Our PITH's have arrived!

[Mack C.]

My PITH partner was Scott Gimbel from Round Rock TX. He has asked me to post the pictures as he hasn't any.

First a couple of his to me.

It's a Roman Harvest RB, turned from X-Cut Tulip Wood. He also added in the box more pen blanks in both wood and acrylics than I will ever turn in the remainder of my lifetime! And the leather bound pen box was an added bonus!

Thanks, Scott! It's been put in a special place with rest of my pen swaps.

Now mine to him, with no comment from me. I will leave the comments to Scott.

 

[jttheclockman]

Mack is that Bacote??? It has a distintive strong grain pattern. If so how was it to put a finish on?? Thanks for showing and both parties did well.

 

[Mack C.]

Mack is that Bacote??? It has a distintive strong grain pattern. If so how was it to put a finish on?? Thanks for showing and both parties did well.

It is Bocote. I didn't find it anymore difficult to finish than any other wood I finish.

Sanded at 600 grit, then 0000 steel wool, all parallel to the ways of the lathe. Then a good spritz of ZIP KICKER CA accelerator to remove any surface oils.

I wiped the above off with the lathe in motion. Then about 4 - 6 coats of thin CA, letting that dry overnight. Sanded very gently with 0000 steel wool in the morning, and buffed with my Caswell buffing and polishing compounds.

If the truth were known Bocote really doesn't require any surface finish at all, because of the oils in the wood.

 

[sgimbel]

I opened my PITH pen to a great surprise. It had its own homemade wood box. The pen is a Stretch Fountain Pen from lau lau in Hawaii. It's Bacote with Titanium gold accents and even has my name engraved on it. I"ve never written with or turned a FP so I have a little learning to do. I couldn't be more thrilled with what Mack did

 

[jttheclockman]

Mack is that Bacote??? It has a distintive strong grain pattern. If so how was it to put a finish on?? Thanks for showing and both parties did well.

It is Bocote. I didn't find it anymore difficult to finish than any other wood I finish.

Sanded at 600 grit, then 0000 steel wool, all parallel to the ways of the lathe. Then a good spritz of ZIP KICKER CA accelerator to remove any surface oils.

I wiped the above off with the lathe in motion. Then about 4 - 6 coats of thin CA, letting that dry overnight. Sanded very gently with 0000 steel wool in the morning, and buffed with my Caswell buffing and polishing compounds.

If the truth were known Bocote really doesn't require any surface finish at all, because of the oils in the wood.

I agree 1000% about not needing a finish. In fact all the rosewood family woods don't need it. I make many clocks with bases made from Bacote and other rosewoods and all I do is dip in a Danish oil to seal the wood and then polish on my buffer and they come out like a mirror and have that smooth feel to touch.

Nice job.

 

[ed4copies]

Actually the rosewood family is dalbergia.

Bocote is cordia gerascanthus--not a member of the rosewood family.

 

[AKPenTurner]

Looks like a very fair exchange. Great job guys!!

 

[jttheclockman]

Actually the rosewood family is dalbergia.

Bocote is cordia gerascanthus--not a member of the rosewood family.

I will respectively disagree, often refered to as Mexican Rosewood. Has the same characteristics as rosewood. Many woods out there that fall into this catagory so to me it is a rosewood and the dealers I work with call it so.

It does polish nicely.

 

[Tom T]

Both pens are great. Us newer guys love to see the work.
What ever family the are both great.

 

[ed4copies]

It is oily and it does take a great polish!

I was told the same thing (that it was a rosewood). But we did shows in Wisconsin, home of U of Wis. and one of the best forestry schools in the US. I was corrected by one of their "experts" who saw me at a show. So, I did the research and found that he was correct.

 

[Mack C.]

My friend Marla calls it Picklewood, since she says it smells of dill pickles when she turns it.

So that would put it in a whole new family!:laugh:

 

[SteveJ]

I guess it's settled then. Picklewood it is! I wonder if it comes in both sweet and dill....

 

[Mack C.]

I guess it's settled then. Picklewood it is! I wonder if it comes in both sweet and dill....

Dill only!

 

[Jim Burr]

I guess it's settled then. Picklewood it is! I wonder if it comes in both sweet and dill....

Dill only!

I agree...but only if it's koser! My wife like gerkins...just the name should omit it from the edible catagory!!
Oh...great pens you two!

 

[chrisk]

Definitely agree with Ed: Bocote is not in the Rosewood family, that is not in the Dalbergia family. The dealers denominations are not a reference, quite the contrary. In Greece, everybody refers to Bubinga as Tulipwood. The origin of this heresy: the dealers! Once I lambasted one of them for he insisted an Amboyna pen I was showing to a friend was Tulipwood, that is Bubinga.
The same for Bocote: it's not a Rosewood.

 

[SteveG]

So far, Ed, you win the "what it is" contest because you brought in the HEAVIEST "expert witness". Beside all that, the pens are beautiful...great for the giver and receiver.