Lancewood - uses?

[bruce d]

I have just impulse-purchased a length of lancewood because I understand it is desirable for masts and spars. Then the questions began to bubble to the surface.

(A) Is that correct, it is good for masts and spars?

(B) What is the quality that makes it better in that application? 

(C) Does it have any pros & cons I should know about?

 

My piece was obtained from a luthiers' supplier and I believe is sapwood. The application I have in mind is masts and spars, possibly cap rails? and the masts will have an octagonal section visible.

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

[vaddoc]

Wood data base suggests it would be the perfect substitute for boxwood so it must be great for modelling, suitable for pretty much all uses.

Lancewood | The Wood Database (Hardwood) (wood-database.com)

 

[Jaager]

The books covering "how to" for ship modeling from before 1970 list Lancewood as one of the preferred species for spars.  Another species is Degame.   I do not recall Buxus simpervirens (Boxwood) being listed as being especially favored for spars.   For Lancewood and Degame,  splitting spar stock out of the plank along the grain would be the way to help prevent any bending or dog leg crooks over time. 

 

For any part of a hull, any of the three would be a superior species,  if POF is the method under discussion.  The problem being that all three have been all but impossible to obtain for about 70 years or so.   I suspect that even if Lancewood was available as 4x4 or 8x4 stock, the cost for 10-20 BF needed for frames, clamps, hooks, and beams would be a bit prohibitive.   But, I wonder if this new post Covid economy is going to affect most other species to drive the price up?  Now may be similarly seen as a golden age of missed opportunity for even our more limited choices when viewed from a time not all that far into the future?

 

 

[bruce d]

13 minutes ago, Jaager said:

The problem being that all three have been all but impossible to obtain for about 70 years or so.

I am lucky enough to have Timberline a few miles away. They have lancewood, lime, English lime and Castello on the shelf plus plenty of others. 

I didn't have the opportunity to discuss their sources in detail but know from the past that they only deal in 'legit' wood. 

Back to lancewood, thanks Vaddoc, I find the wood database to be compulsive reading 👍. It mentioned good turning properties but in this hobby we all know there is always more to the story. 

Thanks 

Bruce