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.
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.
Health Hazards:
Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, Zapote has been reported to cause nasal irritation, however, severe reactions are quite uncommon.
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.
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.
Complete information about health hazards associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database. 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.
I did notice a distinct respiratory irritation that resulted in significant coughing and drainage while working with Zapote, especially during sanding, despite wearing an N95 dust filter.
My Personal Experiences:
Zapote is very dense and quite hard so it cuts slowly. Be patient with it.
Zapote has a very nice distinctly pink color, or least my piece did, that I think rivals any Pink Ivory that I have seen and worked with. That said, the outer areas of the blank were a much darker reddish brown color, most of which was cut off although some of this darker material can still be seen on the upper and lower rims of the finished piece.
Zapote cut cleanly along the grain but the cross grain areas proved to be a bit more difficult, especially on the outside. The finish sanding on the interior was surprisingly simple and easy however.
Zapote sanded out nicely and had a nice natural luster. Zapote took the final finish very well and I was pleased with the results.
Zapote
As noted above, Zapote checks easily and this piece was no exception to that general fact. Overnight a fair degree of fine checks appeared along the cross grain areas although this is not hugely evident in the finished piece.
This piece measures 7″ x 3″.
All major cuts were made using the Easy Wood Tool system on my Robust American Beauty lathe, although I do use Robert Sorby bowl gouges for light final passes before sanding. Forward chucking was in a Nova Chuck, while reverse chucking was done using a Nova Chuck with Cole Jaws. Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave sanding discs as well as Abranet screens from Packard Woodworks. Final finish is Shellawax.