Boffo Bubinga Board

Many years ago, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware purchased a huge bubinga log in Africa with the aid of Rocky Mehta, a lumber buyer with connections.

This log was huge and perhaps 400 years old. It was so large in diameter that a full-grown person could with their arms and legs out wide (think Leonardo's drawing) would still be captured within the bole.

Some interesting facts about the log section. If I remember correctly, this one segment of the tree was about 30’ long. It was so large that it had to be shipped to Germany to find a mill capable of cutting it into lumber. The purchase price was in the six-figure range.

And that is how I got this very cool looking piece sliced off of the perimeter of the bubinga log. With the bark inclusions and the areas of sap wood showing through, I thought it would be really interesting if I hung it on a wall, and that has been proven to be true over the years. I have received many admiring comments about the board as it has hung on various walls of my homes.

It took little work, but I did reshaped the piece into “the golden rectangle” and then sanded the solid wood bits up to 400-grit. Then I applied several coats of amber shellac, sanding lightly between the coats. I also sealed the back face of the board to minimize wood movement and possible distortion.

I am pleased to say it continues to bring me joy and seems likely that it is the only successful piece of “art” I have ever created (so to speak).