Cracking a finished blank - lesson learned

[Carl Fisher]

Well, I had an absolutely stunning piece of silver maple turned down at lunch today. It had some of the nicest figuring and sheen I've turned to date and even some natural defects I was able to fill with CA and turn into great highlights. I didn't even have to do any finish other than micro mesh the bare wood and apply some wax. Silver maple is so hard that it almost polishes like plastic.

The trouble started with a tube that grabbed too early while inserting. I had to cut it flush and glue a short piece in the other side to make up the difference. I turned it down and polished it up and went to press it all together. Put the tip into the side with the short piece of tube and it cracked the entire bottom of the blank. I was sooooooo bummed.

I saved the upper but without the matching lower, it's just not the same. Ended up slapping a walnut lower on and put it in my personal collection as an oops pen as a reminder that if you start out bad, stop and find a way to make it right and fix what you know will be wrong down the line.

 

[Monolith]

That stinks! Any pics of the blanks, anyway? Your description of that silver maple left me desperate to see it. :biggrin:

 

[Carl Fisher]

I just turned another silver maple blank but all I had left on hand was a slimline kit not nearly as nice as the last one. Each one seems to have it's own hue and sheen to it.

I can get a picture of this one and at least the upper from the nice one. I trashed the lower trying to get the transmission out to see if I could salvage anything.

 

[Carl Fisher]

Here are some quick samples. There is no finish on there except for running through the micro mesh, friction polish and some renwax. Not quite as shiny as CA, but if I spent some time wet sanding and put it on the buffing wheel, I think I could get it pretty close.

I think I'm going to turn a contrasting center band and ditch that blah slimline one. Work for tomorrow night

 

[Monolith]

Oooh, pretty! Thanks for the pics!