pen turning - Woodworking Talk

**Daren** · 12-13-2006, 07:52 PM

I asked awhile back what pen blanks sell for. I had never bought or sold any but had a bunch guys were asking about. I have a pen lathe, but have never turned a pen...until today. I dug a few "lure blanks" out of the pile and made some pens for Christmas gifts.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/galle...9&limit=recent

Big Dave · 12-13-2006, 07:56 PM

Those are nice looking. Did you make them all today?

**Daren** · 12-13-2006, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Did you make them all today?

Yea, they are pretty fast to make (even for your first time) I just got the pen kits and right size drill bit in the mail this morning. I had some blanks I drilled and put the little copper sleeve in before lunch and let the glue set while I did other stuff. I sat down at the lathe and turned 10 pens out, finished them and put them together in 1 1/2 hours (?) I wasn't really paying attention just listening to the radio and playing.

I was just trying to figure out what kinda woods work best really. The spalted stuff took longer. It wants to tear out with the tools, you have to "get it close" and bring it down with sandpaper to size. The osage, oak, honey locust were a piece of cake. The curly stuff wanted to tear out some too, but not as bad. I think osage was my favorite.

Burlkraft · 12-13-2006, 09:39 PM

Nice Job Daren....

radar67 · 12-14-2006, 12:46 AM

Daren, what is the second from the bottom made out of? Did you use dye on the green one? What kind do you use? I still have to try out some of those blanks you sent. I sold a few of my Katrina oak pens the last few days...or I should say my wife sold them. I made them back in June.

**Daren** · 12-14-2006, 01:16 AM

The second from the bottom is some of the spalted curly maple crotch (that you should have several of) The dyed one is just a regular curly maple blank that after I turned it I rubbed (my secret potion)... Easter egg dye solution on

, I have been experimenting with dyes lately. It takes a little messing with water/dye ratio, but it makes the curl stand up like nothing you could ever buy from a woodworking supply store.
I was waiting for you to turn some and post pics, but you got busy so I turned my own.
I have tried that dye on oak too, really sets the fleck off.
I am going to do some red and blue in a few days... they sell those plastic blanks with all the colors, they are dull compaired to something organic with the dye.

I tried 10 times with my cheap camera to get a better shot of the spalted pen with birdeyes in it (second from the bottom) no luck. I hope you have a few like it and can do better.

**Daren** · 12-14-2006, 06:50 PM

I turned a few more from better wood I had laying around. Dyed curly maple, curly walnut sapwood, purple heart and curly elm. I wish I had a truckload of that curly walnut, I just had a few scraps. It looks really cool in person.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/galle...to=200&cat=500

Burlkraft · 12-14-2006, 09:48 PM

Those look really nice Daren.

It's funny that you brought up dye. I have been strictly an 'au natural type of guy, but I recently started experimenting with both water and alcohol dyes. I have been pretty impressed with some of the subtle tones I can achieve to enhance the grain, without being too overbearing.

**Daren** · 12-15-2006, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burlkraft

. I have been strictly an 'au natural type of guy, but I recently started experimenting with both water and alcohol dyes.

Me too Steve (I mean the types of wood you and I like to play with are wild enough left alone:icon_wink: ) I don't stain even 5% of what I make. I think the only reason I have stain around is for some of the resto/refinishing work I do. I have said it before, if you want walnut color use walnut, if you want cherry use cherry... quit using pine and poplar and putting walnut stain on it

I like dye though, it not only let the grain/ figure show through it really enhances it. I have been playing with some 1/4 sawn oak, the dyes make the ray fleck really shine. I am experimenting with some curly stuff right now. I have the one color dye job down pat, I am trying to figure out a two color deal. I think it can be done, I am getting close. Dye the wood with a water color then sand off the grain that stands up (the curl) and hit it with another color. I am messing with a first swipe with yellow, then a second weak blue. I am hoping for a yellow green tiger stripe. I will post pictures if I get something that suits me.

**Daren** · 12-19-2006, 12:17 PM

I said I was experimenting with dyes. I finally figured out the secret to a 2 tone dye job

. I was not testing on my best stock of course. I will make some "tiger stripe" pens here soon.

**TexasTimbers** · 12-19-2006, 12:56 PM

Hey Daren would you like me to cut you some pen blanks from some of this?

You can't have any from these particular pieces because they are gone but don't worry, I have tons of the stuff. Quite literally.

**Daren** · 12-19-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasTimbers

Hey Daren would you like me to cut you some pen blanks from some of this?

Who wouldn't ? That is some wild looking stuff

. I wouldn't mind buying a decent sized box of it really, not just pen blanks but some bigger chunks too. I see a pretty fair amount of box elder around here (yard trees, urban logger that I am) but it is bland. I will send you an e-mail soon. I have to make another post, something I am itching to show off myself.