Small Limbs Nice Hidden Patterns

[joeatact]

Here is how I cut and turn small limbs:

This limb is about the size half of a slim line is in size. So with two you can make one pen.
Cut each piece about 1" thick. Then trim off the excess and drill your 7mm hole through the
center as usual. Glue in your tubes. Make sure you get good coverage and allow a good
ding time. Cross grain is harder so make sure your tools are sharp and go slowly!
If you click on the pen in the center you will see a picture of what the pen looks like
turned with grain and across the grain. You can find hidden pictures in small wood. Be
Careful cutting round and small pieces of wood.

Here is a link with pictures of the pens and results.
http://tinyurl.com/by3n7

 

[TexasJohn]

Nice work. The grain is very interesting. How long did you let the branch dry out before you turned it? Texas John

 

[joeatact]

John,


This wood was cut over a year ago now so it has been stacked in a dry area for that time. This wood does split as it dries out.

Joe

 

[jrc]

I have made 1000's of lilac pens this way. I use 1 1/2" to 2" fresh cut limbs and let them set for 2 weeks. I cut them about 18" to 24" long and quarter them on my band saw. Stack them for 3 or 4 months. Then cut them to size and put them in a Laundry basket because I cut 100's at a time and let them set for another 2 or 3 months. I do not worry about squaring them. You get a pen per inch of limb. I test them by drilling the hole for the brass tube and let the blank set for 2 or 3 days and see if if slides in the hole easy, if it does the wood is dry enought. If it is tight let them set another few weeks and try again with another test hole. When pen blanks are cut down close to size this way it does not take that long to dry.
One thing to rember if it has just been cut let it set for at least two weeks, it will not gum up the blade so much.