Bursera Graveolens

[Michael Keach]

Good afternoon!
I am in search of Bursera Graveolens (Palo Santo) blanks for turning. The size of the blanks needs to be 12" X 2" X 2". I am finding lots of sticks and logs for sale but no blanks. [It's an interesting wood in that it must lie dead on the ground for 10 years before being able to work it or extract its fragrant oil.]

This wood is sometimes confused with Lignum Vitæ but it is not the same. This only comes from Ecuador and Peru with rare samples from the southern Caribbean.

I teach fibre arts in the Tampa Bay area and am seeking these wood blanks to have them turned into 14th century spindles for the purpose of spinning wool, silk, flax, etc.

Any help locating this wood is greatly appreciated. I'm a retired librarian and am very good doing research but finding this wood as blanks has me stumped which is the reason for me turning to this group for ideas.

Thanks so much!
Mike Keach
Tampa, Fl

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Mike I just looked up that wood but I could not get an idea of how big the sticks are that are sold on amazon etc. but the jagged ends don't instill any confidence as a material for spindles. I have made spindles for some local fiber artists using North American hardwoods such as maple that can be turned down to long tapers needed for the shaft and smooth finish for the disk. The spindles shown have a friction fit between the shaft & whirl and I have also made the type called drop spindle with a brass hook.

 

[Dean Center]

This wood does not appear on Woodfinder, a normally useful resource of which you might not have been aware. The available supplies are apparently sold for burning as incense, so those sellers would have little interest in providing turnable wood of the size you need. One site comments that the harvest of the wood is regulated and locals only gather spontaneously shed branches, as the government in that particular country does not allow the trees to be cut down.

All in all, this is a major challenge.

My suggestions would be three: First, talk with Al Hockenberry, here on the forum, who lives with you and the giant bugs down in Florida. There just might be some folks with Bursera graveolens trees in their yard! He might know how to find them.

Second, you could contact the sellers of the incense style wood and ask if they could specially provide solid wood of the size you need, or if they have a producer/local contact to whom you might reach out directly. If you do that, I would recommend getting a few samples to check out before you make a substantial purchase.

Third, you could contact major purveyors of tropical woods and see if they might have access to this wood, or again, local contacts to whom they could refer you. Cook Woods, Tropical and Exotic Woods of Latin America, Peeples Exotic Wood, Gilmer, Exotic Woods USA, and MacBeath are in my bookmark list and I'm sure others on the forum will suggest other potential sources.

Good luck with your search. Sounds like an interesting project.

 

[hockenbery]

suggestions would be three: First, talk with Al Hockenberry, here on the forum, who lives with you and the giant bugs down in Florida. There just might be some folks with Bursera graveolens trees in their yard! He might know how to find them.

i am not familiar with this wood.
you might try
Amazon exotic hardwoods in casselberry. James lie the owner may have it or be able to special order it.

And/or

Pete Richardson- who owns viable lumber would know if it is found growing in the Tampa st Pete area.
He is an urban forester. His bussiness mostly tropical hardwoods growing in our area.
https://www.viablelumber.com/

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Not sure the scientific name but I have several pieces of Argentina Palo Santo. The wood is green and smells great. It is my favorite wood for chasing threads. I have several sources down there, sadly they use it for fence posts in some places because they last a lifetime and then some.