# Tagua Nuts?



## GreggR (Dec 28, 2006)

Hey, got a pen turning book for Christmas from the wife. It talks about using Tagua nuts for ivory-like inlays, segments, etc.

Can anyone speak to how soft or hard Tagua nuts are? Do they hold up to use - or wear faster than the hardwoods we use? 

The book talks about CA'ing them to chucked up wood dowels for turning purposes. Anyone know a reason not to just butt-glue them to a dowel for turning like the book suggests? What about supporting the opposite end with a live center?

Thoughts or advice?


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## BigRob777 (Dec 28, 2006)

Excellent question, to which I wish I had an answer.  Jimgo?  I think I recall you using them for CBs.  Then again, you never know with this memory of mine.
Rob


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## JimGo (Dec 28, 2006)

Yessir, that was me Rob.  I got the idea from others here.  Mine cracked, but it was an early attempt and I probably sanded them pretty agressively (and overheated them).  They turn very easily, probably somewhere around a walnut (wood) or so.  They are somewhat brittle.  Over all, I was pleased.  <br />


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## Dario (Dec 28, 2006)

I've seen a few mini turnings and a pen made with a couple Tagua nuts...very impressive.

I've read they last very long.  How long I am not sure.  My wife carved a few and it is much harder than any wood we use (that I know of).  That includes ironwoods.


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## bob393 (Dec 28, 2006)

Interesting thought.


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## arioux (Dec 28, 2006)

Hi,

Here are some links that migh give you some info


http://home.att.net/~rspragg/index.html
http://www.tamarindwoodturning.com/Tamarind Woodturning Demonstration.htm
http://www.woodturningontheweb.com/tagua.html
http://www.nedraspyrography.com/Tagua_Nuts.htm

Hope this can be of any help

Alfred


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## wood-of-1kind (Dec 28, 2006)

I've made a few pens (Sierra & designer) from tagua nuts. It finishes beatifully simply by sanding and MM. The material is hard but turns well with sharpened tools and gives off a pleasant aroma. All tagua nuts have large crater splits and the void must be filled in order to get good results. I used the nut shavings and CA to fill these gaps. A very good substitute material for ivory. I'll attach a pic soon as I can locate one in my pen album.
-Peter-




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## Russb (Dec 29, 2006)

I have done tagua nut vessls using small gouges on the outside and very small gouges or small scrapers on the inside. I find the turn easily but brittle. The worst problem is with catches on the irregular shape ripping it off the glue block. For making pen inlays they could be sliced on the bandsaw. The nuts have voids in the center caused from drying and shrinking so most of the material is on the outer portion of the nut. I was surprised to see that Peter was able to find enough nut to make a complete pen blank. Most available nuts measure betwee 1 1/2 and 2 in. Larger one are available for a price. They are probably harder than most woods so I would not wory about wear. When elephant ivory was banned tagua nut was used for buttons. I have turned them CA'c to a dowel held in a chuck. I prefer to double stick tape a piece of wood to a faceplate and CA the nut to the scrap block. Sorry for the turning lesson on a pen site, for inlays I would try slicing in different directions to see how much useful material in could get. Treeline is a source of tagua nut slices.


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## Pikebite (Dec 29, 2006)

I have tried pens from tagua nuts and uxi nuts. The tagua nuts I did were rubbish and I ended up using the nuts for centrebands. Uxi nuts looked much better but I only have a photo of one I did. Sorry about the photo - I know it is poor, but it was taken at a demo on a cheap digital camera. The uxi nut is the top pen!



<br />


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## DocRon (Dec 29, 2006)

I have not used these, but have read somewhere that it helps to soak them in water first before turning, in order to soften them up a bit. Not sure how one would glue them to a block after that.


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## Russb (Dec 29, 2006)

Pikebite, where do you get nuts large enough to make penblank....thanks.


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## Pikebite (Dec 29, 2006)

Russ - I got them from Craft Supplies UK. I had to search through several bags to find ones big enough.


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## GreggR (Dec 30, 2006)

Thanks everyone! Think I'll pick some up from my local shop and see how they turn.


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## TellicoTurning (Dec 31, 2006)

The original use of the Tagua nuts was as an alternative form of ivory for buttons.. I would guess they will hold up for a while.
They were in vogue until early in the century when the plastics were developed as replacement.


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