Macacauba (Maca Wood): Good for whistles?

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Thu May 20, 2004 10:37 pm

I've been playing with some macacauba wood lately, and really like it. It's fairly dense and quite resonant, and when finished has an iridescent quality to it, you can see different colors and different grain when the light hits it at different angles. The color is gorgeous, an amber/orange/reddish color.

Here are some bones I've made with macacauba, both finished and unfinished, along with the board they were cut from. The unfinished pair hasn't been sanded smooth yet, it darkens somewhat after that step. The finish is Tru-Oil, with no stain. Click for a larger image.

Is macacauba a good wood to make whistles from? Does it hold up to moisture well? Is Tru-Oil a reasonable finish for a whistle? I've tried Danish oil too, and it doesn't "glow" like the Tru-Oil. I was thinking of sending some of my wood to a maker to get a whistle or two made. The board is 1" thick. They probably also have more at the shop I got it from. Has anyone seen a whistle made of macacauba? What tonal qualities does it have for whistles?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Fri May 21, 2004 4:46 am

Pretty stuff! How grainy is it? Whistle wood needs to be pretty smooth grained. Woods like Oak or Walnut eg, are not good.
If you care to cut a 1x1x12" piece, I'd be happy to start it in my next batch of whistles to see how it works. BTW-- care to share your wood sources? I'm always looking for something new and interesting.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Fri May 21, 2004 5:06 pm

brewerpaul wrote:Pretty stuff! How grainy is it?

Quite smooth grain. I very well might send you a chunk to make a whistle out of. Maybe you'd like a spare 1x1x12" piece or two for yourself?

brewerpaul wrote:BTW-- care to share your wood sources? I'm always looking for something new and interesting.

I'll get back to you on that...I forget the name of the shop, it's nearby here (between San Jose and San Francisco), and they had quite a few exotic woods on display. I also got a good chunk of Madagascar Rosewood...that's some dense stuff! Some sapele too, it's nice, but not as resonant and musical as the maca, and it's a bit grainy.

Have you seen Macacauba before? I hadn't before running into it at the shop, but then I'm a "wood newbie." Next time I'm there, I'll take notes. I'm also planning on going to MacBeath Hardwood soon, they have two locations nearby.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:23 pm

Would Black Walnut make good whistles?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sat May 22, 2004 6:26 am

vomitbunny wrote:Would Black Walnut make good whistles?

It's pretty wood, but I don't think it wouldbe excellent for whistles. The grain is pretty open and porous. Might be worth a try though.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 3:36 pm

An update: I've sent BrewerPaul some Macacauba to make a whistle out of, he said he likes the look of it, so I can't wait to see how it'll turn out!

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 4:16 pm

BoneQuint wrote:An update: I've sent BrewerPaul some Macacauba to make a whistle out of, he said he likes the look of it, so I can't wait to see how it'll turn out!

He also sent me a pair of bones in partial trade for that whistle. They are real beauties. If anyone has any interest in playing the bones, you would do well to check out BoneQuint's

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 6:10 pm

brewerpaul wrote:
BoneQuint wrote:An update: I've sent BrewerPaul some Macacauba to make a whistle out of, he said he likes the look of it, so I can't wait to see how it'll turn out!
He also sent me a pair of bones in partial trade for that whistle. They are real beauties. If anyone has any interest in playing the bones, you would do well to check out BoneQuint's

Bring some to the SF paatay and you may well make some sales there BQ!!!! We are looking for some sort of percussion outlet at this time.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:15 am

BQ-- I turned and bored two pieces of that Maca last night, and it looks like it will make you a terrific whistle. Nice and hard, with a very smooth surface,even with no sanding. A great choice for someone who likes the look of Mahogany, which is not great for whistles due to it's porosity and graininess.

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:05 am

brewerpaul wrote:
vomitbunny wrote:Would Black Walnut make good whistles?
It's pretty wood, but I don't think it wouldbe excellent for whistles. The grain is pretty open and porous. Might be worth a try though.

As soon as you make your own low D?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 4:14 pm

[quote="Zubivka
As soon as you make your own low D?[/quote]

Don't hold your breath waiting for that one Zoobs

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:48 pm

brewerpaul wrote:
Zubivka wrote: As soon as you make your own low D?
Don't hold your breath waiting for that one Zoobs

OK, make one for ME then!!!

Or an alto F