Source for Ebony

[impala59]

Wondered whether any of you gentlemen would know a source of ebony, sufficient to make a grip cap and butt plate? 1 piece 50 x 35 x 8mm and 1 piece 125 x 40 x 10mm. Here's Hoping!

Edited June 6, 2016 by impala59

[Saltings]

woodturning supply shops like axminster / poolwood or similar a look on fleabay may turn up something

[FalconFN]

I bought some off eBay for about a tenner.

[panoma1]

Wondered whether any of you gentlemen would know a source of ebony, sufficient to make a grip cap and butt plate? 1 piece 50 x 35 x 8mm and 1 piece 125 x 40 x 10mm. Here's Hoping!

Have you thought of using the traditional buffalo horn? If you really want ebony I have obtained it off fleabay!!

[CaptainBeaky]

Have a look for ebony knife scales - a pair of large scales would do the job.

[impala59]

Thanks Gentlemen I will try another trawl of ebay, didn't have a lot of luk yesterday

 

Have you thought of using the traditional buffalo horn? If you really want ebony I have obtained it off fleabay!!

Where would I get such a thing? what is it like to work?

 

Have a look for ebony knife scales - a pair of large scales would do the job.

Excuse my ignorance.....what are knife scales?

[impala59]

OK so maybe I was searching in the wrong place! ebony blanks got me some decent hits and I've bought a bit which will probably do about 6 guns (or one and 5 attempts)

thanks all R

[Old farrier]

OK so maybe I was searching in the wrong place! ebony blanks got me some decent hits and I've bought a bit which will probably do about 6 guns (or one and 5 attempts)

thanks all R

Please be cautious !!!!

Ebony dust particles at harmful to your health carsonagenic

Face mask would be advised 😊

 

look forward to the finished job

All the best

Of

[impala59]

Please be cautious !!!!

Ebony dust particles at harmful to your health carsonagenic

Face mask would be advised

 

look forward to the finished job

All the best

Of

 

Roger that! Understood, many thanks for warning

Edited June 6, 2016 by impala59

[impala59]

Have a look for ebony knife scales - a pair of large scales would do the job.

 

Ok so a bit more research and I understand knife scales now, and so many to choose from also. Just goes to show I should have come to PW first, won't make that mistake again!

[impala59]

Have you thought of using the traditional buffalo horn? If you really want ebony I have obtained it off fleabay!!

 

A little more research and I bought a small piece of buffalo horn just to try out, why not?

[demonwolf444]

Buffalo horn is beautiful for but plates and grip caps if your looking for something to go to a high gloss buffalo horn is the stuff, the bits I use are blocks from a walking stick crafts supplier I forget the name! Some buffalo horn is plain black, other bits sometimes have delicate white training running through them and can be uniquely bueutifull, when joining would re come d good prep of both surfaces with acetone a swell as doweling either using wood or threaded bar sometimes pieces can be stubborn to glue alone due to high oil content though this seems to vary from piece to piece from my experience

[johnphilip]

Buffalo horn is beautiful for but plates and grip caps if your looking for something to go to a high gloss buffalo horn is the stuff, the bits I use are blocks from a walking stick crafts supplier I forget the name! Some buffalo horn is plain black, other bits sometimes have delicate white training running through them and can be uniquely bueutifull, when joining would re come d good prep of both surfaces with acetone a swell as doweling either using wood or threaded bar sometimes pieces can be stubborn to glue alone due to high oil content though this seems to vary from piece to piece from my experience

 

Were you thinking " highland horn" that is were i get all my walking stick bits from. Wow that stuff is strong i had a piece cut for making a thumb stick. It was not straight enoungh, so i had it in a pan of boiling water for over an hour, grabbed it and straight in the vice a 8 inch cast vice. Was getting nowere with turning the handle on the vice. desided to put a heavey tube on the vice handle, thinking this will sort the horn, bingo the vice front plate snapped :-):-):-). That stick is sat in a corner of my shed unfinished, i keep giving it a dirty look :-)

[Mr. Merkel]

Hi Impala59

If you are still looking for some ebony these people supply some nice knife scales

http://www.exotichardwoodsukltd.com/page72/rapidcart-53/

 

All the best

Tim

[impala59]

Thanks Mr M, I got a nice piece from the e site, it is beautiful wood and I am looking forward to working it. I have saved the link though, who knows what may come next?

[Mr.C]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I could probably sourced you some Grenadilla otherwise known as african blackwood. Its what they make clarinets out of. Ebonite would also make a good alternative, it polishes up black and is waterproof.

[ditchman]

also keep you eye out at sales and car boot sales for the rubbish carvings that are brought back from african holidays.....some might be good quality ebony ...some might have yellow streaks running thro it and some might not be ebony at all but a very very hard hardwood that has been blacked up with boot polish..............