# Mysterious mango wood



## Dellacott (Jul 26, 2014)

Hi all. So I recently returned from Costa Rica and while I was there I picked up some (seemingly) very exotic looking mango wood. I got home, all excited to start making pens out of it, and I cut into it only to find that things weren't as they seemed. As you can see by the picture, the finished outside and the actual interior of the wood are VERY different. I was wondering if anybody has worked with mango wood before and encountered this, and if there is some sort of special finishing process that needs to be applied.


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## ken69912001 (Jul 26, 2014)

Try wetting down the cut area and see if it brings out the grain. Could be just a case of needing to be sanded and finished.


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## GaryMGg (Jul 26, 2014)

It may be that someone used several layers of finishing with various types of dyes to achieve the visual effect seen before you cut into it.

Below is a link to the Hobbit House URL for mango:
Mango ID photos


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## edstreet (Jul 26, 2014)

Mango, avocado, macadamia, among many other tropical woods are very good to work with and there is some diversity in there.

The section that you have does seem to be in that group.  However looking over your photo I am unable to see much of anything in the cut areas but I do see some texture on the outside 1/3 sections but none in the center. 

If you were to cut/sand the end grain area and one of the sides then put something like mineral oil on it then pattern should pop out very good.

I have included some shots of mango and avocado that I have worked with in the past.  I can say this, having doubts about the wood at this stage of the game is normal as this is not normal wood and it will surprise you greatly.  With finish they explode with color, vividness and contrast.  The lathe shots is mango as is the last 3 images.  First 3 is avocado.


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## Dan Hintz (Jul 26, 2014)

Maybe it's just me, but that looks like "faked" mango... similar to fake turquoise (chalc dipped in toilet bowl cleaner).  To go from beautiful grain on the outside to zero 1mm below the surface shows a likely dye job.  You could wet it, but it doesn't look like it will change anything.


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## ElMostro (Jul 26, 2014)

Dan Hintz said:


> Maybe it's just me, but that looks like "faked" mango... similar to fake turquoise (chalc dipped in toilet bowl cleaner).  To go from beautiful grain on the outside to zero 1mm below the surface shows a likely dye job.  You could wet it, but it doesn't look like it will change anything.


What he said.  It may be mango but the grain is likely nowhere near to what you see in the finished piece.


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## bedangerous (Jul 26, 2014)

Almost looks like a veneer.


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## edstreet (Jul 26, 2014)

Fake or not, cut a section off. sand it down smooth then put a finish on it. you will know very quickly if it's fake or not.


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## steve worcester (Aug 3, 2014)

Unless you paid an insane amount of dollars to obtain that wood, I can't see someone putting a veneer over the wood just to sell it.
And at this point, you own it, cut a piece and turn it. 
I think it may have had a finish over it to show the character of the wood (I hope) and when you turn it you will see it also.


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## Ratimus (Jan 6, 2015)

Whatever became of this? Looks like someone floated some drops of oil-based stain on water, swirled it up a little, then dipped the wood in it. (Here's a guy doing a similar thing with paint and a guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmSV2l6JFt0).


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## robutacion (Jan 7, 2015)

Dellacott said:


> Hi all. So I recently returned from Costa Rica and while I was there I picked up some (seemingly) very exotic looking mango wood. I got home, all excited to start making pens out of it, and I cut into it only to find that things weren't as they seemed. As you can see by the picture, the finished outside and the actual interior of the wood are VERY different. I was wondering if anybody has worked with mango wood before and encountered this, and if there is some sort of special finishing process that needs to be applied.



Mate, what you've got here, as far as I believe, is a very silly wood grain imitation that doesn't exist, made by using special paints on top of water surface, normally done in a large open container, and yes, the member above my post got it right, there are many videos showing how its done...!

I have attached the same pic with some notations...!

Now, let me ask you this;

Since when, any wood species have the same grain colour and pattern on the sapwood, heartwood and bark.

Tell me one wood species on this Earth that has the same grain colours and patterns on the face and end-grain...???

My observations are based upon what I see in the pic, if I'm wrong, I would like to be corrected..!



Why would anyone think in do such a thing, unless with the purpose of a joke or testing us..???

Very silly, indeed..!

What do you think...???

Cheers
George


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