For sale (or Trade): Desert Ironwood Slab

[Mark Hepburn]

UPDATE: SOLD

Okay, I don't know if this is something that anyone is interested in but I got this slab a few years ago when I was at the Phoenix symposium. Bought it at a local Woodcraft in Tempe (I live in a backwater and going to Woodcraft store for the first time was almost as great as the vendor displays at the symposium!).

Anyway, I paid $260 for this slab and humped it back to New Orleans on a plane. And have no idea what to do with it. So perhaps someone will see it and say "Aha!"

I would like to get my money out of it but that seems like an absurd proposal so best offers please if you are interested. It weighs 29 lbs plus packaging and looks like it's going to cost about $40 for shipping FedEx home delivery or USPS.

I'll definitely consider trades for some cool wood or, I don't know, if you have something that you think would be a compelling trade we can definitely discuss it (Zach, how about that PM 3520 )

If you text me that would be best: My employer isn't a fan of a lot of personal email at work. But if that's what you need to do then please feel free: Here is my contact information:

Mark Hepburn
985-860-1106
markh at sontheimeroffshore dot com (replace with symbols)

I'm here in frigid south Louisiana on Central Time but you can text any time.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Do you know if you can chase threads on Ironwood? I have a piece of Hawaiian Ironwood, looks like a pine that grows by the beach. Should be dry soon to experiment. If you can chase threads on yours, I might be interested on trade, but you will have to cut it into box blanks and fill as much as possible a flat rate large box...

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Although I've never tried, it's a very hard, dense wood and I'd say yes. And I have some other, smaller pieces too. I can send you one to try and if you want then I could cut up this other one. Here's a photo of the larger of the small pieces. It weighs 2 lbs 10 oz; very dense stuff like gaboon ebony. Tight grained. Here are some photos. PM me your address and I'll send it to you flat rate in a padded envelope with extra bubble wrap

 

[Odie]

Do you know if you can chase threads on Ironwood? I have a piece of Hawaiian Ironwood, looks like a pine that grows by the beach. Should be dry soon to experiment. If you can chase threads on yours, I might be interested on trade, but you will have to cut it into box blanks and fill as much as possible a flat rate large box...

Emiliano......I have a desert ironwood in the queue right now waiting on buffing and photo session. I've found this wood to be extremely hard, and I'm betting you will love it for thread chasing. @Mark Hepburn: IMHO, it's a tad harder than Gaboon Ebony. I would not suggest this wood to anyone but an expert turner, but Emiliano will probably find this wood to be an absolutely incredible wood for his great turned boxes with chased threads......

(I'll try to add a photo of this bowl later today.)

-----odie-----

 

[Odie]

@Emiliano Achaval ......Sorry, the one I was thinking of, isn't 2nd turned yet. (I must be getting daffy!)......but, I've done several desert ironwood bowls in the past. Here's one I did in 2012 that shows what incredible figuring can be had with this species.
-----odie-----

 

[Mike Johnson]

Odie you might be getting Daffy but you might also want to get some new glasses you have a hole in the bottom of your bowl.
That bowl has some nice figure and color variation! Never a dull moment when turning some of these highly figured wood species!

 

[Odie]

Odie you might be getting Daffy but you might also want to get some new glasses you have a hole in the bottom of your bowl.
That bowl has some nice figure and color variation! Never a dull moment when turning some of these highly figured wood species!

Yeah Mike, but the person who bought that bowl paid extra for the hole!....Heh,heh,heh.......

-----odie-----

 

[Mike Johnson]

Yeah Mike, but the person who bought that bowl paid extra for the hole!....Heh,heh,heh.......

-----odie-----

Odie, You are the man! That is what they call upselling in the sales and marketing world.
Think of all of the money you have saved by not buying epoxy and filling those holes and grinding and sanding!

 

[Odie]

Odie, You are the man! That is what they call upselling in the sales and marketing world.
Think of all of the money you have saved by not buying epoxy and filling those holes and grinding and sanding!

@Mark Hepburn......Mark, hope you don't mind us gabbing on your for sale thread.....

Mike, some of the cracks and voids do have epoxy filler, but I just have to size the situation up and decide what to do......and, it is a decision that is an option. Sometimes, it's my opinion that voids, bark inclusions, minor hairline checking, knots, worm holes, discoloration, deterioration/rot, stress cracks, seasoning/drying shrinkage voids, mineral stains, fire burns, unusual growths, sand, dirt, rocks, nails, and all kinds of other foreign objects are better off to leave as they are. After all.....these things do represent the character and history of one of Mother Nature's individual trees. It's sort of like a "personality trait" of that individual tree!

-----odie-----

 

[Mark Hepburn]

@Emiliano Achaval ......Sorry, the one I was thinking of, isn't 2nd turned yet. (I must be getting daffy!)......but, I've done several desert ironwood bowls in the past. Here's one I did in 2012 that shows what incredible figuring can be had with this species.
-----odie-----
View attachment 29658

That's a beautiful bowl Odie.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Although I've never tried, it's a very hard, dense wood and I'd say yes. And I have some other, smaller pieces too. I can send you one to try and if you want then I could cut up this other one. Here's a photo of the larger of the small pieces. It weighs 2 lbs 10 oz; very dense stuff like gaboon ebony. Tight grained. Here are some photos. PM me your address and I'll send it to you flat rate in a padded envelope with extra bubble wrap

View attachment 29653 View attachment 29654 View attachment 29655 View attachment 29656

Thank you Mark! I will message you my address. Send me yours...

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

@Mark Hepburn......Mark, hope you don't mind us gabbing on your for sale thread.....

Mike, some of the cracks and voids do have epoxy filler, but I just have to size the situation up and decide what to do......and, it is a de of porocision that is an option. Sometimes, it's my opinion that voids, bark inclusions, minor hairline checking, knots, worm holes, discoloration, deterioration/rot, stress cracks, seasoning/drying shrinkage voids, mineral stains, fire burns, unusual growths, sand, dirt, rocks, nails, and all kinds of other foreign objects are better off to leave as they are. After all.....these things do represent the character and history of one of Mother Nature's individual trees. It's sort of like a "personality trait" of that individual tree!

-----odie-----

So you are saying you leave rocks and nails in a finished piece? I would love to see some with an explanation of procedure to get there. Maybe in a new thread. This could be the start of something. I will show mine if you show yours.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Okay, I don't know if this is something that anyone is interested in but I got this slab a few years ago when I was at the Phoenix symposium. Bought it at a local Woodcraft in Tempe (I live in a backwater and going to Woodcraft store for the first time was almost as great as the vendor displays at the symposium!).

Anyway, I paid $260 for this slab and humped it back to New Orleans on a plane. And have no idea what to do with it. So perhaps someone will see it and say "Aha!"

I would like to get my money out of it but that seems like an absurd proposal so best offers please if you are interested. It weighs 29 lbs plus packaging and looks like it's going to cost about $40 for shipping FedEx home delivery or USPS.

I'll definitely consider trades for some cool wood or, I don't know, if you have something that you think would be a compelling trade we can definitely discuss it (Zach, how about that PM 3520 )

If you text me that would be best: My employer isn't a fan of a lot of personal email at work. But if that's what you need to do then please feel free: Here is my contact information:

Mark Hepburn
985-860-1106
markh at sontheimeroffshore dot com (replace with symbols)

I'm here in frigid south Louisiana on Central Time but you can text any time.

View attachment 29581 View attachment 29582 View attachment 29583 View attachment 29584 View attachment 29585 View attachment 29586 View attachment 29587 View attachment 29588

Hello Mark, I sent you a message, waiting for you in your inbox here. Thank you!

 

[Odie]

So you are saying you leave rocks and nails in a finished piece? I would love to see some with an explanation of procedure to get there. Maybe in a new thread. This could be the start of something. I will show mine if you show yours.

Hi Gerald......Ya, if you've got some photos, bring 'em on! Yes, I did have a nail once, but that was two cameras ago, and back when film needed to be developed at the drug store! I find that anything unusual, and naturally occurring in the tree's environment, adds "character" and is an interest factor. I try to keep these things, if it looks like it can be done with some amount of aesthetic interest. I would imagine there are people who reject the notion that these things are desirable, or interesting.....but, I consider them to have a lack of "artistic vision".

Here's a maple bowl that was made from a tree that was in a fire, and the dark side was close to the burn:

-----odie-----

 

[Mike Johnson]

Mark, PM sent.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Hi Gerald......Ya, if you've got some photos, bring 'em on! Yes, I did have a nail once, but that was two cameras ago, and
-----odie-----

This piece of oak was a little touchy . That line in the bottom is all the way thru and only held on the left side. Left this thicker than usual but did not want a glue up. Some of the edge I burned with a torch to give good natural look.


The bottom on this one separated so I glued it back and continued to turn . Again thick but too much going on to not save.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Yeah Mike, but the person who bought that bowl paid extra for the hole!....Heh,heh,heh.......

-----odie-----

You're quite a salesman.

 

[Odie]

You're quite a salesman.

Actually......you know, Bill......my comment about paying extra was just joking around. There are plenty of prospective buyers who see these abnormalities as naturally occurring, and consider them an artistic gift from nature, and character. I am one of them. @Gerald Lawrence will probably concur with this assessment. Others will see these things as flaws, and you don't have to worry about them, because they won't buy your "flawed" works anyway!

-----odie-----

 

[Bill Boehme]

Yes, I knew you were joking. Your comment made me think of the joke about the legendary salesman who sold refrigerators to the Eskimos.

If I only wanted to turn "perfect" wood then I would have to throw away at least half of my prized stash of wood. My most prized pieces of wood would probably be considered trash by many people. But, a lot of "trash" are frequently diamonds in the rough.