Rookie Blank Advice

[Fishindad]

I'm just getting started in turning pens, and I'd apprreciate a little advice on the best wood to learn with. I've made a few with Walnut, and they turned ouit pretty good, but I know I have a lot to learn. I'm not ready to try mastering a CA finish, so I'm using a friction polish finish for now.

Are there other woods that are easy to learn with, and will look good with a polish finish? Many of the unique blanks I've looked at in Rockler or Woodcraft have small voids or look like they could chip, so a CA finish would be needed.

Thanks!

 

[SDB777]

I learned on Eastern Red Cedar, it's sort of a 'soft wood', but the Janka scale has it at almost the same as Boxelder....go figure. But it polishes up really nicely.



Scott (most under-rated timber ever) B

 

[ed4copies]

Stabilized wood will be more consistent, but also costs more.

Maple, Cherry, walnut are great turning woods that are common to our area of the country.

 

[MikeinSC]

The best to learn with is whatever you have access too.

I filled up half of my truck the other day with Magnolia that a line crew was taking down. And a few weeks ago I found a small cedar tree that was dropped by another crew and left in place.

Ive had good luck in the past getting scraps from sawyers and furniture makers. Some of my most prized wood comes from a furniture maker that gets recycled LJ umber from old homes. A 10" drop is too small for them to use but a god send for someone making pens.

 

[David M]

In flooring department ( lowes , home depo ) you can get ssamples. .... solid cherry, oak and bamboo a lot of time . Cheap to practice on. Brazilian cherry is nice with ca finnish.Good luck
David

 

[Charlie]

I am with 777 cedar is a nice wood to start with. East to turn even with knots and easy to finish. Cheap at the lumber yard. Charlie

 

[low_48]

I'd suggest hard maple. You can get nice figure, it will shine from fine sandpaper, its cheap, and will take nice detail if you want to add some detail elements.

 

[magpens]

In addition to the woods mentioned, olive wood turns beautifully and finishes well with friction polishes. You'd have to buy that for $2-3 a blank but it is worth it for the smell !

 

[qquake]

I like bocote myself. Turns easily and has great figure. I finished these with spray lacquer.

 

[MTViper]

If you have a fireplace, you can't go wrong turning firewood. Look through your logs and see what's pretty and go to town. I second the idea of cedar, too. When I first got my lathe, I got a cedar 4"x4"x8' post and went to town. Shop smelled nice and I got good practice on a very forgiving wood.

 

[Fishindad]

Thanks for the advice!! Cedar and Maple sound like a great place to start. The olive wood sounds pretty interesting as well. I may have to look for that when I'm ready to expand my horizons past my practice slimlines.