M. zapota<\/i> is native to a wide swath of Latin America from Central America into South America and it is widely cultivated in the tropics and semi-tropics as a fruit tree rather than a lumber tree.<\/p>\n
For the sake of simplicity and common understanding I will refer to M. zapota<\/i> from here forward using the common name Zapote.<\/p>\nGeneral Characteristics:<\/h2>\n
The heartwood color of Zapote varies widely and my two examples prove this point. Heartwood colors seen in Zapote range from pink or red to a darker reddish brown. The sapwood is a pale yellow and it transitions gradually and is not clearly demarcated. Not surprisingly, as this is source of the chicle chewing gum base, gum pockets are commonly found in Zapote.<\/p>\n
Zapote Interior<\/p><\/div>\n
The grain of Zapote tends to be straight, although wavy figure can be found on occasion) with a medium to fine uniform texture.<\/p>\n
Zapote features outstanding durability and insect resistance. Intact Zapote beams have been found amid the ruins of Mayan temples.<\/p>\n
Working Characteristics:<\/h2>\n
Zapote is very dense and that can make it difficult to work with but, in general, good results can be obtained. Zapote is noted to turn and finish well.<\/p>\n
Due to the density, Zapote does demonstrate a moderate blunting effect on cutters.<\/p>\n
Zapote is not reported to have any characteristic odor.<\/p>\n
Pricing and Availability:<\/h2>\n
Zapote is not frequently imported or available. When available, Zapote should be in the moderate price range for an imported hardwood.<\/p>\n
In this blog, I almost always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence. These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NC Wood<\/a>, WoodTurningz<\/a>, Amazon Exotic Hardwoods<\/a>, Griffin Exotic Wood<\/a>, Exotic Woods USA<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and Wood Turning Blanks 4U<\/a>.<\/p>\n At this time, the only vendor I am familiar with that is selling Zapote is Exotic Woods USA. The largest piece they offer is 8x8x3 which sells for $35.90.<\/p>\n Woodfinder<\/a> is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers. In your search for Zapote this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings. I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer. I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand. It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n In addition to its fruit, known as the Sapodilla, which is extremely popular in the native range of Zapote, the wood may be used for: cabinetry, furniture, archery bows, flooring, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.<\/p>\n Zapote Reverse (note the figure around the gum deposit on the left side of bowl)<\/p><\/div>\n Zapoteis NOT listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices<\/a> nor is it listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature<\/a> Red List.<\/p>\n To the best of my knowledge, the United States government does not place any restrictions on Zapote.<\/p>\n I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby. I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon. In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors. I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested. The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood. That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations. This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store. Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n In addition to the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, Zapote has been reported to cause respiratory, mostly nasal, irritation. As always, caution is essential until you are certain you are not sensitive to Zapote.<\/p>\n It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.<\/p>\n Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>. Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource.<\/a><\/p>\n Unfortunately, I experienced significant difficulties while working with Zapote; more on that later.<\/p>\n I would like readers to consider the following photo and pick the Zapote bowl. In the interests of fairness, I will disclose that both bowls are finished the same.<\/p>\n Zapote Comparison<\/p><\/div>\n Still can’t tell? Surprise! BOTH blanks are the same exact species of wood, commonly known as Zapote or Chico Zapote. As I noted in the very beginning, Zapote has a wide range of color possibilities including the pinkish cast on the left and the richer reds and pinks in a swirling pattern. I know they are the same based on the obvious shared high density and difficulty in turning such a hard and dense wood (the 6th hardest of the Central American woods in fact), but the ultimate information source was the vendor, West Penn Hardwoods, which identified both blanks as variations on the theme of Zapote. Until I worked with it I thought the pinkish blank was some mystery wood. In fact, NEITHER blank looks exactly, or even somewhat remotely, like the examples I see on-line. The appearances of some woods can be very misleading.<\/p>\n I think the right hand bowl is especially attractive while the left side bowl is meh. Fortunately for me, it was the one I wasn’t wild about that came off the lathe, for about the 6th time, and broke off the sidewall to a point that the piece is beyond repair. Sometimes, no matter how careful we are these things happen to beginner and expert lathe operators alike.<\/p>\n As lovely as I think Zapote is, I wouldn’t chose to work with it again unless there is more already in my stock in which case I’ll try again. The problem I had with Zapote was not so much that it is hard, sharp cutters used with a good lathe tend to overcome, or even thrive on, extreme hardness, but rather that it was very “catchy” by which made up word I simply mean that the tools caught on the wood frequently, often came off the lathe despite a deep divot for expansion jaws, was often out of balance due to coming off the lathe, and became a generalized pain in the ass such that it just wasn’t worth fighting it given that I have hundreds, literally hundreds, more blanks that would like cooperate better than Zapote. That said, I have NEVER given up on a blank, no matter how difficult, except when catastrophic damage occurs. Small chips and breaks on the rim I can handle but a break that goes down 1.5 inches out of 2.5 inches to work with just doesn’t leave enough to hassle. I could fight it and end up with a saucer or let it go and move on to a better piece of material. I chose the later.<\/p>\n The second and more significant issue from my point of view regarding Zapote is that I am clearly sensitive to its dust. I had read that Zapote sometimes caused respiratory irritation but I have read those warnings about lots of woods and the vast majority of the time they don’t apply to my experiences. Not so this time. I was fine while cutting the Zapote with turning tools, but once I moved to sanding, the effects kicked in. I found myself with a burning nose and throat coupled with spasmodic coughing fits to the point that I actually ran outside to get fresh air. This prompted me to use my N95 mask, which I know I should use all the time but, well, I don’t, and that solved the issue although my nose continued to run which is very inconvenient when wearing a mask of any type.<\/p>\n If anyone reading this still wants to try working with Zapote I say good luck and good fortune. May you have a better experience than I did.<\/p>\n All cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool<\/a> system on my Robust American Beauty<\/a> lathe. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck<\/a>, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs from Packard Woodworks<\/a>. Final finish is Shellawax.<\/a><\/p>\n As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Geographic Distribution: The wood commonly known as Zapote (Sapodilla is also a very common name for this wood) is known as Manilkara zapota to botanists and other scientists. M. zapota is native to a wide swath of Latin America from Central America into South America and it is widely cultivated in the tropics and semi-tropics as a fruit tree rather than a lumber tree. For the sake of simplicity and common understanding I will refer to M. zapota from here forward using the common name Zapote. General Characteristics: The heartwood color of Zapote varies widely and my two examples prove this <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":3339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,128,136,137,129,138,139,130],"tags":[154,161,168,171,181,183,188,200,221,226,230,239,240,241,247,248],"yoast_head":"\nCommon Uses:<\/h2>\n
Sustainability:<\/h2>\n
Health Hazards:<\/h2>\n
My Personal Experiences:<\/h2>\n