Another pine cone (actually it's spruce)

[alamocdc]

I've been wanting to get my hands on some pine cones to try this for over a year. I just couldn't find any. Tons of Spruce trees around here (three in my yard), but I've not located a good source for pine cones. Finally one of my Spruces dropped three small cones a few weeks ago (about the size of my thumb). So I cast two of them in thick CA and one in clear resin. The CA worked best, but took way longer to dry.[xx(] One of the cones turned out pretty well, but the other CA cone just ended up with too much material missing. It was sitting crooked in the round ice cube tray and it drilled off center. So I turned it down to the tube and tried the resin cone. I was almost done and ready to sand when it blew up tonight. So I looked around for something to replace the upper with and settled on a piece of letterwood. And I think I found my favorite snakewood finish (provided I can drill one without it exploding on me)... Nothing but TSW! Again, I went slow and usde the air hose to cool the bit between passes. Neither the bit nor the blank never got hot and it still blew in half on me just as the bit broke threw the bottom.[V] So I glued it back together and pressed on.
I kinda like it... 8mm Gold Euro, all 9 MM and a final coat of TSW.

Thanks for looking and taking the time to read my sad story. [] And by all means, let the criticisms fly.

 

[leatherjunkie]

I got one word to say "WOW!!!!!!!!!!"[:0][:0][:0]

with all the troubles[8][8] you had in making this pen i'm surprised that you didn't toss in the towel...

Its a good thing you kept that towel cause that is one sweet pen.[][8D]

 

[clewless]

Great looking pen...no one would know if you didn't blab[]

At least you found the pieces. I had two blow up today and couldn't locate all of the debris...and the shop is fairly clean...[]

Will post photos of the results tomorrow.

 

[johncrane]

Billy that looks fantastic I have a blue spruce its about 15 years old last year was the first time it had cones on it they where bright red and small. now I have seen yours l am hopping one day they get bigger so l can make a pen it looks great [8D]

 

[Tea Clipper]

Nice looking 'cone there Billy! Reminds me of the corn cob pens. Great job![]

 

[alamocdc]

Thanks, all! Joe, the cone blank that survived (pictured) didn't blow up and required nothing but a little filling of a few small pin holes with CA.

 

[chigdon]

Wow the spruce is amazing!

 

[redfishsc]

That's some hot stuff! Criticisms? Allright, well, for starters, you goofed a couple of spruce cones, and then you blew up a snakewood blank.

Just like that ebony blank I blew out last night on the lathe--- got lucky, a clean lateral split, so I glued it back on and it can't be noticed unless I tell ya there's a glue joint in there.

So all in all, looks like a winner to me.