IItty-Bitty pen from saw mill scraps

[jtate]

This is from the ends of boards from a local saw mill. They cut these saw tooth ends on the boards so they can glue two boards together adn get an appropriate length. I dyed one piece and epoxied it together with an undyed piece and then turned it. The dye traveled up the wood in an interesting pattern so I used that upper section of the board as the top barrell. That sounded like a better idea than it turned out to be, Don't really like the top part.

 

[johncrane]

your pen looks ok l also agree with you on the top l would be looking for some more like the bottom.[]

 

[TBone]

Lower half looks cool, I agree that it would look better with top half same way. But still good looking pen. Nice idea

 

[NavyDiver]

Great idea! Nice pen!

 

[jeffj13]

Cool pen. I actually like the upper half and the contrast it creates. I think if you did the upper half like the lower, it would look too busy.

jeff

 

[ctEaglesc]

That is called a finger joint used on "paint grade woods" normally shorts of clear woods that would normally be scrap.
Usually they are found in windows and doors, pieces that would be painted.
You can get a router bit and using a router in a router table easily make them yourself.

 

[jtate]

Thanks for the info, Eagle!

I just find them outside the mill. My neighborhood abuts a pretty impoverished urban area and the mill makes a habit of keeping a firewood pile going all winter for the people who need it. I have met some pretty interesting people who are gathering heating fuel while I'm finding treasures like these.

The little pieces with the finger joint cuts are almost always cut to a perfect size for a pen blank once they've been mated with another piece. I like that because my shop is - well, equipment-deprived, shall we say. I like not having to do much cutting because I do my cutting by hand saw.

 

[pete00]

i like the bottom as well, you should take a chair and sit outside the mill, as they toss em you scoop em up.....[]

 

[bob393]

Same; bottom is cool top is ok