Green Wood

[goldentouch]

I have seen a lot of pen blanks on Ebay and it doesn't say if they are wet or dry. Do you have to wait until dry or can you turn wet blanks. I rough turn my bowls and let them dry and return. That is why I was asking about the pen blanks do they wrap?

 

[jimr]

Green blanks will warp and check. However, a lot depends on what the wood is. I cannot give you a list of wood that is less prone to warp in the green blank stage. I do know that I have used green privet, ash and elm to turn and complete pens. So far none have shown any signs of distortion. My opinion so far is that in the turning and sanding process the wood has dried enough to be stable. I suspect that the wood is so thin in a turned pen that the drying process has been speeded up. This will not work in thicker turnings, even in candlestick size. This is just my un-scientific theory, so proceed with caution.

 

[low_48]

Personally, I would never recommend using wet wood for pens. If they had any wild grain, or a knot, it will definitely crack. A blank is very easy to dry. If you cut it down to 1" square x 6" long it will dry in no time. Some guys use a dehydrator, I put my blanks on the furnace trunk line this time of year. Blanks on the furnace duct will dry in about 3 weeks, and that's more than 100 blanks. If I'm really in a hurry, I take the blank and also cut it to a rough length. I put it in the microwave and give it short 30 to 40 second sessions. Let it cool between and in less than a hour you have a blank ready to go.

Rich

 

[Daniel]

In my experience wet wood wiill develop crcks, even slightly wet wood.
Bill Baumbeck has often stated that wood for pens needs to be extremely dry even to stabalize it. something like 6-8 precent moisture content.
luckely this is not hard to do with such a small piece of wood.
E-bay is a crap shoot. some will list that there blanks are green or wet.
others allow you to assume for yourself. and others will tell you they are dry. all the ones I have bought lately are dry and that is over 700 blanks.
I will be puting up anouther grab bag ad today for bundles of low cast woods. possibly 6 different varieties this time. for the really fine woods you are better of dealing will Bill. I watched two auctions yesterday that some really fantastic blanks went higher than $8.00 each.
and one fo those is not finished yet. e-bay is tough, you have to know what the wood is worth in other places. there is a buy it now auction for 100 Zebrawood blanks that works out with shipping and all at 70 cents per balnk. you can get the same wood from P.S.I. in bundles of 10 blanks for 71 cents each.

 

[jjudge]

I'd assume most all the pen blanks on eBay are dry.
All of the ones I got from eBay were.

-- joe

 

[wayneis]

Then from my experence you would have assumed wrong. I've bought wood blanks several times on Ebay and although most were dry, I've had at least two experences where it was pretty wet. The only thing that was dry was me, because I was pretty burned, twice in fact.

My rule of thumb for Ebay is never assume anything, either know what you are getting or don't get it.

Wayne

 

[wayneis]

ebay tip, if anyone is looking for Good quality maple of different types, burl, quilted, spalted, figured etc. look for a company by the name of "Bell Forrest". They are in the U.P. of Michigan and the have just georgeous woods. I've bought from them a couple of times and I was extremely satisfied. I bought some birds eye that was also burl and figured, it was just outrageously beautiful.

Wayne

 

[woodspinner]

Remember that assume is spelled
ass u me To assume makes an ass out of u and me.

Bill

 

[goldentouch]

I would have to agree and being new I am going to relay on most of you to help me get by some of the early mistakes. I had 3 mesquite boards that I threw away will milling some mesquite for a man 5 years ago. I went out yesterday and angle cut it on the bandsaw. Boy it sure had some pretty grain and it was dry as a bone. Have to go thru my scrap pile a little more careful. I did order the lacewood blanks from Daniel and Olive from American Eagle Tears. I have several pieces of maple burl I was going to use for boxes but think I will resaw them into pen blanks. Thanks to all the replys and answers to my questions.