this is scary

[chartle]

Anyone have this happen. Its from a huge hunk of African Rosewood that I got from my wife's uncle.

https://youtu.be/Sff3hr9zH2g

I made it months ago for the last slimline contest as far as I know it wasn't dropped.

I have no idea what the moisture content was.

 

[JimB]

I've only ever had one pen crack like that. I forget what the wood was but I do remember it was prone to cracking. Like yours, it happened several months after I made the pen. It happens.

 

[its_virgil]

Yes. More than once. Scary? Why? Wood cracks. Some worse than others. Use stabilized wood or stay away from the ones that crack. Sorry it happened to such a nice looking pen.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Anyone have this happen. Its from a huge hunk of African Rosewood.

I made it months ago for the last slimline contest as far as I know it wasn't dropped.

I have no idea what the moisture content was.

 

[chartle]

Yes. More than once. Scary? Why? Wood cracks. Some worse than others. Use stabilized wood or stay away from the ones that crack. Sorry it happened to such a nice looking pen.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Anyone have this happen. Its from a huge hunk of African Rosewood.

I made it months ago for the last slimline contest as far as I know it wasn't dropped.

I have no idea what the moisture content was.

Sorry scary was a tad over the top. I think it was scary because it could happen months later.

 

[1080Wayne]

Some woods take a very long time to reach ambient moisture conditions . The fact that it took months on a thin section on a pen gives you some idea of the time it can take on a larger piece .

 

[jttheclockman]

Do you see the knot on the front of that blank. That is why it cracked. That wood will not be able to expand and contract naturally around that knot. Never a good idea to use a blank that has knots such as those in it. Asking for trouble. Just my opinion.

 

[lwalper]

I had one do something similar - osage orange, no knots, but of questionable moisture content. On disassembly I noticed a poor, POOR glue-up. I'm surprised it held together long enough to turn originally.

 

[MTViper]

Had it happen on snakewood a couple of times and on a candleholder made from B&W Ebony. That was definitely a moisture problem. I don't turn snakewood thin any more.