Retro in spalted maple and antler.

[Ruby pen turning]

This is a copper Jr Retro with spalted maple lower with a deer antler cap and spalted maple final. The maple even though treated with minwax wood hardener was like turning Styrofoam. There are at least 15 coats CA on the maple and 10 on the antler. Sanded with 9 micro mesh pads and polished with Novus heavy and light.
Thanks for looking, Comments bad/good welcome.
Brian Kort

 

[razor524]

I really like the combination of materials, a lot of times different caps and barrels does not work for me, but I really like it on this one. Good job!!

 

[SteveG]

Looks great! All the colors go well together. Is the maple natural, or did you add coloring of some type?

 

[Ruby pen turning]

The maple is natural

 

[longbeard]

That looks great Brian
picked a good lookin Retro for that

Harry

 

[NYWoodturner]

I agree with Ray. This defies most mixed material results... outstanding ! Colors, materials all work very well together. Subtley elegant
Scott

 

[toyotaman]

Excellent looking pen. I would really like to see more of that spalted maple in a pen. I've got a little of that type of spalted maple and it is awesome. There is something about the different colors in that type of maple that really sets it off. Very nice.

 

[Ruby pen turning]

Thanks everyone. The maple is almost rotten and really needs to be professionally stabilized.
I think the rustic/rough elements of the wood and antler pull it together.

 

[Jgrden]

Great combination.

 

[Jgrden]

Good taste. Wonderful combination.

 

[boxerman]

Wow very nice combination.

 

[plano_harry]

Great looking pen Brian! I love the copper but was araid it might not be very durable. Any experience with it in regualr use?

Harry

 

[Ruby pen turning]

Copper is for sure not the most durable finish but from the gold kits that I have purchased, it certainly is not worse then them. Maybe even a hair better in my experience. I have not used one myself but have had many picked up and looked at, at shows.
NOTE: the copper Jr Retro is no longer available.

 

[Bowl Slinger]

B-E-A-U-T-I-FUL !!!

 

[clapiana]

wonderful contrast. you don't see much spalted maple which makes it even more unique

 

[Kinger]

Wow thats awesome, is there any special tricks to turning the antler ive got a bunch of sheds thinking about cutting one up and giving it a try

 

[Ogg]

Wow, what a wonderful pen. That piece of maple is fantastic. It and the antler go well together. Did you make the finial for it as well?

Anyway the more I look at the wood and it's colors I keep coming back to some pictures I saw many years back of a cave wall that had ancient drawings on it. This looks very similar in color and the lines look like the fissures in cave's walls. Stunning piece!

 

[keithbyrd]

Very nice - esp the spalted maple - great looking pen!

 

[Ruby pen turning]

Thanks for the great feedback on this pen.
Kinger...... I used to drill through the antler like you would a wood blank. I would make it round the drill and hope it did not break through the side. Then I saw someplace to mark on each end of the antler piece were you want the drill to go. Then put the drill chuck in the live side of the lathe and a dead center where the live center should go and hold the antler with a pliers and drill. This method is far more accurate and much easier.

 

[Justturnin]

I have never really been a fan of mixing antler w/ wood but I think you won me over w/ this one. Great job, and as always F&F is spot on. What is that material you are taking pics on? I have been looking for some grey. I have been using a new white T-shirt for my background but it is hard to show light plating's and white material.

 

[Ruby pen turning]

Here is a real crappy picture of my light box. It is made from foam board from Hobby Lobby and some thick poster board that just happens to fit perfectly in the box. You can get the thick poster board in several colors.

 

[Justturnin]

Pretty cleaver. I have 3 sheets of that foam board that I want to make a box from but have yet to get to it. Going to look for some grey poster board later today.

 

[maxman400]

Great Looking Pen