Can it be saved

[cowchaser]

I was turning a piece of wild cut bocote and as I was bring it down to the bushing on 1 end a chunk blew out of it. I guess maybe I was a little to aggresive. It is a small piece about half the size if a fingernail. Right now I have it glued back together with some CA and pressed in a clamp. Just wanted to know if I am wasting my time or can I save it. Sure is a nice looking blank, I hate to trash it.

Also does this stuff normally turn like a rock? My chisels are sharp enough I was able to take of hair with them.

 

[gketell]

You should be fine. I've seen many a pen blow apart and be fixed just the way you did that one.

GK

 

[redfishsc]

If it cannot be saved (ie, you try, and it winds up ugly), use your sharp parting tool to remove the wood near the bushing all the way to the brass tube. You can then take a piece of contrasting wood or even acrylic and glue on an "oops" band, and then turn that down to blend in with your shape (ie, to the bushing) but make the pen balanced by doing the same to the opposite end of the pen. With bocote, something like maple or holly would look sweet.

 

[workinforwood]

Bocote is a good choice for a blowout repair job. If you lose a tiny piece, just clean it out with a pocket knife...I'm talking like a small shard near the bushing blows out. I take a paper cut and place it behind the chop saw where the dust blows out. I grab a piece of bocote and make some sliver cuts off the end of it to collect some of that much needed sawdust. Get the cup ready in one hand and a baggy on your finger. put a drop of thin ca in hole and pour dust on it. pour more thin ca on the dust pile and smash it in with baggy finger. Then spray some accelorator on it and your good to go. Clean repair back down to bushing size using the skew nice and gentle. If you go into sanding and polishing and find out you missed a super small spot in your repair and can see a dot of brass through the ca there, then get out knife and start again. Bocote is great because of the dark blackness of it. I've repaired some pretty good tearout on that wood and you can't even tell.

 

[cowchaser]

I was able to save it and can't even tell it happened. Thanks for the votes of confidence and the advice.