How easy is wenge to work with. Thinking of doing a riser out of it. Thanks, Don
I've been thinking about using it for a riser too. I've heard that the grain is pretty rough,so you need to use a lot of grain filler before finishing.
Looking forward to what others say on this topic.
Ive ised wenge on a few tips and a handle overlay. The grain does tear more than pther woods. It only allows for working it one way. Sandpaper and fine files worked best imo. As far as finishing it, i used alot of finish before finally saying enough is enough. I never did get it to smooth out. I would say some type of grain filler would have fixed it. It looks good when finished.
I used wenge in a couple of risers with good results. As Jesweka mentioned, it requires extra filler. It will vary from piece to piece but tends to be a little brittle, expect to get a lot of slivers. After the first couple of risers I limited it to accent stripes. Overall it works, but for me there are better woods and materials to use.
I have read that splinters in fingers can cause infections, so better be careful. In PA some years ago they showed a bow were wenge was used as a belly laminate. Bue--.
After the batch I have is gone I wont be working with it again. It's beautiful but hard to finish.
Also as mentioned it is brittle and hard to sand when thin without it chipping.
It works pretty well for me with sandpaper as stated above. The only draw back is it takes a bunch of CA glue and then 4-5 finger rubbed coats of tru-oil after that to fill all the pores. It's worth it though. Very pretty wood but thats just my two cents worth.
Thanks guys, I might re-think it and go with something else like cocobolo. Don
i´ve built some risers out of wenge, for take-downs and onepieces. the grains very rough, with rasps it tends to splintering. i use ca-glue to fill the pores. i use rubber-gloves to apply the glue, then sand it and spray 2-3 coats of urethane on it.
cheers
imo there are prettier and easier woods to work with.
if you have some good pieces you don't want to waste and you're set on it for a riser then go for it. like others have said though, you can also limit it to accent stripes, overlays, tips, etc..