There are a few woods that are common to Pacific Islands Most known is Koa, then I guess Monkey Pod (both part of the Acacia family) Kiawe (Kee-ah-vey Mesquite family though originally from South America) and there are others. One type is the Ohia (Part of the Myrtle family)
Ohia is about 30% harder than Rock Maple, but the graining has a lot of inconsistencies to it. Anyway, I got a piece from a acquaintance and really didn't have enough to do much with it. So I made it part of the miter square.
As you can see it has a similar color to Iroko (African teak), but it sands very differently. One thing I do not like about it, is it dusts up a lot whether you scrap or sand. It also is hard to cure and usually will twist when drying. But, it is nice when you have a decent piece.
If you ever Come to Hawaii and eat at the high end restaurant Merrimans their ornamental pillars are Ohia.
Thought I'd share ...
Ohia is about 30% harder than Rock Maple, but the graining has a lot of inconsistencies to it. Anyway, I got a piece from a acquaintance and really didn't have enough to do much with it. So I made it part of the miter square.
As you can see it has a similar color to Iroko (African teak), but it sands very differently. One thing I do not like about it, is it dusts up a lot whether you scrap or sand. It also is hard to cure and usually will twist when drying. But, it is nice when you have a decent piece.
If you ever Come to Hawaii and eat at the high end restaurant Merrimans their ornamental pillars are Ohia.
Thought I'd share ...