Snake & Purpleheart wood

[Reb]

This is a newbe question- After I finisded up boths woods, why do I see whay looks like tracks on both sides of the wood, appears to be 180 degrees apart?

 

[Russianwolf]

picture please?

We need to know what you are trying to describe. It could just be the grain pattern that you are seeing.

 

[Reb]

Here's the pic's sorry there not better

 

[sbell111]

What do you mean 'tracks'?

What is your sanding/finishing method?

 

[fafow]

I have done a few pens that have had the look you are describing. I have been told that it is the fibers or cells of the wood that are causing that look. I don't know if all wood, but at least many woods have the cell structure open enough so that you can take a piece of it and blow through the wood. You are actually blowing through the cells or tubes of the grain. When you sand, these cells get cut into and when you are sanding along the length of the "tube" it will have this look when it is sanded open. I know I'm not using the proper terms or words for all of this, but that is the gist of what I have been told. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wrong on this.

This info is from my wife who has been taking woodworking classes at what is supposed to be one of the top programs in the country for making furniture. The first class discussed wood composition and they talked about the grain and how fluids go up and down these tubes. Since you have the same look at opposite sides of the wood I would assume this is the cause of that. The first pen I did with this effect threw me for a loop. I saw this after applying the finish and ended up sanding it down all over again and redoing the finish only to get the exact same look. I asked my wife if those were scratches (needed a second opinion, and I was very new at all this) and she told me about this effect.

 

[Reb]

Thanks fafow I was going nuts sanding and sanding and still getting the same thing.

 

[altaciii]

Every snakewood pen I've done has the same markings that go length wise on the pen. I have a half a log of snakewood and when you look at the inside (before cutting to size) you can see the black snakelike markings that are synonimous with that particular wood. I tend to believe that on the smaller markings are always on a different plane than the larger markings but I have never had anyone complain about them. I think they give the wood more "character" anyway.

 

[Russianwolf]

Okay, I think I see what you are asking about. Those two places on the wood are where you are seeing the true quartersawn aspect of the wood. The other areas around are pen are in various stages of riftsawn or plainsawn. (This is why I hate seing someone selling Quartersawn "XXXX" blanks, once turned round a plainsawn and quartersawn blank will look the same)

I see this same pattern in Cherry and Maple all the time on the quartersawn face. If you want to confirm what I'm saying, take a blank and without drilling it turn it round and sand it. Then have a look and you will see that the growth rings visible on the ends point directly at the "tracks".