Unlocking the Beauty of Exotic Woods for Woodworking Projects
Woodworkers are constantly seeking out unique and exotic woods to incorporate into their projects. The stunning , complex color variations, and inherent durability of exotic wood species allow craftsmen to take their work to extraordinary new levels. But before getting started with these rare natural treasures, it’s important to understand what makes exotic woods so special in the first place.
| Section | Key Takeaways |
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| What Makes Exotics Woods Unique? |
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| Popular Exotic Species and Their Best Uses |
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| Key Considerations When Selecting Exotics |
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| Working With and Finishing Exotics |
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| Inspiring Exotic Wood Creations |
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What Makes Exotic Woods Unique?
Exotic woods exhibit exceptional properties not found in more common domestic wood species. Here are some of their defining characteristics:
Unique grain patterns: Striking grain patterns like fiddleback or beeswing figure set exotic woods apart. These distinctive markings create visual interest when stained, finished, or simply admired in their natural state.
Vibrant, varied colors: From rich reddish-browns to variegated mixes of grey, brown, and black, exotic woods reveal a kaleidoscope of colors sure to make your projects pop.
Hardness and durability: Most exotic woods have a Janka hardness rating exceeding 1000+, making them extremely scratch and dent resistant. Their natural oils also increase climate and insect resistance.
Stability: Properly dried exotic woods tend to keep their shape well with less checking, warping, or cupping.
Sustainably harvested: Choosing woods verified through credible sustainable forestry programs ensures healthy future exotic wood supplies.
Popular Exotic Species and Their Best Uses
With thousands of exotic species to choose from, it helps to understand a few of the most popular options woodworkers love to incorporate:
Teak
Known for its tannish-golden color and natural water/insect resistance, teak makes excellent patio furniture, boat decking, and decorative wood accents meant for the outdoors.
Wenge
The wide, dark browns bands on wenge wood lend well to applications like wood flooring, boxes, cabinets, and musical instruments. Its hardness also allows it to take repeated use and wear over time.
Bubinga
With a shocking pink and reddish-brown grain, bubinga wood creates breathtaking patterns in projects like furniture, trim, and turned wood pieces. Its strength and stability suit both solid wood applications and plywood forms.
Zebrawood
One of the most visually striking exotic woods, zebrawood earns its name from the unique striped color variations running the length of each board. Woodturners often use zebrawood for small boxes and decoys, as well as colorful inlays, knife handles, and pencils that allow its grain to shine.
Key Considerations When Selecting Exotic Woods
Exotic woods offer exceptional versatility in woodworking applications, but does that mean they work for every project? Here are some factors to consider:
Project size: Smaller projects like boxes, pens, decor, and accents allow you to use the rarest and most expensive exotic varieties. Larger pieces like furniture may require more abundant species to keep costs feasible.
Wood characteristics: Verify the exotic wood’s hardness, stability, grain patterns, and other properties match your intended use. Teak’s weather-resistance matters more for outdoor use than bubinga’s bold grain patterns, for example.
Budget: Some woods like ebony and rosewood can run $20+ per board foot. Determine if the visual impact merits the added cost or if a more economic species could create the same effect.
Sourcing: Seek out exotic woods verified through credible sustainable forestry programs to ensure you pick wood sources managed for future use.
Skill level: Beginners may want to hone techniques on domestic woods before attempting easily splintered or difficult-to-work exotics. Save delicate, fracturing cuts for more experienced hands.
Working With and Finishing Exotic Wood Pieces
Once you select the right exotic wood for your next marquetry box or custom conference table, proper handling, cutting, sanding, and finishing steps help unlock its natural beauty:
Careful handling/cutting: Avoid dropping boards and use sharp cutters to prevent splintering. Cutting against the grain increases chances of chipping.
Sanding with the grain: Always sand following the wood grain’s direction, using proper grit progression from coarse to fine.
Sealing: Applying sanding sealer helps stabilize the wood before staining or finishing topcoats. This prevents blotching issues.
Scraps testing: Test stains, paints, oils, or topcoats on scrap pieces first. Exotics react differently than domestic woods.
Sufficient drying: Allow sufficient drying time between finishing layers, especially with oil-based products. This prevents uncured finishes from interacting.
Patienceworking: There’s no rushing exotic wood finishing. Embrace extra sanding, testing, and curing times to avoid irreversible mistakes.
Inspiring Exotic Wood Creations
Once properly showcased in a project, exotic woods reveal their almost otherworldly beauty. Some stunning ways creative artisans utilize these rare natural treasures include:
- Mesmerizing marquetry inlays with intricate geometric and nature themes
- Sleek bubinga wood rings and wedding bands
- Artful hand-carved burl bowls perched atop unique bases
- Fiddleback maple watch cases marked with hypnotic figure
- Custom hand-turned pens made from resplendent blue and black ebony
- One-of-a-kind furniture accents like roses or vines crafted in bloodwood or purpleheart
The creative possibilities exotic woods offer woodworkers are endless. With mindful selection, handling, and finishing, you can take ordinary projects to extraordinary new heights.
As always, don’t hesitate to comment below to share some of your own exotic wood creations or lessons learned putting these rare beauties to work!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do exotic woods come from?
Exotic woods grow in tropical forest regions worldwide like Africa, South America, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia. Trees producing exotic wood varieties only grow in very specific climate conditions.
Why are exotic woods so expensive?
Some exotic species grow slowly or in remote regions, making harvesting difficult and increasing costs. Others simply have high demand, as woodworkers prize their unique visual qualities and properties. Their rarity and allure drives prices upward.
Do exotic woods decay faster than domestic species?
On the contrary – when properly dried and finished, most exotic woods demonstrate exceptional rot and insect resistance thanks to their dense cellular structure and natural oils. This makes them ideal for outdoor furniture and woodworking pieces meant to endure years of use.
What’s the thickest exotic wood slab I can buy?
It depends on the species, but you can readily find many exotic woods like lacewood, makore, bubinga, and Santos mahogany in slabs exceeding 3 inches thick. Burls, stumps, and specialty cuts can reach even 8-12 inches thick for unique projects like live-edge conference tables.
Can I stain and finish exotic woods?
Absolutely! Always test on scrap pieces first. Many exotics take custom stains beautifully to alter or enhance their natural grain patterns and colors. Oil or wax finishes help nourish and protect them once the desired hue is achieved from staining.
Do exotic woods warp or crack easily?
Stability varies by species, but in general exotic woods demonstrate favorable shrinking/swelling properties if properly kiln dried to 6-8% moisture content. Their density and oil content helps minimize uncontrolled checking and warping. Proper acclimation and finishing provides even greater protection long-term.
What exotic wood is beginner friendly to work with?
If just starting out, beginner-friendly exotic species to try are lacewood, madeira, anegre, sapelli, lacewood and khaya. Their softer composition makes cutting less risky while you master techniques before attempting harder exotics.
Additional Exotic Wood Resources
Here are some useful sites offering guidance selecting, buying, cutting, and finishing unique exotic woods:
Craftsy guide to exotic lumber