making a Black sea fiddle, out of wengi

[Jack Campin - bogus address]

With English subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPz9JRsK3dw

Wacky video style - the workshop processes are speeded up to match
the pace of Black Sea fiddle music.

I've never seen one of these made of a wood that colour, it seems
to be a new idea. From the video it sounds like it works very well.
Now what the heck IS wengi?

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === <http://www.campin.me.uk> ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts
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[David Hajicek]

Wengi is an African wood that is now on the market. Dark brown and about
the same density as Rosewood. The stuff I got from my lumber yard is good
quality, but not as interesting looking as most Rosewoods.

Dave Hajicek

"Jack Campin - bogus address" <bo...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bogus-A43FA6....@news.albasani.net...

[Steve]

David Hajicek wrote:
> Wengi is an African wood that is now on the market. Dark brown and about
> the same density as Rosewood. The stuff I got from my lumber yard is good
> quality, but not as interesting looking as most Rosewoods.
>
> Dave Hajicek
>

I've used Wenge a couple of times for fingerboards. I think it's
heavier than East Indian rosewood, and it's extremely splintery! I'm
making a neck for a 4-string bass out of the stuff right now, and I got
about 3 splinters in my hands from handling the thing.

It's almost black with tan or brown stripes - typically very
fine-grained and usually comes quartersawn, which is nice for
Fender-style necks. Costs about $16 per board foot in my neck of the
woods - near Sacramento CA. The 40" x 7" x 1" piece cost me $36 - just
bought it yesterday.

Here's a link to a description:

http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/wengeinfo.htm

--Steve in Roseville

[David Hajicek]

"Steve" <sm...@sureNOSPAMwest.net> wrote in message
news:90a30$4aee4775$453ed4ce$22...@EVERESTKC.NET...

That's the stuff. But mine is quarter sawn so it looks different than the
picture.

That link comments about the toxicity of Wengi. That's a good thing to
know. Actually, we should treat all woods as toxic.

Dave Hajicek

[Steve]

David Hajicek wrote:

>
> That's the stuff. But mine is quarter sawn so it looks different than the
> picture.
>
> That link comments about the toxicity of Wengi. That's a good thing to
> know. Actually, we should treat all woods as toxic.
>
> Dave Hajicek
>
>

The piece I got for the bass neck is quarter-sawn too - most of the
pieces I looked at were. It just seems to come that way mostly. It's
hard and heavy, but the splinters are a pain in the butt (well, mostly
the hands, actually).

I have another piece a customer sent me - I'm supposed to build him a
neck-through SG from it. The piece is 9" W x 2" thick x 42" long - he
said it cost him about $140 I think. It's quartersawn along one edge,
but almost flatsawn at the other.

--Steve in Roseville