Bulletwood.

The dead giveaway to me is that bulletwood grain is so tight you really can not even see it at all and the wood is more reddish that spears more greenish. I also have never seen the flat grain cathedraling on Bulletwood like in his pictured pieces.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

AHA they made a mistake on the web site! They have Bucida buceras listed for two different woods.

They also list the Sapodilla as Bucida buceras, which is wrong as well. But Sopadilla is Commonly refereed to as Bulletwood by mistake! At least that is a common mistake.

They need to fix their web page. What he has purchased is nice, but is not Bulletwood.

That is what I typed in the first post and then went back and edited because I didn't type it like they did.

I find identifying old growth lumber to be one thing that really sparks my interest.