Copper Finish

[dlindquist]

What's the best wood to use with a (Baron) copper finish?

 

[leehljp]

I pulled out a copper kit a few weeks ago and went through my blanks. I wet a blank with a paper towel to give the color it would be with a finish on it. I did this in a bright light and found some colors to be great match for copper. I was surprised how many did not match.

I keep my blanks separated by kinds and colors. Some wood's color vary from tree to tree and even within a tree, so for this reason I went through about 200 checking to see what would look good. I could not pinpoint why one blank from a batch of several looked good but the rest did not. I also found that blondish/goldish pens as in the gold ironwoods that I have did not match. Of my blanks, - some reddish, black, dyed blue, one dyed green blank and holly looked great with the copper. I have not made one since I did that. But I do have those blanks separated for the copper.

I appreciate your question as I do see wood color and grain as very relevant to pen plating color, as well as style , when looking for the best possible presentation. There is a lot to be said for a beautiful pen that just "happens," but I still try to go by the old adage of "luck/success favors a prepared mind."

 

[arioux]

Hi,

Bubinga fits well with copper.

Alfred

 

[Chasper]

I like black cherry with copper.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

For me any Amber Brown toned wood works with copper. I love cherry burl with it, but also mahagony or curly koa really is special.

 

[Rifleman1776]

IMHO, that's a matter of personal taste. I usually spend quite a bit of time selecting blanks before I start a pen.
BTW, there have been reports that the copper finishes are not durable. Personally, I will no longer make pens with anything less than Tn gold, or Rhodium/platinum (silver color).

 

[dlindquist]

Thanks for the input. And one response all the way from Japan. I admired your snakewood Baron. I tried my first snakewood this past week. And, of course it cracked. I had read about the problems with snakewood, and waited until I thought I was ready, but obviously, I wasn't. I did try a copper finish with holly, and it looks great, but I worry about the holly. It seems too soft for a pen. My wife dropped it while she was admiring it, and it dented. (Our marriage did survive, though). Thanks again for all the input.

 

[GaryMGg]

I've done Amboyna burl, black cherry burl and Bubinga. All looked real nice with the copper kit. Also did a purpleheart with copper and really like that.

 

[Paul Downes]

I have some standing orders from customers living in Michigan's copper country. Since birdseye maple is king up there, that is gereraly the wood of choice. I have been thinking about getting a metal lathe so I can manufacture solid copper pen parts for pens to treat and get the green copper patina.

 

[Paul Downes]

David, In regards to snakewood cracking; I use a bullet point drill(when possible) when drilling snakewood and drip water in the hole every 1/8" of drilling depth as I drill the hole. Snakewood is so brittle that any side pressure ( wood chips packing in the drill flutes) will cause the wood to crack. The water acts as a coolant and causes the wood chips to flow out of the drill flutes like a mud. You have to continually clear the flutes while drilling.
When you get to the sanding phase of the pen finishing the water evaporates out the wood.
I use micro-mesh to 12000 and finish with a generous soaking with BLO before doing the BLO/CA finish.
I've had only one pen crack (months later) since switching to this method.

 

[rickstef]

I agree with the Cherry Burl, and Copper

Here is a link to a picture of a pen and pencil set I turned using the bright copper slimline kits from Woodturningz, and the cherry burl I got from PSI, in their showroom, in a 4 for $10 box
http://picasaweb.google.com/rickstef/TurnedPensAndOthers/photo#5116538934836658322

Rick

 

[dlindquist]

Thanks, Paul. I was going to give up on Snakewood,but with your advice, I think I will try one more time.

 

[Dave_M]

I would think Honduras Rosewood burl would look nice with copper.

 

[RichAldrich]

I used a blue plastic blank from CSUSA. It was light and dark blue with swirls. I think it was called Sea Foam. I used a copper slim. I opened my case to show 2 people and they both wanted this one immediately over all my others.

Rich[]