Hardest Wood in the World

canehorn · #1 03-07-2022, 09:32 AM

Interesting discussion of woods with exceptional resistance to indentation

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...eid=66f6c271b8

TomB'sox · #2 03-07-2022, 02:02 PM

That is interesting. I knew there has been some Lignum Vitae used in some guitars here, I think with Edwinson. It has a green hue if I recall correctly.

Lonzo · #3 03-07-2022, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That is interesting. I knew there has been some Lignum Vitae used in some guitars here, I think with Edwinson. It has a green hue if I recall correctly.

.. correct Tom, it was used in an Edwinson that was called ‚De Profundis‘, with other special woods, some glacier sitka and real bois de rose.
For those interested: search de profundis in the custom section, to find the build thread.

Guitars44me · #4 03-07-2022, 04:55 PM

FWIW…

I bought six pairs of “ Brazilian Ironwood” drumsticks when I was in eighth grade. That was about 1965. They were black, extremely heavy, and extremely slender, made for jazz drumming.

Amazingly I still have three unbroken sticks and they work great! They will sink if put in water. I checked in the bathtub! Hahahah

Wish I had bought more…. Sigh

A Never ending font of knowledge around here!

Cheers

Paul

theEdwinson · #5 03-08-2022, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That is interesting. I knew there has been some Lignum Vitae used in some guitars here, I think with Edwinson. It has a green hue if I recall correctly.

Yes, I used Lignum Vitae for bindings, bevels, and other trim on a Bois de Rose/ Ancient Sitka guitar from around 2016, called the "De Profundis". That wood has some very interesting properties. It is tough to bend, because it retains "memory", and wants to spring back to its original shape. It also has a waxy feel, and I had to acetone the heck out of it so the glues would hold. The plank I had was very attractive- sort of a chatoyant khaki green color. It looked great with the Ancient Sitka soundboard, which also has a green color to it. Here are a couple pics I found in the vault. The armrest is Lignum Vitae, and it's held on with neodymium magnets, coupled in the armrest and inside the guitar. This was a very challenging build all the way around!

I recall hearing that Lignum Vitae was used way back in time to make the gears and mechanisms for the rudders and steering apparatus in sailing ships. It was used because of its incredible toughness, imperviousness to rot, and its natural lubricity- again, that "waxy" texture it has, that is self-lubricating. So it was excellent for making large mechanical parts for big sailing ships.
Would I recommend it for making guitars? NO. Don't do it.

TomB'sox · #6 03-08-2022, 12:20 PM

Thanks Steve, that is an awesome guitar. I knew you had used it and it was greenish in color, but I did not remember the specific guitar, but do now. That is a beauty and I remember how hard you worked on that one!

soma5 · #7 03-08-2022, 05:15 PM

When I was doing a lot of hand woodworking they made mallets out of that wood for use with chisels and such. That's some hard wood.

tadol · #8 03-08-2022, 08:26 PM

Lignum vitae was used as the bearing material for where large ships propeller shafts passed through the hull. It was also used for bowling balls and lawn bowls, mallet heads, and a number of other items where its toughness, water resistance, weight, or ability to hold fine detail like threads was important. It can make a very good nut, possibly a saddle, or a good mouthpiece, but in general, it is a very poor choice for most musical instruments

canehorn · #9 03-09-2022, 11:41 AM

Sounds like the juice is not worth the squeeze. Thought there might be some correlation to sound reflectivity, esp for stiffer back type builds. Maybe useful as a longer lasting bridge pin substitute for those that like ebony…

hifivic · #10 03-09-2022, 03:07 PM

This post is ALL wrong! The hardest wood in the world is the wood my head is made of

Simon Fay · #11 03-09-2022, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theEdwinson

I recall hearing that Lignum Vitae was used way back in time to make the gears and mechanisms for the rudders and steering apparatus in sailing ships. It was used because of its incredible toughness, imperviousness to rot, and its natural lubricity- again, that "waxy" texture it has, that is self-lubricating. So it was excellent for making large mechanical parts for big sailing ships.

So what you're saying is that it is a fantastic wood to use for the bridge. (I always scored in the very top percentile in reading comprehension.) That Glacier Sitka is quite stunning !!!

invguy921 · #12 03-10-2022, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifivic

This post is ALL wrong! The hardest wood in the world is the wood my head is made of

Right there with ya brother

theEdwinson · #13 03-10-2022, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Fay

So what you're saying is that it is a fantastic wood to use for the bridge. (I always scored in the very top percentile in reading comprehension.) That Glacier Sitka is quite stunning !!!

Hi, Simon! Actually, I was re-thinking this a little, and I would think that Lignum Vitae would make excellent bridge PINS. The bridge itself, not so much-- it would be hard to keep it glued down, unless you used an epoxy formulated for oily tropical woods. And you NEVER use epoxy to attach a bridge...
Also worth trying it on nuts. I remember dropping pieces of it on the table saw, and it made the same kind of *klinkety-klink* sound as hard bone does. And that waxy texture that would make it terrible for acoustic guitar backs would be a perfect feature for nut material.
I still have a chunk of the original Lignum board I used on the De Profundis. I think I'll locate it and try it for nuts.