Cigar and mystery wood

[Crickett]

Hi, I'm hoping to find out the name of the wood I used on this Cigar pen. I like to call is Chocolate Milk with swirls of dark but I know that's incorrect :frown: so any ideas would be greatly appreiated.

All I know about the wood is it came off a pallet about 20 years ago from South America.

Thanks for looking.

Marla

 

[Dario]

Looks good!

Sorry, no idea about the wood ID.

 

[spiritwoodturner]

I'm not sure either, but I'm with Dario, I like it!

Dale

 

[Stick Rounder]

Nice pen! You could send me a piece of the wood and I might be able to id it.:wink:

 

[GouletPens]

Looks a lot like Bolivian Rosewood to me. That's in South America! I would say it almost looks like a dark olivewood (especially with the dark swirls), but as far as I know that doesn't grow in SA, only Africa/Middle East (but I most easily could be wrong).

 

[Seer]

I had a piece just like that in color and grain turned like butter and was oily. I think we figured it could be olivewood because of the odor.

 

[papaturner]

That`s a beauty.

 

[Dalecamino]

Have no idea , but it makes a nice looking pen !

 

[CSue]

Its a beauty.
But on the ID, I'm with Doug . . . send me a piece and I could maybe tell you.

Actually looks like a type of rosewood - or a strange piece of cocobolo.
Goncalo Alves?

 

[CSue]

Nah! Its Marblewood (marmaroxylon racemosum). Its a high density wood, great to work with and hard to find a nice piece like that!

What did you use for a finish?

 

[Crickett]

Thanks for looking and for your wood suggestions. Some one suggested to me it might be Goncalo Alves and looking at the pictures posted on hobbithouseinc.com that seems to be the closes to the piece I have, even comparing the end-grain.

I guess it'll remain a mystery.

To finish the pen I sanded to 800 grit and used 8 coats of Tried & True with CA.

Marla

 

[nava1uni]

Marla,
The pen is beautiful. I also really like the finish.
What is tried and true? I notice that you are from BC so maybe it is sold in Canada.

 

[Crickett]

Marla,
The pen is beautiful. I also really like the finish.
What is tried and true? I notice that you are from BC so maybe it is sold in Canada.

Tried & True is a product sold at Lee Valley, I don't think Lee Valley is in the US. The product is sold as "Polymerized Linseed Oil & Natural Resin Varnish".

On another forum there was a discussion about the CA finishes, lots of people use BLO/CA and they were discussing what part the oil played and whether non-drying oils like mineral oil would work. To satisfy my own curiosity I tried mineral oil, olive oil and Tried & True. All seemed to make to CA flow smoothly on the pen surface and all dried as well. Since I don't have any BLO I've continued to use this with good results. Just this evening I turned and finished 2 more Cigar pens ... patiently waiting for the kits to arrive in the mail to put them together.

Marla :biggrin:

 

[sbell111]

I had a piece just like that in color and grain turned like butter and was oily. I think we figured it could be olivewood because of the odor.

If it smells like olives when you turn it, it's olivewood.

edited to add that olive trees do grow in South America. Peru actually exports olives to Europe (and, probably, the US).