choices choices....cutting wood

[xxShadowxx]

so i find a nice piece of aromatic cedar, 2-tone with a nice knot in the middle, most knots are crappy and fall apart, or go all the way through the blank and make it kinda crappy looking - this one looks like itll just rub the one side of the pen, so tempting to use it and see how it turns out

but...choices choices...cant decide how i want to cut it!

A: be safe, ditch the knot, use the curly grain at very edge, still pretty
B: about same as A, use knot where centerband is, but curly both sides of band
C: knot in middle of "top" barrel, a whiter "lower" barrel, most potential to be pretty knot
D: same as C, knot in "top" barrel, but more red for "lower" barrel

fyi "backside" is all redish wood, "bottomside" is all white", knot nicks the front/top

 

[Justturnin]

That is a really tough call. I think A gives you the best chance to match the grain. I would avoid the knot becasue it will likely pop out. If you do decide to use the knot drench it is thin CA to try to hold it in. If that bad boy pops out it will be a bullet in your shop.

 

[xxShadowxx]

whats life without excitement?

not really concerned with it blowing up, i only concern myself with the potential beauty of the end result :biggrin: leaning towards C/D

 

[Akula]

I like knots and anything that stands out. Worth the extra work for something special than a safe boring straight grain piece. I would put that at the lower section and be happy

 

[hewunch]

I would do D and never look back.

 

[BSea]

I voted D, but C would would be just as nice. Personally, I like knots in the wood. I think it adds character.

 

[jhprice]

D in my humble opinion. I like the knotty stuff and the colorful stuff. D gives both. The knot looks like it is fairly stable and (famous last words) shouldn't come out.

 

[xxShadowxx]

okie D is winning by twice as much as A in 2nd place, so D it is :biggrin:

so much pretty wood....so little time...

 

[EBorraga]

I agree with D.

 

[Drstrangefart]

C or D. I ALWAYS try to keep the knots in there. Non-pen guys love them when they see them. They usually get sold fairly fast.

 

[xxShadowxx]

C or D. I ALWAYS try to keep the knots in there. Non-pen guys love them when they see them. They usually get sold fairly fast.

this piece of wood i found is almost all knots, about 80% of the 200 blanks are in knotland :biggrin: but most of the knots are either too tiny (almostttt looks like birds eye) or big and ugly/broke, took the wood more cuz of the nice curls of grain at edge of knots, but a few gems get found :biggrin: