Custom Wood for your Espresso Machine - Page 81

#801: Post by **tr182md** » April 3rd, 2015, 1:59 am

I keep thinking I want one of these for my GS/3. But there are so many types of wood, how do you choose? You are doing amazing work!

April 3rd, 2015, 2:01 am

You want ironwood burl..no need to think further!

#803: Post by **Mark08859** » April 3rd, 2015, 9:53 am

That tamper handle is stunning!

#804: Post by **cmin** » April 3rd, 2015, 9:55 am

That Zebra wood looked so badass actually had me Googl'ing for ideas for kitchen if we buy this house (renting it) or another, even found some tile flooring that looks like Zebra.

April 4th, 2015, 9:56 pm

Ironwood burl is getting very, very difficult to find and the cost of the wood stock has gone up nearly 100% in the past year. What I use is American desert ironwood, it only grows in the desert southwest, you have to be licensed to harvest it, only dead-falls can be harvested (no live standing trees) they only grow to about 30 feet tall and take 700-1000 years to grow. It may get to the point I can no longer offer it simply because I cannot get blocks large enough. Regular desert ironwood I can get but the burl is nearly imposable to get now, FYI.

April 5th, 2015, 3:13 pm

Some Macassar ebony for a Bezzera Strega heading out of country.

April 12th, 2015, 7:10 pm

I have been sick most of the week so I did not get much accomplished. I did finally finish a couple of Bubinga portafilters.

April 22nd, 2015, 12:47 pm

I have been sick the past couple weeks, that has a tendency to slow you down. I did manage to get this cocobolo tamper handle finished and 8 sets of Ox horn straight razor handles. The cocobolo will deepen in colour over the coming days/weeks.

#809: Post by **Mark08859** » April 23rd, 2015, 10:04 am

Why would the color of the handle deepen? Is it due to exposure to air or the coating you put on it?

April 23rd, 2015, 2:48 pm

Air. Cocobolo is often purple when freshly turned. With exposure to air/light the oils oxidise and turn red. The longer the exposure the deeper the colour, within reason. There is a upper limit. That is common with all woods, the colour shifts/deepens with time. A finish will slow it, but it is never stopped unless you have a vacuum and absolute darkness. Nature marches on despite man's attempts to capture it under glass.