Cracked Afzelia Burl

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

rebel1

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
61
Location
richmond hill ga.
I just sold a Nouveau Sceptie pen with a Two Tone Afzelia Burl blank. This pen had 8 coats of CA. It had no crack in it when it was bought. Two days later I get a call that the pen has a crack in the lower barrel. I have never has a pen crack before but have only used this blank a few times. Does anyone else had trouble with this burl? from the pictures it looks like it may be in the CA finish but I want know untill I get it back.:laugh:
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
I've never had 1 crack, but like you I've only done a few with this blank. But that's the thing about wood, and especially burls. If it isn't stabilized, it will move. And this is the time of year where pens left in a car will crack because of the temperature change. I'm not saying that happened, but it seems more common this time of year.
 

PenPal

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2006
Messages
2,708
Location
Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
Morning over here perhaps I am of a different mind set but every piece of burl I have turned has the potential to disintergrate being made up of grain running in every direction. I live in the land of Burled beautiful timber.

Reading so many turners rush to the conclusion it must be stabilised etc, this is the thought furthest from my mind, perhaps because I choose to turn only stable blanks that I store for a time to make certain at least they are dry eliminating all the factors inherent in blank failure I can.

Within a mile of my home is a wholesaler Burl getter with 15 ton at any time in his yard brought after travel, cutting etc he has 15 thousand burl blanks cut and dried as we speak, I have also learned if you can purchase burl blanks cut and dried good idea if you buy burl in bulk cut then yourself into blanks for pens you soon learn there is a bad percentage of losses firstly the bark accounts for up to a fifth of the weight you pay in the rough and so on then you lose 1/3 or more as it dries. The most stable burl is not near the bark.

Making pens from Burled blanks IMHO requires much more care in assembly tightness of fit into kit components and a necessary care when turning not to bite too deeply with the gouge kept sharp as being especially careful near the ends of the blank, care also in glueing facing the ends of the blank.

Australian burl is mostly very stable I regard brown mallee burl as bullet proof but I read continually on this site how awful it is to work with. As in all things you will pay for quality easy to see in burl I find.

You may also say I live near a Gold mine of burl and you are right however a cutter, wholesaler is never in a position to allow you to chuck hundreds of burl slices into a pile select one, have a yarn and disappear its his living and its a tough life.

I respect people like Curtis with his methods of stabilising suspect timber and encourage everyone to turn within your ability, I have never lost one pen to splitting ie a burl blank but I find African Ebony fearful to find clean split free quality as well as Snakewood and some others. Also I note the extremes you experience for example in the states of climate but hasten to assure you some materials in America regarded as completely acceptable and desired such as the tarred sandy roofing tiles extensively used there do no last very long in Australia my Church HQ is in America and all our earlier buildings were roofed this way , none of them lasted very long had to be reroofed at a high cost, horses for courses I guess.

Generalisations on burl use comes down to specifics all lead to experience but to make the same mistakes unwise and expensive.

Have fun with Burl I do. Later in the week I will take some pics of various burl blanks to illustrate the things I have said I may not be able to name them all as over time my memory fades and marks dissapear.


Kind regards Peter.
 

monark88

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
596
Location
Portland, Oregon
I just sold a Nouveau Sceptie pen with a Two Tone Afzelia Burl blank. This pen had 8 coats of CA. It had no crack in it when it was bought. Two days later I get a call that the pen has a crack in the lower barrel. I have never has a pen crack before but have only used this blank a few times. Does anyone else had trouble with this burl? from the pictures it looks like it may be in the CA finish but I want know untill I get it back.:laugh:

Yep, I've had 3 Nouveau Sceptre blanks crack at the nib end. A 4th at the center, lower barrel. Long cracks. And no, they were not stabilized.

I just checked on a 7 x 6 x 1 1/2 Maka Moung nice burl that I have stored and it shows a large long crack, rendering most not fit for a pen blank. I think this wood is similar or the same as Afzelia wood. I did manage to get one blank out of it yesterday, but no "eyes" on this section.

I learned a lesson; no more wood blanks that are not stabilized.

Russ
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
Morning over here perhaps I am of a different mind set but every piece of burl I have turned has the potential to disintergrate being made up of grain running in every direction. I live in the land of Burled beautiful timber.

Reading so many turners rush to the conclusion it must be stabilised etc, this is the thought furthest from my mind, perhaps because I choose to turn only stable blanks that I store for a time to make certain at least they are dry eliminating all the factors inherent in blank failure I can.

I should have qualified my remarks. I rarely use stabilized wood. But I also rarely turn a piece I've just received. I usually will wait at least 6 months before I use a new piece. And to my knowledge, I've never had a finished pen crack. But a wood needs to be dry before stabilizing anyway, so really, the wait for a wood to dry isn't in the equation.

I do think that if someone is having a problem with a particular wood, then stabilizing is a good option. IMHO:rolleyes:

I also agree with you on Brown Mallee burl. I love that timber.
 

rebel1

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
61
Location
richmond hill ga.
It was a stabilized blank from Bad Dog Burls, I have used them for two years and I am very happy with there blanks. I will get the pen in the mail on Monday and will be able to see if the blank cracked or the CA finish.
 
Top Bottom