Woods of Colombia?

Escape Artist says on Jan 14, 2009, 13:10:

Thanks in advance for your help!

EA

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dwmte7 says on Jan 14, 2009, 13:40:

FUCKING COMPUTERS/TECHNOLOGY.....

i just finished writing a very length reply to your quiry and the damn computer up and fucking erased it. i have to take the mrs to the store, will re-write later. sorry. ()*&*&%&^%%^#$#$ at #$ at !

d

patriarch

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Mononoke28 says on Jan 14, 2009, 13:41:

The computer erased it or you pushed the wrong button? =D

Diana

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 14, 2009, 13:42:

dwmte7 says on Jan 14, 2009, 15:46:

diana.......shhhhhhhh

e artist. ok, once again.
there's a book in spanish on woods of colombia. a friend of mine, a phd working for the dept of forestry in colombia (??) who spoke of it. i don't know it's name but you can call my friend, carlos enrique (kike') mejia in poblado and ask him. tell him douglas martin said hello to he and his wife. tel: (tienda) 311-3145 or 311--3377. his wife's name is monica. he is a mfg of the finest furnishings in colombia. some of the finest in the world. visit his showroom. you might ask if you can visit his taller in el retiro.

comino. there's two types, comino crespo (the root ball) truly one of the most beautiful woods in the world. some friends had an escaparate in crespo and sold it in poblado in 93 for $22,000.00. not bad, eh? it's featured in the book artifactos (highly recommended) the other is comino corriente'. this is probably the most common wood found in rural antioquian antiques. once dry, it's literally hard as a rock. it is nevessary to pre drill the wood to nail or put in screws or it will shatter like a rock. if one is in to antiquities, look for those produced by the rural ebanistas in comino. i suggest my friends in llanogrande in centro comercio gualanday, mauricio and mario. very good old friends and you can really deal with them. tell them hello if you go there.

the rare woods in colombia are 1) guayacan. very expensive, hard, rot resistant and durable. you can see the guayacan trees in the forest above the canopy, they have those beautiful, unmistakable, brilliant yellow flowers. 2) teka (teak) grown along the coast and used primarily in marine applications. it is not indigenous to colombia. 3) cedro negro (rare) when finished, it's very dark. then you have cedro rojo which is found in variying qualities. exposure will help you determine the quality. remember, cedro is mahogony. the lowest quality is guino...it's from young trees and has a great deal of poor grain blonde streaks throughout. this is used by the ebanistas around rural antioquia. as mentioned, there's roble (oak). it has an odd grain for oak and is hard and durable.

another rare wood, used primarily for floors and the inventive wood artists. it's called 'nazarino' or 'sangria de cristo'. in english it's called purple heart. it's very reasonable there and very strong.

the pine in colombia is amazing...tough as nails when air dried and retains it's weight, vis a vis kiln dried woods. i might add that one should avoid at all costs, kiln dried woods. all of the resins are baked out and they become doubly succeptable to insect infestation. if you have/suffer the proverbial plague of termite and other bug infestation in your furniture, i recommend a bath in gasoline. soak the bottom of the feet in gas as well. this makes the wood nasty to taste and they'll stay away.

as for finishing your furnishings, avoid using shellac (sellador) varnish (varnise) or any of a host of other polimers. use only linseed oil (avete linasa) or much more preferable tong oil as it's is poison to infestors. whereas linasa is kind of yummy. after using your base oil, diluted three parts gasoline to one part linasa or tong, apply and allow to dry for 3-7 days. be sure and wipe down after application so any excess doesn't become gummy. after drying, apply again, wipe and let dry. then, you can buy a colombian wax, beisbol. it's surprisingly good and easy to work with. they even make it in red for nazarino. apply a couple of times and let harden and you'll have a finish like glass. by using these natural finishes, you never need to refinish. simply apply a little more oil and wax and you're good to go.

if any of you are restoring antiques, DO NOT USE BROKEN GLASS OR SANDPAPER TO STRIP THE OLD FINISH. this is what colombians do and a hundred years of patina is now on the floor and the wood is like new. buy yourself a gallon of pentuco's 'removador'. it's not really cheap, but you save the life of your antique. avoid anything that will scratch the surface of the wood, as above said, it destroys the patina.

we restored 100's of antiques and shipped them to our store in los angeles (BH) and did amazingly well with them. but when i restored them, i did it the old fashion way...the right way. all the dealers in medellin were invious of my antiques and many wanted to buy them. i never sold anything in colombia as i didn't want to deal with the permits and licenses. they were all exported.

if i can help you with anything else, feel free to pm me or e me at dwmte7 at yahoo.com and i'll gladly share what and who i know.

we made a set of six bar stools in comino crespo and nazarino for a client in sante fe new mexico for $6,000.00...not bad, eh? they were made by my finest ebanista, by far. he even made violins and guitars.....unfortunately, he was a guaro-holic. every time i gave him money, he was drunk for a week. it took me a year to make those bar stools. then, because he was drunk, the stools didn't make the shipment and i flew them on the plane, accompanied baggage for $800.00 the prick.

d

patriarch

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dwmte7 says on Jan 14, 2009, 15:54:

i forgot, you can see all these woods and more in the bodegas de madera in barrio triste. mind you, triste is a tough place and unpleasant, but that's where you go to buy wood, cheap and in quantity. spend several days just hanging out...don't wear jewelery. just look funky. get to know the different dealers, look at all the woods, pick their brains to answer your questions regarding this or that wood and the verious qualities. very educational. you can also spend days, starting in sabaneta, then caldas, primavera, amaga all to the south, visiting th tallers of various ebanistas. DON'T BUY ANYTHING....educate yourself first. then go to el retiro, maranilla, la ceja (if you can stomach the place...that shit family castano is from there) then rio negro, carmen de viboral and llano grande. don't just look for places you can find along the street, ask folks for the hidden away places. you'll never regret the education.

douglas

patriarch

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Cheers Terry says on Jan 14, 2009, 16:03:

Killer post, Douglas.

Cheers,
Terry

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 14, 2009, 16:09:

Escape Artist says on Jan 14, 2009, 16:20:

Thank you one and all especially Mr. Martin. I knew based upon his numerous comments here on pbh he would have the answer.

The big reason for my question was soley to find out if there was an English name for the wood comino mainly because I'm having all of my kitchen cabinetry made from this beautiful hard wood. I'm also having some roble wood used as the base boards and most of the doors.

I didn't much care for the triply doors which come standard in many of the buildings being constructed so I started gathering information of other types of woods available and found I really liked the wood comino and as things usually go for me it turned out to be one of the more expensive woods. Oh well, I got what I wanted and it will look great when finished.

Thanks again for all the information and the tips on what to use and not use when it comes to finishes.

EA

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Escape Artist says on Jan 14, 2009, 17:35:

See pages 197-199

http://books.google.com/books?id=OSJXAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq="c... wood"&source=bl&ots=2Sy6SnDmy-&sig=8mllhUaHWQeJ5-9UUk9rwWLa74I&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPA197,M1

http://aprendeenlinea.udea.edu.co/ova/?q=node/527

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniba_perutilis

EA

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Beachbros (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 14, 2009, 20:14:

miamimike says on Jan 15, 2009, 04:09:

What is the most sought after Firewood in Colombia? I know many burn just about anything but what's considered the best? Here in the states many consider Ash to be the best as far as BTUs per weight.


By far the greenest and most sustainable way to heat ones home is to burn logs. Ideally they will be sourced from a local supplier and have been stored under cover for as long as to years. This will prevent chimney fires and ensure one gets maximum heat out of the log.

Hard wood logs are slower burning than softwood logs and better for open fires

Here is a poem about logs and their burning qualities!

WOOD HEAT


Beech wood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Chestnuts only good, they say
If for long its laid away.
But ash wood new or ash wood old
Is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last.
Is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould -
Even the very flames are cold;
But ash wood green and ash wood brown
Is fit for a queen with a golden crown.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room
With an incense like perfume.
Oaken logs if dry and old
Keep away the winter cold.
But ash wood wet and ash wood dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.

Oak logs will warm you well,
If they're warm and dry.
Larch logs of pine wood smell
But sparks will fly.
Beech logs for Christmas time;
Yew logs heat well.
Scotch logs its a crime
For anyone to sell.
Birch logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all.
Hawthorn logs are good to last,
If cut in the fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green.
Elm logs like smouldering flax;
No flames to be seen.
Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room.
Cherry logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.
But ash logs all smooth and gray,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come you way,
They're worth their weight in gold.


From Tree farm by John Estabrook

Building with Wood

It is becoming more and more common for people to build in wood. Ideally one wants to use locally sourced oak or sweet chesnut for the main frame and then to use other more decorative woods on the inside. Oak is excellent for weather boarding and shingles if one wants to build the whole house out of wood.


Copyright © 2006 Treesurgery.com, all rights reserved

http://forestry.about.com/b/2008/10/29/what-wood-burns-the-best.htm

No hay Peor Ciego que el que no quiere Ver o Sordo que el que no quiera Oir--Soy Yo, Sarah Palin, Wasilla Alaska.

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Beachbros (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 15, 2009, 04:52:

dwmte7 says on Jan 15, 2009, 06:01:

i have no idea what damn button i'm hitting, it just erased my work again...*()&*(&^*^&%&%^$%#
worse, i can't recall it.

i was responding to a number of my detractors above.

here we go again. if it erases again(i'm on my daughter's computer as my laptop is in the shop for service) i'm simply gonna say fuck it and you guys are on your own. sorry.

acapulco....you're right, i just thought i'd pull every body's leg, waste their time and shoot a load of bullshit out there for all to consume.

beach bros...there's tons of woods in colombia I'M NOT familiar with. have no clue about and never saw nor used.

as for the ventanas. do not use a soft wood. use comino. even if it's new. tinted oil will bring the hue back. that's what's used throughout colombia in the antique and even new ventanas. if you check in the depositos de demolitions, you can find antique ones, possibly sizes you can use. i should point out that stripping antique ventanas is the bitch of bitches. it takes a whole lot of time and work. getting out those old screws...()*&^&^%$ they're all rusted in place and it's a labor of love. since you have such a monumental project on your hands, i'd recommend you a crew of 3 or more guys or gals to work continuously on it as it's a long project. personally, i recommend for antiques, ladies, as they do what you tell them to do and not what their grandfather or neighbor told them. they learn rapidly and work hard. forget trying to find experienced ones...just help them learn and you'll not regret it. at our property in poblado, where i restored all our antiques to be exported back to our stores, i used women exclusively. what a difference. they were courteous, serious and thankful. the one guy i hired...ended up being a fuck off and i had to shit can him within a month. he some how got it in his head that he was the darling of the ladies and ended up wasting my time and money.

as for refinishing, there's a technique which was brought from spain, centuries ago, using shellac (sellador) or varnish (varnise), called 'tappon'....the shellac is applied to the raw wood with a cotton ball and rubbed and rubbed until the varnise is dry. it takes F O R E V E R. but the finished product is like glass.

and a problem which the restorers there have is they're not willing to do things right, ever. they'll apply the tapon over rough, raspy surfaces, defeating the whole purpose.

i still say to my detractors above after producing more than 500 furnishings, avoid sandpaper, rasps/limas, broken glass, to remove old surfaces. use chemicals and steel wool. as using these techniques, tools destroys the patina which took a long time to produce. avoid varnishes and shellac or polymers as if one of these scratches/mars or gets moisture under nieth, you can start all over again. with oil and wax. you simply rub down with steel wool and re oil and re wax...listo.

one note about using steel wool. if you are working on raw unoiled wood, avoid moisture at all costs, as the hairs of the steel wool will leave freckles of oxidation. nota bene once there's oil on the surface, no problem.

as for barrio triste, think about it as you may, in the late 80's and early 90's i used a body guard while working down there. once while down there getting woods with my father and brother, one of the workers was killed right in front of us. nuff said. poblado it aint. so, if you like the place, go ahead on, hang out there. it's like nikitau. that's where our bronce foundry was, another shit hole of violence. both constitute the worst of medellin's inner city.

hope that covers most, as i'm afraid my unfamiliarity with this computer might erase again.

douglas

patriarch

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dwmte7 says on Jan 15, 2009, 07:13:

that's alright...he's ok too. remember, we're all on this 'good ship lollipop', together. might as well get along.

d

patriarch

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 15, 2009, 09:40:

dwmte7 says on Jan 15, 2009, 10:16:

atrivido...sorry about that, i looked back and didn't see the reference....refresh my memory?

i'm not familiar with 'aniba' ???

douglas

patriarch

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Lowell says on Jan 15, 2009, 11:13:

dw, I got tired of losing material too. Now most of the time I write my material on word, saving it every few minutes and then copy and paste. Last month I lost a great letter I was writing to my sister. The recreation is never the same.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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Desi1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jan 15, 2009, 11:36:

I thought the only kind of wood growing in Colombia was madera de palo. Every time I asked somebody what kind of wood is this or that the answer was "palo".

Black ceder tree and Caquetá ceder tree are common woods used by carpenters making furniture and cabinets.

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 15, 2009, 13:48:

Escape Artist says on Jan 15, 2009, 16:44:

Atrevido: Does this answer your question?

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniba_perutilis

EA

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Atrevido (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 15, 2009, 17:30:

dwmte7 says on Jan 17, 2009, 09:18:

atrevido, can't walk down the 'genus' road with you, as all i did was use the 'comino' sold in the bodegas and it was either 'comino crespo' or 'comino coriente'. listo. sorry i'm so dumb on the subject, it never occured to me that there was more than one kind.

escape artist....knowing all this as you do, why did you ask in the first place? i'm feeling dumb right about now.

douglas

patriarch

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Escape Artist says on Jan 17, 2009, 09:28:

douglas: Dumb you are not! My knowledge came only after reading all of the above comments along with digging deeper into my research on the subject.

Thank you again for the wealth of knowledge you shared on this post and many others you so passionately share with us newbies.

EA

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