Banksia Pod Comfort Pen

[tntwoodcrafts]

Because I'm a newbie to this board and haven't received my photo gallery account yet, I will post my most recent unusual pen.
This modified Comfort is made from the Banksia Pod/Nut native to Australia. These pods are small so it took two pods to make a pen.

I welcome any comments.
Terry

 

[tseger]

KEWLL!!![8D]

 

[ahoiberg]

that's very unique... nice work. how'd you finish it?

 

[Tanner]

Very interesting looking pen! You did a fantastic job!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Very neat. You made a really neat pen from a strange looking plant thing. BTW, try to get closer to your subject for pictures. All that wasted background doesn't help.

 

[tntwoodcrafts]

Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />Very neat. You made a really neat pen from a strange looking plant thing. BTW, try to get closer to your subject for pictures. All that wasted background doesn't help.

Noted, thanks!

 

[tntwoodcrafts]

Originally posted by ahoiberg
<br />that's very unique... nice work. how'd you finish it?

Thank you!
Because the pods were small the voids went right through to the center where you could see the tube. After turning to just about the finishing stage I filled all the voids with a mixture of 5 min epoxy and fine ground pod sawdust. After the blanks dried I turned again to the finishing, sanded progressivly from 220 - 1500 grit. Buffed on the Beal, put them back on the lathe and applied EEE length ways and buffed. I then applied a couple of coats of Renaissance. Over all it turned out OK but next one I make will have a CA finish...........this procedure needs some practice on something else other than the pods!!
Terry

 

[PenPal]

Terry,
You sure did well for such a small nut,the commonly turned ones go around a foot long with a lot more wood in them.Commonly called giant Banksia Nuts.
The large Banksia is grown only in Western Australia and the flowers attract nectar eating birds,they grow hardy in tough places.

At the recent Working With Wood Show there were huge bins of the large ones.Not sure what your laws for receiving them in Canada but we will have a Working With Wood Show here in Canberra in September and if you want I can get one or some for you,will wander over to the Canadian Embassy next week,see if someone is going your way or if they will call it Aussie Canadian relation strengthening and handle the movement. Send me a p.m. and I will follow it up if you wish.

Regards Peter

 

[PenPal]

Terry, Back again I just had a look on your site that pic is so clear and good of the Banksia,it is stunning fantastic effort,a difficult medium to handle the best I have seen to date and the first from that small nut.Do more of them reduce a pic of the map of Australia for a background of the pen when you display it, Google info on habitat etc,you will need a big stick to control buyers. Peter

 

[Fred]

Terry, that is definitely a very interesting pen. Very, very nice indeed! You did great! []

 

[tntwoodcrafts]

Originally posted by pwhay
<br />Terry, Back again I just had a look on your site that pic is so clear and good of the Banksia,it is stunning fantastic effort,a difficult medium to handle the best I have seen to date and the first from that small nut.Do more of them reduce a pic of the map of Australia for a background of the pen when you display it, Google info on habitat etc,you will need a big stick to control buyers. Peter

Thank you muchly Peter
All the work that is put into these pens is worth it. I display and sell my products at a couple of craft stores here and I can't make them fast enough. Because they are labour intensive I don't make them as often as I should. I have a customer in Cleburne Texas that buys my antler/.308 cartridge pens and he keeps me pretty busy along with the other orders I have to fill! I sent you a PM re: bigger nuts.........let me rephrase that.....larger Banksia Nuts!!
Cheers, Terry