Poplar?

[Scotty]

I have an order for 30 poplar pens. This is from a board from an old house, heritage pens I guess. I cut a couple of blanks, knowing that it might not be very pretty. Anyone made any poplar pens? Pics you can share? I think I might make a couple, and stain one and let the customer choose. Any other ideas?

 

[fiferb]

Can you cut them on an angle and still get blanks long enough? Angle cut will often produce a nicer pen, even with a plain grain wood.

 

[Gary Max]

Yup----I have made several---personally----just make the pens and don't try and change the wood----it's poplar. The ones I made where for a family---the board was off granny's front porch floor.
If they would of wanted a burl that's what we of used----the pens I made where for sentamental reasons only.
Plus poplar is nice to work with and makes a real good feeling pen.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Scotty]

Thanks, guys. Angle cuts are a possibility. Will try.

 

[sbell111]

Yup----I have made several---personally----just make the pens and don't try and change the wood----it's poplar. The ones I made where for a family---the board was off granny's front porch floor.
If they would of wanted a burl that's what we of used----the pens I made where for sentamental reasons only.
Plus poplar is nice to work with and makes a real good feeling pen.
Just my 2 cents worth.

I completely agree.

If someone brings us a piece of sentimental wood and wants pens made out of it, we simply make the pens. I wouldn't angle cut the blanks as not everyone likes that look.

It should also be noted that poplar isn't ugly. It's not ambuyna burl, but that's OK.

 

[wolftat]

I have a board of mineral stained poplar that makes some nice looking pens. If you want some, send me a PM.

 

[bradh]

I have tried local white poplar. I found the grain color and grain width did not make an interesting pen, too plain. The wood turned fine, just uninteresting grain.
Last week I saw some pens made in the UK with black poplar and what a huge difference. I am trying to track down some black poplar to try myself.

 

[philb]

Burr poplar is a lot more interesting, has massive chatoyance and brown burrs/eyes!

 

[OldWrangler]

Sometimes if there is any underlying grain, fuming in amonia will bring out some nice color. Just turn the blanks and set in an airtight container with several teaspoons of ammonia. Put the pens up above the ammonia so that they don't get wet just fumed.

 

[JohnU]

Ive tried to cut my poplar so to get colors in the blank from purple, green, white or brown. The problem Ive found in Poplar is that over time some of the color fades to a brown.

 

[DurocShark]

I'm thinking a gentle dye job (yellow or orange-ish) would warm the poplar up.

I love working with the stuff, but it's tough to make it look like anything except unpainted wood. I've recently been playing with dyes for flatwork and am liking what I can do with them.

 

[KiltedGunn]

I use poplar for all of my working dog stuff...easy to get at the Big Boxes, stains up nice and very little grain to mess up the final picture.

That being said, I have LOTS of it lying around in varying odd sizes and have been considering trying a production run of slimlines with the intent of putting my website on them somehow (engraving or something) and handing them out. A local fella gave me an idea for a jig involving a straight bit and a router mounted over the lathe to produce them quickly...but it would depend on how they look <shrug>

Anywayyyy, used poplar a couple of weeks ago to teach my daughter to turn before we went to to an acrylics class (together we're now a 5-pen wonder! WooHoo! :biggrin. It's not fancy by any means, but it feels nice and she's using it daily at college. She likes it, and that was really all that mattered.

I was thinking of trying some of the MinWax Pecan Gloss Polyshades on a poplar pen...I do like the way it comes out on other poplar stuff.

Oh well, my $0.02 worth, I guess.

Lee aka KiltedGunn

 

[fyrcaptn]

poplar pens

I made a few poplar pens as I have tons of it. They came out about as well as most of the poplar things I've made... Nice, sturdy, WOODEN, but far from eye popping.
Make the pens and I'm sure they'll be accepted well.

This past Christmas I made pens from old Southern yellow pine. Its old plain pine. I kinda felt bad cause they were so plain so I also made a pen for everyone out of a different wood. The exotics came out very well and were well received. The stars were definately the pine.
It came from the house my dad built and we all grew up in. I put in a note about each wood and where it comes from etc. And I put in a note about the pine and that it was from the shelves in the living room that held the encyclopedias. Next year they'll all get a box made out of pine that help mother's music boxes - (assuming I'm still here then). Many years ago the house was sold and as happened, I knew the buyer. He let me get out almost anything I wanted. He moved the house and was setting it up and spilled a container of acetone near a heater and burned the house down.
From an outsiders view point I'm sure they'd wonder with everything that is available why bother with that old plain stuff.
I know my "stash" of family history is worth more to me than all the other wood I have combined.

 

[jeff]

I love poplar for flat work, but not for pens. A couple years ago my sister and some co-workers were standing near a tree that got hit by lightning. Scared them all half to death. She picked up one of the chunks that blew off and asked me to make some pens. I did, and they loved them, but I found them boring. I used black chrome Sierras, which looked nice with the greenish tint of the wood, CA finish.

 

[Scotty]

Thanks guys. I will turn them just as it is. Scotty

 

[Lulanrt]

I am sure they will be thrilled with them. Love this type of work. Good luck!!!!!
Travis