corn cobs: whats up????

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hombre4

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This is what I am getting when I turn down these corn cobs. I tried 4 different ones and tried CA, thick and the thin. No good. Does anyone know what is causing this and know what to do to prevent it? Any suggestions would be geatly appreciated.

Thanks....Archie

200582114316_corncob2.jpg
 
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Old Griz

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You are obviously using corn cobs with too thick of a pith area...
In order to get the kernal effect of the corn cob you need to use a cob that has a pith just about the same diameter as the tubes of the pen kit you are using....
If the pith area is too big, you are turning off the kernals and getting just the pith... arriving at what you have in the picture...
 

Old Griz

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Meetings are always on the first Tuesday of each month at 7PM at Hardwoods Inc., 2 Wormans
Mill Ct, Frederick MD (just off East St, between T.J. High School and Routzahn's Furniture
Store.) Phone 301 668-WOOD (9663)
 

its_virgil

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Change your cob source. Find a feed store that sells "field corn" or find some of the bags of corn sold for feeding squirrels..the corn is still on the cob. I get mine at a store called Tractor Supply Co., TSC. I have not had good luck with the "Indian corn", the decorative corn of different colors sold in the fall for decorations. I've seen corn cobs from popcorn and they were'nt impressive either. Good luck.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Check with Johnny Wooten for stabilized cobs.
 

ctEaglesc

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The cobs have a taper.
How are you drilling them?
If the bare spot is only on one side that could be your problem.
If you are turning the "fuzz' off between centers prior to drilling be sure to turn a staright sided cylinder.
If you are using a pen vise for drilling with out turning off the fuzz you need to shim in some way to wind up with the "pith core" plumb and perpendicular to the DP base and parallelto the bit.
 

leehljp

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I have not yet started cob pens, and probably won't for a while as my lathe is in Japan and I am in the States. I did eat some corn on the cob just before I left and discovered something.

The corn on the cob was too large by any stretch of the imagination but I decide to experiment anyway. The pith area looked to be about 1/2 inch across. I tried two cob halves in the microwave. One I put on for a minute and then for about 30 seconds every 5 minutes. I think I did that about 5 times. It shrunk considerably and would have probably made a good pen. I never got to try before coming home. The other cob - I put in the microwave for 3 minutes uninterupted. Bad decision! One big burnt spot and smelly microwave!

I was very surprised at how much normal size fresh corn on the cob shrunk (the cob that is) in the microwave. It could be the variety that I had.

I also recall someone mentioning that they picked up corn for birds or squirrels at the pet feed section of Wallmart. IIRC, I think they said that the feed corn was consistently smaller and did well for pens. I don't remember if I saw that here or at another forum.
 

hombre4

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I want to thank everyone for all their input.Keeping all this in mind I think maybe now I can do it. One thing is for sure, I know more now than I did before.

Thanks Again Everyone.....Archie
 
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