11 August 2026

Snakewood: oily and brittle

Before gluing, I wipe the mating surfaces with acetone or alcohol and let them dry. I roughen the surfaces slightly, then use a slow-cure epoxy for structural joins. Cyanoacrylate can work for a tiny tack, but it is brittle and snakewood does not forgive a starved joint.

Clamping needs a light hand. Enough pressure to close the gap, not enough to squeeze out all the glue. For handle scales, I drill slightly oversize and set the pins with epoxy, because snakewood can crack if a pin is forced.

After shaping, I sand to 400 or 600 and burnish the surface. Oil sits on top of this wood more than it soaks in, so I use it sparingly. If a crack appears during work, I stop and reassess rather than chase it with filler.