Mystery segmented blank

[Carl Fisher]

I received a pair of mystery blanks already glued up waiting to be cut to size in a box of maple scrap from a fellow wood worker. Not sure on everything in there, but definitely some ebony, one or two varieties of maple, some sort of rosewood maybe and no idea on the orange at the bottom.

It was an interesting challenge since each wood turned completely differently from soft to very hard and took a finish differently. I'm fairly happy with the end result and look forward to turning the other one.

 

[seamus7227]

Nice job, thats very interesting how each wood takes the finish differently, never thought much about that when it comes to blanks like that. So what type of finish did you end up going with?

 

[Carl Fisher]

I tried straight CA at first like I would a normal blank, but the ebony in particular was giving me fits with the way it was curing. I sanded it back down and hit it with a dose of acetone and then followed up with BLO/CA and a quick shot of accelerator to set the first coat. Then stuck to the BLO/CA for 6 coats of medium, micro meshed through half of the pads and then 6 coats of thick. Micro mesh through all 9 pads then polish/wax.

It was getting that first coat to flash even across all of the different woods. What I don't know is if my first coats that got sanded down acted like a sealer coat and maybe that was what allowed me to work through it the 2nd time...or if the acetone was the trick. I'll find out for sure on that 2nd blank since it has 2 blocks of ebony in it.

 

[toolcrazy]

I bet the yellow is Osage Orange

Nice pen, BTW.

 

[sumterdad]

You stole my idea! na just kidding i actually glued up some pieces yesterday kinda like that to turn tomorrow. looks good

 

[Carl Fisher]

I was just clued in on some of the wood in that pen.

Yellowheart at the tip and olivewood is also in there.

 

[Dalecamino]

Well, that's different. Makes good use of our cut-offs. You did good Carl.