Indian Rosewood...

[caveman]

A fellow called me today and asked if we would saw an Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) log.  I told him that we could and he offered to send a picture.  It is small and if it were oak I would not even mess with it unless I needed some quick and dirty bench slabs.  Nice wood from this species is pretty expensive from what little bit of searching I have done, even small pieces.  It is hard, 2440 Janka- which is harder than live oak (1880 or so) and less than Ipe (3680).  We have too many irons in the fire (old saying) to mess with it right now.

For those of you familiar with Rosewood, is there any benefit to quartersawing it?  The dark heartwood seems to be only about 9 1/2" diameter based on the picture that I was sent.  Evidently the wood is used in musical instruments, furniture and other things such as jewelry boxes.  The son of a couple in my parents' Sunday school class was paid to remove one from someone's yard, he paid to have it sawn and reportedly sold the lumber for $40,000.
I do not expect this log to hold much value but it will be interesting to saw.  If we do eventually saw it I will post pictures of it if y'all promise not to laugh=again, I would not really consider it a saw log.  We will use a new Kasco 4° blade on it.

[qbilder]

I use a lot of rosewood. Indian rosewood can mean a variety of species, most common are latifolia & sissoo. The latifolia is the dark purple, nearly black stuff. Sissoo is tan/orange with dark striping. I think sissoo is what you have most common in Florida. 9" heart is small for either of those trees, but pretty common for many of the other rosewoods around the world. $40k for an indian rosewood tree would indicate a giant latifolia tree or a tall tale.

[caveman]

The guy told me that his son took several of his friends to Las Vegas with the money he made on that tree.  I know we will not make much on this job.  I offered him the same hourly rate that I would have for any other small, short, knotty log. 

[Satamax]

9"? I would split properly, with wedges and a froe, and turn this into quatersawn fingerboard slabs, even few rift sawn ones. Then turn the leftovers into turning blanks.

[caveman]

Thanks Satamax.

The pictures the fellow sent are below.  I was more impressed with his description on the phone than I was of the pics.  If he wants to take the time to load it and haul it an hour and a half to us from Sarasota, I suppose we can oblige him and try to saw something useful out of it.

  I think his estimate of 6' long was also a bit optimistic. 

[Satamax]

If the upper limb is long enough, you could may be get few fingerboards. With luck, with a real interesting grain. But to me it's all turning blank, and nothing else. Or a cofee table slab candidate, bookmatching it.

[caveman]

An acquaintance brought by several slabs of Indian Rosewood today that he wants John and me to build him benches out of.  His father-in-law sawed several logs that were recognized by a lineman working Hurricane Ian damage.  I suggested that the wood may be worth a good deal of money to the right people, but he is not interested in selling.  He did tell me that I could have a slab.  The wood needs to be dried and from the density of it, it could take a while.


 

[barbender]

I can't help but notice that you have a similar sawmill layout to myself and Southside😁

[Don P]

I loaded some walnut and 6 boxes of veneer in the truck a minute ago for Dad's shop. I think there was some rosewood in the veneer. I'll try to remember to get a pic when we unload. If its in there it was the dark chocolate variety, Brazilian maybe? Memory of what is in there is a little foggy. I've carried those boxes around for 40 years and haven't done a thing with it, off to a new home  :D

[caveman]

I can't help but notice that you have a similar sawmill layout to myself and Southside😁

This is not our mill.  It belongs to the father-in-law of the guy who brought the slabs to me.  He normally saws for sheds and other items around his farm.  Based on the pictures I could find, the wood that he brought is Dalbergia sissoo.  

I think I sawed some Brazilian Rosewood for a customer a few weeks ago, Dalbergia nigra.  It also goes by the name Jacaranda.  I was able to keep a few of those slabs.  He was supposed to bring me several more logs to saw but this customer is kind of squirrely.  He will show up with good stuff (sinker cypress, paroda/monkey ear, big pecan, sycamore, and Jacaranda) to saw but no money.  I usually don't mind sawing his wood on shares.