Black Palm Sawn Spindle Blank 40mm x 23mm x 600mm

Black palm spindle blank, 40 x 23 x 600mm. Dense black-on-tan figure, sawn square and ready for the lathe.

Black Palm Spindle Blank

A black palm spindle blank gives you the length to work with when a pen blank won’t stretch far enough. Borassus flabellifer carries the same bold black-on-tan figure the species is known for, running the full length of the piece rather than stopping after a few centimetres. Adrian pulls these aside when a run of good black streaking comes through the yard door — the longer pieces don’t turn up often.

Why Black Palm is a Turner’s Wood

The colour is the drawcard: dense black fibres bleed through a warm tan-brown background, no two pieces reading quite the same. It’s a palm rather than a hardwood, so the structure is fibrous, closer to cane than timber — and it takes a mirror finish once you’re through the outer fibres. Read more on the species at Wikipedia.

Working a Black Palm Spindle Blank on the Lathe

• Hardness: genuinely tough on edges — the silica in the fibres blunts standard HSS fast, so keep a diamond hone or carbide tool close by
• Grain: fibrous and directional, more like coconut palm than oak or blackwood — light, even cuts beat heavy roughing passes
• Turning: takes fine detail well once you’re past the outer fibres; a sharp skew leaves a near-finished surface
• Finishing: we recommend Rustins Danish oil, EEE-Ultra Shine or Shellawax to bring the black figure up
• Stability: kiln-dried and stable, minimal movement once turned

Best Projects for a Black Palm Spindle Blank

• Letter openers and longer-handled tools
• Multi-piece pen runs cut from the one blank
• Bottle stoppers and small handles
• Decorative elements on a box or piece of furniture

Stock & Finish

Sawn square, ready for the lathe. Natural colour and figure variation expected piece to piece.

Shipping & Pickup

Ships Australia-wide via Australia Post or Aramex. Pickup welcome from our Mulgrave NSW location Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to noon. Bulk enquiries — phone (02) 4577 5277 or sales@trendtimbers.com.au.

More Black Palm

Browse the rest of our turning blanks or see other black palm stock in the range. This size comes through occasionally in a decent run — once it goes, the listing closes.