by caballoballo » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:42 pm
Mike they are made of Guayacan, scientific name is Lignum vitae which is a trade wood, also called Guayacan or in Europe known as pockenholz, from trees of the genus Guaiacum. This wood was once very important for applications requiring a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness and density.
Other names for lignum vitae include palo santo (Spanish for "holy wood") and greenheart; lignum vitae is also one of the numerous hard, dense woods referred to as ironwood.
Lignum vitae is hard and durable, and is also the densest wood traded; it will easily sink in water. On the Janka Scale of Hardness, which measures hardness of woods, lignum vitae ranks highest of the trade woods, with a Janka hardness of 4500 (compared with Hickory at 1820, red oak at 1290, and Yellow Pine at 690).
The Skins on youe El Piernas should be top ones, be aware that the macho skin could be a thick one, if it is,you should change it for a thinner one thus preventing wood cracking.
Last week as I mentioned 3A was down here promoting his products, he had a conga bag full of guiros maracas and campanas. Also he was showing his new Bongó art work, I called art work because the shells and the skins were painted with the same art. Skins look like the remo skin deep type. Very, very interesting but then I questioned,what about in the event of skin split ? how difficult would be to obtain the same pattern ? Because the problem we have with instruments made in Colombia is the shipping cost.
Josean