I got deep into exotic wood a few years ago.
I have worked almost exclusively with Lignum Vitae since then,
although I also like other spectacular woods.

I want to replace some of that veneered wood in our cars with solid wood.

Is it true that some of the newer cars actually have synthetic wood trim?
That seems like a good candidate to try and refit with the real thing.
Save the old part for 'originality' sake but make it much nicer.

A fascinating species is African Leadwood...
I thought Lignum Vitae was hard ... and it is listed highest on the Mohs scale, at over 4000...
but African Leadwood is like working with Granite.

Second place on the hardness scale is Ipe and then Cumaru, which are similar.
I got a lot of Cumaru last year. It is also called Brazilian Teak.
Not to be confused with the traditional Teak, which is about 1000 on the scale.
Oak is also around 1000.

The hardness test simply involves pressing a stainless steel ball of 1/2" in diameter
half the way into the side of a piece of wood.
Balsa would rate about a 50, because that's all the pressure it would require.


All the woods I've mentioned sink like a rock.


I'd like to also try some solid burls.
A chunk of Snakewood would make a dazzling gearshift knob.
I have a gorgeous big slab of Amboyna Burl that would also work.
It looks very similar to this piece.



That stuff is pretty flamboyant.
A subtle, deeper, more elegant touch could be had by using Black Walnut Burl.


Of course, if I want to be able to create duplicate pieces for MB's...
It might be best for me to buy a 113... and an SL .... etc. etc.

Got any ideas where we could use this type of modification, to good advantage?

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'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

man, that sounds like a lot of work to properly shape little fillets of wood to fit...although I understand Ipe is great decking material if you can afford it...wears like iron. I don't suppose you want to help me build a deck?!

__________________
2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

Uhh...Nice wood.

Does it really matter how hard the wood is? Is this to ensure lack of warping? There are some very interesting woods out there...I once got a catalog by accident, and was impressed by the different colors and patterns.
Did Benz use veneer just because it was cheaper than a stick of wood, or is there some other reason?

I not so much interested for my E420 or the 300D....mainly my curiosity is for the 280SE (windshield bow, and window trim).

-Larry

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

When they needed to repair the Atlantic City Boardwalk, 25 years ago,
they chose Ipe and Cumaru.

I built a rail with Cumaru last year and have since discovered that the Keys sun warps it.
I guess they don't have the tropical intensity in New Jersey?

It's pretty thick stuff and I'm about to reshape it, now that it's done warping.

Yes, it will be a lot of work to fit this hard stuff into a car.
A benefit of these intense woods, is that you can go all the way down to 2500 grit,
with woods that have grain this fine.
The wood becomes highly polished and just a little beeswax makes a very deep shine.


I made a stand for a giant clam shell that is used indoors and it's great for that.

__________________
'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

I see what you mean.
That is some carpentry!



I would imagine that we have evolved to synthetic wood grain
because of the craftsmanship needed to create something like that?
As if the dash isn't enough, they've got a lot of work along the windshield too.

I'd like to see it in a Black Walnut Burl!
This project would involve pieces a bit larger than my usual work:
http://surfpick.com

You'd have to charge thousands today, to do something like that.
Might be worth thousands though, in the perfect car?

__________________
'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

Is there anyone or place that offers the wood in the black color similar to the 1999 S500 GRAND EDITION
I would love to get a whole new replacement in that color for mine.

I have a bunch of Black Walnut if anyone needs it.
Maybe enough to do 500 cars or so.

I worked on a deck made out of IPE last year. My god that stuff is like iron! You could almost polish it with 80 grit paper on an orbital sander.

If you look at wood MB used it is backed with aluminum. I think they did this to save weight?

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Anyone familiar with this wood? It is also known as Osage orange and Hedgeapple. It is a very nice lemon yellow color when first sawed into planks and turns to a very rich brown with weathering. I have a cheese block I made from it and a friend fashioned us a nick-nack shelf that almost rings like steel when struck with a knuckle or mallet. The old folks made single trees for their horses and mules to pull things with & a fence post of "bodock" as they call it here will last practically forever....

This tree is the one with the big, bumpy, round, green, milky sap balls that folklore says will repel roaches.

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Jim

'49 170?(donated to church in Darmstadt '58)
'58 220S(crusher, after '73 fire[San Antonio])
'72 280SE 4.5
'77 240D
'81 300SD
'83 240D parts car

Where do you get exotic wood like this? Beech is the most exotic thing you'll find at any Home Despot. I'm actually looking around for some Zebrano veneer to make a gauge panel, but it might be fun to play around with some other neat wood.. A shifter knob sounds like it would be a tricky, but fun project...

peace,
sam

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"That f***in' biodiesel is makin' me hungry."

1982 300TD Astral Silver w/ 250k (BIO BNZ)
2001 Aprilia SR50 Corsa Red w/ 5.5k (>100 MPG)

If you want to trash a chain saw blade, find a Bois 'd arc tree. I have several, and have to keep the limbs trimmed back constantly. I have an old shovel my grandfather made with a "bordark" handle. Smooth as silk and hard as a rock. Alot of older houses stand on bois 'd arc peers.

**Mozilla NEEDS a spellchecker!!!**

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

use the internet you can find anything. i bet a cnc mill would make a nice shifter knob all youve got to do is sand it to make it smooth and put the hole in it to go over the rod

I'd probably use a heavily burled piece.
The clear stuff makes gorgeous picture frames though.

I am also going to try using veneer on some car trim.
I have some 12" squares of stuff more intense than this:



I want to get an SL and display that dark Black Walnut Burl against a Cream interior.
That will be killer!
It will fit well too, because they used burl on a lot of the SL's.

Does the pattern in that wood look like a Monkey to you?
The bookmatching effect is hypnotic when you have highly figured wood.


You can also get Zebrano veneer on eBay...
but my motivation is to have something much nicer than the Zebrano.

__________________
'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

i wanted to do burlwood in my 300D then someone said it wouldnt look right.. but id kill for some burlwood

Yeah, rule number 8 ... ya gotta trust yourself.

No great ideas ever came out of 'doing what everyone else is doing'.


I know this thread could fit in a broader area than just 'Diesel'...
but you are the people with whom I am accustomed to communicating.
If we come up with something worthwhile, it will find it's way to others naturally.

If you can make it here, you can make it anywheer.
Diesel Uber Alles

__________________
'87 300SDL

dieselbenz