EOD...

Check out Mexican Bocote.  ( & not Guatemala Bocote).

Orange agate is a beautiful and relatively unknown hardwood, (read it has not gone through the roof yet).

Amazon has sellers listed that will sell specific woods that they display. 

You can find many sellers on the net.  But it is way better to check out the samples for sale at a wood tool store, like 'woodcraft'  and 'Rockler'.

The compound respirators can be bought at a large hardware store or safety supply store.

Incidentally the Argentinian wood called  Quebracho  is Spanish for "axe breaker" .

SLAG. 

Ever thought of checking to see if EMRTC is hiring?   (Of course that brings up a story once told to me by my sociology teacher who said he was once signing up for unemployment and the guy in front of him was just out of the service.  The interviewer asked him what his service job was and he replied "atomic bomb handler" and the Interviewer asked---have you looked for civilian work in your field?")

53 minutes ago, EODGunner said:

Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Been a tech now for the past... 12 years,

So if I see you running try to keep up?

Frosty The Lucky.

Thomas,

"Atomic bomb handler"?

I hear that North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan are looking.

Please pass that information along.

Thank you,

SLAG.

ahhh that was in the early 1970's....I had similar thoughts but suspected that though the pay might be good the retirement plans wouldn't be...

T. P.,

You probably would not make it to the age where retirement monies would kick in.

Another profession is strongly advised.

SLAG.

People ask me about the running a lot... I've suggested that if I'm running, you run in a perpendicular direction to me. That guarantees you're running away. Never know if I'm running to or from the incident ;-).

As far as the hardwoods goes, I'm looking for something dark / black or black with darker highlights. Black palm might also be added to my list of "Research and test"

Great to hear about the charcoal filters. I'll definitely have to invest in a good set. Though the more I delve into this, the more I feel ill have to kick the wife's vehicle out of the garage so I have enough room! Can't wait to start purchasing stuff in a year and a half.

7 hours ago, EODGunner said:

As far as the hardwoods goes, I'm looking for something dark / black or black with darker highlights

If you want a dark finish, one option is to use one of the traditional handle woods (ash, hickory) and lightly char the outer surface. Finish with a light coat of oil and/or wax.

For example, here's one of my hammers with a charred ash handle, finished with a coat of my usual beeswax/tung oil/turpentine mix:

If you apply the oil/wax/turps while the wood is still hot from the charring, it soaks into the pores really well. Remember, you don't want too slick a surface, because you'll give yourself blisters and you'll be stressing your hammer hand & arm from having to hold on tighter.

Lots of recipes out in the wood world for "ebonizing" woods.

Another idea I’ve had is laminated bamboo. Very tough and flexible. 

Mr. E.O.D.,

Another way to darken,  (blacken) wood is to treat the wood with an aniline dye. 

Wood-worker stores carry it in powder form.

SLAG.

Thank you all for the input. Got a few more things to research, luckily I got plenty of time before I start to assemble my... well everything.

I will put my 2 cents in, I have a lot of ball peins, and I started taking a liking to an older 3 pounder, but needed a smaller hammer for lighter work around the place so I dug up an old 1 pounder that didn't have a handle. I was in a fix and had no access to a lathe or any hardwood, so I got an old pallet, (you know the kind they use to haul xxxx around with), and I broke out a foot long piece and started to shape the handle to the head very roughly and just sort of well, pounded it into the eye and I couldn't remove it, so I left it in there, this was about 2 years ago, the head hasn't flown off yet and the handle is still rough as guts, but the hammer works well and the handle hasn't cracked yet, so im happy. this is just a cheap pine wood btw.

KLO,

In North America,  pallets are usually made of hardwood.

And, your use of a piece of it was a good move.  Indeed,  the handle has served you well.

Regards,

SLAG.

Pallets for heavy loads are generally hardwood; lots of light duty stuff that looks to be softwood here too and then there are the ones that get shipped here made from tropical woods...

I once framed a shop addition roof using 4"x4"x12' Pallet timbers the sign shop across the alleyway got their steel and plastic delivered on. Sheetrock pallets also tend to be strong.   (And then there are dunnage timbers...)

Mr. T. P.,

Thanks for your information, it adds valuable information to the thread.

Soft wood lumber does not hold up well as pallets for heavy or bulky cargo. Their compressive and tensile strength is not up to the job.

A propos tropical woods, 

About 25 years ago,  Kawasaki was shipping their motorcycles in Philippine lauan wood. That wood is highly desirable. 

And some woodworkers salvaged, some superb wood.

But that was  long ago.

SLAG.

I have seen a few pallets made out of purple heart and a few made from an orange colored wood (I know the name but it escapes me at the moment). Sadly I wasn't able to snag any of them. Awesome thread btw

Osage orange?

SLAG.

No we have plenty of that growing around here. It is a pain to mill though. We call it bois d'arc (bodark) around here. This stuff is actually orange colored. I will see if I can look it up and I will let yall know

Padouk is the name of it.african wood. Starts out orange then dulls to a darker brown. Kinda like bodark starts out highlighter yellow then goes brown with age.

You might want to get some persimmon wood.  It is related to ebony and usually has dark heartwood and IME interesting figure.  I’ve never seen it commercially available but local tree trimmers occasionally run into some.  I personally love pecan wood!  It’s in the hickory family and truly tough with beautiful colors and figures!

(and I can see several hundred acres of Pecan Orchards from my front porch...)

On 9/7/2018 at 12:35 PM, SLAG said:

In North America,  pallets are usually made of hardwood. And, your use of a piece of it was a good move.

ah yes I assumed it was pine because of being so cheap and being treated, but as you say the wood could be hardwood, it was used to carry animal feed. that I recall I didn't put a wedge in it and just soaked the head in oil.

On 8/13/2018 at 6:09 AM, JHCC said:

For example, here's one of my hammers with a charred ash handle

I've been seeing alot of these charred handles as I roam the libraries of IFI, and it has me wandering. When charring a handle, is the goal to fire harden the handle like you would a wooden spear tip, or is it just for the looks?

I personally do it to help smooth out the surface. 

I'm a function over form kinda guy, so I wasn't seeing a purpose besides aesthetics for the blackening of a handle until your answer. I do like the look though, and I learned as a line cook that form IS a function (you eat with your eyes before your mouth). I guess after I get more experience with different handle shapes and sizes I will have to char one or two so I can see if I like the feel of them better than a 'raw' handle