Olivewood

B

bkkpool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I bought some sealed olivewood turning squares about a year ago and they have been sitting on a shelf ever since. I decided to turn some of them earlier this week and noticed that 3 of 3 had deep and long checks running lengthwise of the squares. The wood has been kept in a controlled climate and I have not seen this with any of my other wood. Is this typical of olivewood? Does it require special treatment?

Brian
 
What kind of olivewood?
African or Meditteranean/Israel?
The Med/Israel kind has to be cored. They are very prone to cracking, twisting and turning. They are not from logs but are from branches.
The African Olivewood is a little more stable but still needs to be waxed and air dried for years before ready for use. Would still be a good candidate to be cored b/c it too twists.
 
Sealed wood........

bkkpool said:
I bought some sealed olivewood turning squares about a year ago and they have been sitting on a shelf ever since. I decided to turn some of them earlier this week and noticed that 3 of 3 had deep and long checks running lengthwise of the squares. The wood has been kept in a controlled climate and I have not seen this with any of my other wood. Is this typical of olivewood? Does it require special treatment?

Brian
Click to expand...

What was the wood sealed with? Wax? Look at them closely.......does the check in all three run in the same pattern? It may be just a coincidence but if all three are checked and they were sealed with wax there may be a good chance they were checked or cracked before they were sealed.
I absolutley hate buying wood that has been sealed in wax unless I know exactly where it is coming from and have some type of return policy.
Been burnt too many times with that same scam. If the wood is not sealed in wax before it is shipped from the supplier I always request that it be sealed with a shellac( Bullseye works good) if they won't do I ask that it be wrapped in plastic for shipping and as soon as it comes to me I do the shellac thing myself.
If the wood IS sealed in wax from the shipper I always inspect it with a magnifier when it come in.
Don't get me wrong ..I'm not saying that all shippers ship checked wood but I like to get what I pay for.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
What was the wood sealed with? Wax? Look at them closely.......does the check in all three run in the same pattern? It may be just a coincidence but if all three are checked and they were sealed with wax there may be a good chance they were checked or cracked before they were sealed.
I absolutley hate buying wood that has been sealed in wax unless I know exactly where it is coming from and have some type of return policy.
Been burnt too many times with that same scam. If the wood is not sealed in wax before it is shipped from the supplier I always request that it be sealed with a shellac( Bullseye works good) if they won't do I ask that it be wrapped in plastic for shipping and as soon as it comes to me I do the shellac thing myself.
If the wood IS sealed in wax from the shipper I always inspect it with a magnifier when it come in.
Don't get me wrong ..I'm not saying that all shippers ship checked wood but I like to get what I pay for.
Click to expand...

In your neck of the woods (Olivewood) you can dry your own. Most of the older neighborhoods in metro phx and tucson are full of Olivewood trees.
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com
 
JoeyInCali said:
What kind of olivewood?
African or Meditteranean/Israel?
The Med/Israel kind has to be cored. They are very prone to cracking, twisting and turning. They are not from logs but are from branches.
The African Olivewood is a little more stable but still needs to be waxed and air dried for years before ready for use. Would still be a good candidate to be cored b/c it too twists.
Click to expand...

sounds like a lot of work for what looks like a butt ugly wood. sounds impractical for cues too.
 
bruin70 said:
sounds like a lot of work for what looks like a butt ugly wood. sounds impractical for cues too.
Click to expand...
OUCH!!!
One of the best hitting cues I've tried was an olivewood forearmed Zylr.
The African olivewood forearm piece was aged for a decade or so.
 
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It was from Israel. I am not sure of the sealer that is on the wood. It is not wax. I don't mind a little work for a nice finished product. I think olivewood makes for a very attractive cue. I have never played with one but I know of cuemakers that use olivewood.
 
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bkkpool said:
It was from Israel. I am not sure of the sealer that is on the wood. It is not wax.
Click to expand...
I think it's paraffin.
I have some Bethlehem olives.
Will never be forearms or handles I think.
Too wavy and unstable.
 
JoeyInCali said:
OUCH!!!
One of the best hitting cues I've tried was an olivewood forearmed Zylr.
The African olivewood forearm piece was aged for a decade or so.
Click to expand...


i never hit with one so,,,,but it could be why that zylr olivewood never sold.:)
 
bruin70 said:
i never hit with one so,,,,but it could be why that zylr olivewood never sold.:)
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Last time I saw an olive Z at Ebay, it had a $900+ first bid.
The shafts were turned down though.
 
Big difference.........

bkkpool said:
It was from Israel. I am not sure of the sealer that is on the wood. It is not wax. I don't mind a little work for a nice finished product. I think olivewood makes for a very attractive cue. I have never played with one but I know of cuemakers that use olivewood.
Click to expand...

That is why I like to stick with the old reliables........BE maple..good 'ole plain maple..ebony..and the rosewoods family for fronts and/or handles. There is a big difference between woods that look good and play good in a cue.
 
JoeyInCali said:
What kind of olivewood?
African or Meditteranean/Israel?
The Med/Israel kind has to be cored. They are very prone to cracking, twisting and turning. They are not from logs but are from branches.
The African Olivewood is a little more stable but still needs to be waxed and air dried for years before ready for use. Would still be a good candidate to be cored b/c it too twists.
Click to expand...

The Israel variety can be made as stable as all the others if there is enough wood to be able to remove the pith before letting it start to dry. Often though the pith is right near the center of the blank, so in that case it is almost guaranteed to have major cracks.
 
Good Woods

BarenbruggeCues said:
That is why I like to stick with the old reliables........BE maple..good 'ole plain maple..ebony..and the rosewoods family for fronts and/or handles. There is a big difference between woods that look good and play good in a cue.
Click to expand...

I agree.

Good Cuemaking,
 
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