can all cracks really be fixed?

[Munsterlander]

Trying to figure out if this is just an experience/skill problem (I'm approaching about 200 pens now) or if some blanks just can't be tamed.

I've had 2 or 3 pens that no matter how many times I wet sand with CA, finish with CA, MM 3 times, whatever, I cannot get some of the small cracks to fill or reraise or something. One is a piece of brown mallee, another one is asian ironwood. The asian ironwood has a place that kind of looks a slice was made into the wood (there wasn't, that's just what it looks like) and it sort keeps reraising on one side.

So do you guys who have made hundreds or thousands of pens just find a way to fix this or do you sometimes just give up on a particular blank?

 

[ed4copies]

It's a "time thing" to me.

How expensive will the finished pen be?

You can always take out the blemish, with a dremel and fill it with turquoise or some other suitable stone.

Is it worth the trouble??

Tubes are 50 cents, blank is $???, time to repair is NOT priceless. UNLESS the finished pen WILL be PRICELESS>

 

[Gary Max]

I trash them and move on--you can spend a huge amount of time messing with one pen---I always buy extra tubes.

 

[GoodTurns]

I use a similar time/value approach...will the time I spend make it look like a really cool, custom insert that can make more $$ or will it look like a repair?

 

[Brewmeister35]

You can use your CA as a "filler" by getting some sanding dust on the paper, adding a couple drops of CA and running it back and forth across the blank. If the grain is wide, you might have to do it a couple times. There's a video on how to do it in the library by Russ Fairfield.

 

[Munsterlander]

Yeah, I have Russ' video on my laptop and have viewed it many times like other folks, and I have done repeated passes with a CA/dust slurry (though I'm sure my technique is still maturing).

I think what I'm hearing here is:

1) yes, sometimes it happens
2) if you can do something more "exotic" with it to justify the time, go for it (I haven't learned how to do something like turquoise inlay at this point)
3) be willing to move on

Thanks for the wisdom. I guess I'm still having a hard time accepting the "overhead" of trashing a $5 or $6 blank, especially when it otherwise looks pretty exquisite...

 

[wolftat]

It sounds like you may have your lathe at too high of a speed, a bit of sand paper and some CA should fill in any cracks. If not, use it for a spacer.

 

[Scott]

There are definitely some blanks that just will not become pens! The frustration isn't worth it. Just trash them and move on.

Scott.

 

[fernhills]

If your not doing it as a living, (do or die) then i would take the time and try different methods of repair. Every step is a learning experiment. Carl

 

[leehljp]

Originally posted by fernhills

If your not doing it as a living, (do or die) then i would take the time and try different methods of repair. Every step is a learning experiment. Carl

A few I have trashed but mostly I do as Carl said. I set it aside and when I have time, I learn from the problem by working through it or trying different things. Often I back track by removing the finish all-together and starting over, not necessarily for the finish sake but for the leaning experience. For me, I have more problems with ebonies but like them enough that I work through them when time allows.

 

[Brewmeister35]

I agree with the last two posts. Keep trying because that's how you learn to fix them and use burls with wild grain that naturally has those voids. Fixing cracks and voids is how I accidently learned how to finish with CA .

Something else you can try which I have done is fill the voids or cracks with multiple applications of medium or thick CA and shave it back down with the skew. If they are large, you can even fill them with the sanding dust and put a little thin CA on it to build up the void. Also, if you were to sand off the finish and try again (multiple times), the CA that went into those voids will not come out and it will eventually build.

 

[nava1uni]

When something goes wrong I usually use it to learn from. I resand and start over and try to figure out a way to salvage so that I can learn something new. Dremels work great, but I also use dental tools to enlarge things or carve designs that highlight the error and turn it into something interesting.
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" then drink up!