Got my first Blanks in Today

[wfsteadman]

Greetings again folks,
I am sure you can tell by my posts that I am really new to Turning. Got my Jet 12-21vs lathe in yesterday and today I got a box of blanks that I had ordered from Ebay. The box contained 154 Pen blanks:

11 each of
Osage
Black Walnut
Tulip Poplar
Black Cherry
Hard Maple
Sycamore
Hickory
Red Elm
White Oak
Red Oak
Curly Maple
Ash
Soft Maple
Red Cedar

So I figured I would probably just use one of each kind to learn how to turn, without making a pen but also figured I should ask if any of these are not very good for pens based on your past experiences.

Thanks in Advance.
Wally

Only a couple more items and i will get to start turning. Excited for sure.

 

[JimB]

I've turned most of them. You shouldn't have any major problems. Some are soft woods and others are hard woods so you will have depifferent turning experiences with different woods. Most importantly HAVE FUN!

 

[Sappheiros]

That's one of the most exciting parts, the anticipation of waiting for those packages. Sounds like you got a great start! Hope you start turning soon and have some stuff to show us!

 

[mark james]

I agree with Jim - HAVE FUN!!!

But, if you just want to practice - which I think is excellent. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, or any Surplus store and buy a .99 cent broomstick = 5' of turning joy! Chew it up; play with your tools, hold off for a few more days with nicer timber.

Welcome to IAP from Medina, Ohio!!

 

[wfsteadman]

That is a brilliant idea. Going to do pick up one tomorrow. THANKS

I agree with Jim - HAVE FUN!!!

But, if you just want to practice - which I think is excellent. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, or any Surplus store and buy a .99 cent broomstick = 5' of turning joy! Chew it up; play with your tools, hold off for a few more days with nicer timber.

Welcome to IAP from Medina, Ohio!!

 

[ADKBUG]

With only a few months of turning under my belt, I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with this craft. I hope that you do as well. Be safe and enjoy your creations!!!

 

[liljohn1368]

I've only been doing this for a little more than a year. So all I can say if have fun.

 

[Mr Vic]

I agree with Jim - HAVE FUN!!!

But, if you just want to practice - which I think is excellent. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, or any Surplus store and buy a .99 cent broomstick = 5' of turning joy! Chew it up; play with your tools, hold off for a few more days with nicer timber.

Welcome to IAP from Medina, Ohio!!

Our get a six foot 2.2 and go for it. I'll see if I can email you a tutorial on turning practice stick.

 

[robutacion]

Welcome to the IAP family...!

That is a great selection of woods you got on eBay, with time you will learn what to look for in a pen blank, what I mean is, the natural characteristics of that small single piece of wood that will provide to you the best chances of a very pretty dressed pen.

Wood grain, colours, density, and other characteristics will give you a great variety of different looks that will suit some pen kits better than others.

You will learn the wood's that will change/darken with time, and or have the colour fade away.

You learn to handle burl and burled woods, spalted and very soft woods, cross cut and other angled cut woods, and everything in between.

The idea of using any cheap piece of wood to practice on, is certainly a fair suggestion, I do however stress the point that, you should never approach a particular piece of wood or blank with fear or trepidation because it looks exceptionally pretty and was more expensive, remember that, they are all pen blanks and apart from very rare occasions, they are all easily replaceable if you mess out, in the scale of bad thinks that can happen, that is just a minor one.

With that said, it may sound/look that I don't give any value to small pieces of wood such as pen blanks or wood in general huh? wrong, very wrong indeed, you won't find a craziest person about wood, any sort of wood, pretty, ugly, heavy, light, rotten, dirty, old, with holes/cracks, etc., and anything else you will find that nature provided to us all.

Best of luck...!

Cheers
George

 

[stonepecker]

We have a re-store here locally. When I want to turn for fun and not spend an arm and leg.......I go there for lumber. My favorite thing is a hand rail. I can make tops or handles out of it easily. Also great for turning the different things the wife wants for the garden.

Great practice for the fun of turning.

 

[farmer]

Toxic woods

Greetings again folks,
I am sure you can tell by my posts that I am really new to Turning. Got my Jet 12-21vs lathe in yesterday and today I got a box of blanks that I had ordered from Ebay. The box contained 154 Pen blanks:

11 each of
Osage
Black Walnut
Tulip Poplar
Black Cherry
Hard Maple
Sycamore
Hickory
Red Elm
White Oak
Red Oak
Curly Maple
Ash
Soft Maple
Red Cedar

So I figured I would probably just use one of each kind to learn how to turn, without making a pen but also figured I should ask if any of these are not very good for pens based on your past experiences.

Thanks in Advance.
Wally

Only a couple more items and i will get to start turning. Excited for sure.

Cocobolo makes my skin break out in a rash !!!!!!!!!
Ebony makes me cough , Cedar is another wood that I have a reaction to .
The woods saw dust gets in my clothing , tee shirt collar and sweat and I have a reaction .

Some of these woods are very dangerous to some people ...
I have known people to invest 30k into making pool cues only to sale everything before he ever got home from the hospital after just turning a few pieces of wood ....

Wood Allergies and Toxicity | The Wood Database