What to do with some boring blanks??

[Justin_F]

Hi Ive got a heap of these blanks that I purchased in a length of timber labelled "black walnut". The grain is tight but the blanks are light. They look like they will make a pretty boring pen.

I'd love to know what you guys would do to get a more impressive finished product!

Jus

 

[ossaguy]

Maybe use for experimenting,like dying with food coloring?
I got some pic guard material and want to learn how to do it,but hate to ruin nice costly blanks so I plan on using cheap,boring blanks as "learners."

Steve

 

[AKPenTurner]

You could do some cutting apart. Here's a few pens I've done. These were done with birch with walnut.

There are SO many things you could do... whatever you can think up.
Good luck!

 

[ldubia]

Get several different colors of boring blanks and start gluing them up. Then cut them apart and glue them differently. Keep doing this and add brass shavings in gaps, copper shavings, etc. Just cut and glue until you ave an interesting looking patchwork blank. Then drill and turn. Use plenty of CA on the blank as you turn to help prevent blowout. The results can be pretty impressive. That whaqt I do with my leftovers and boring stuff.

 

[Andrew Arndts]

Hi Ive got a heap of these blanks that I purchased in a length of timber labelled "black wallnut". The grain is tight but the blanks are light. They look like they will make a pretty boring pen.

I'd love to know what you guys would do to get a more impressive finished product!

Jus

Boring Blanks for me means I just have to break out my stash of different stains. Boring is really another form for trying something new.

 

[mredburn]

I made cutting boards out of them.

 

[titan2]

You could run them through a 'Pen Wizard' if you have access to one. You could do a lot with that.....


Barney

 

[IPD_Mr]

Blanks like this are great for trying different segmenting, inlays, decals and on and on. The great part to this hobby is we are only limited by our imagination.

 

[Lee K]

I'd also add that wood will surprise you! One of my very early pens (2 months ago .. haha) was the same 'boring' walnut you described, but after turning, sanding, finishing ... it looks amazing.

For some reason the chatoyance really came out and the color variation made it one of my favorites ... all from a boring cutoff portion of walnut I couldnt use in the flatwork world.

PS the other 'segmenting' ideas are excellent as well, here's some that I did recently ..

 

[1080Wayne]

Looks to me as though there are 3 distinct colours in that blank . Drill it for a Euro or slimline so that all 3 will be on the pen , and it won`t be boring .

 

[wb7whi]

make bic stick pens

 

[BSea]

I just made myself a shop pencil from a somewhat ugly blank. It actually surprised me a little. I bought some of those small sketch pencils from PSI. Maybe I can keep this one for more than a day.

 

[NewLondon88]

I'd also add that wood will surprise you! One of my very early pens (2 months ago .. haha) was the same 'boring' walnut you described, but after turning, sanding, finishing ... it looks amazing.

I was going to suggest the same thing.. it could surprise you.
Sand one side to a nice finish, hit it with some mineral oil and
turn it under the light to see what you've got. You might have
nothing, or maybe you can't get to the lathe fast enough.

 

[navycop]

You can donate them to us newbies for practice...:wink: :biggrin:

 

[Andrewsignore]

cut them up into random angles with diffrent woods and glue it togther like a puzzle then cut new blanks out of that

 

[Bellsy]

Segmenting for sure....."Celtic"

Dave

 

[LeeR]

Glue them up with other color blanks, and use to turn larger diameter objects, such as wine stoppers, or tool handles.

 

[Frank Nemke sr]

When the tree was first planted they planted a black walnut tree after a year or two they cut it off and grafted english walnut starts to it, because english produce the best nut, but have a poor route stock. As the tree grows the trunk stays dark and the grafts are white. thats why part is dark and part is lite

 

[Jeff Barnett]

Black walnut does look a tad boring but it looks great after a finish.

 

[prophetmkr]

had to look that up - "chatoyance". wasn't sure that was a real word! It is. Learn something new pretty often....

 

[NewLondon88]

had to look that up - "chatoyance". wasn't sure that was a real word! It is. Learn something new pretty often....

Highly chatoyant woods are the holy grail for woodworkers..

 

[alinc100]

One thing I would consider is ebonizing the walnut to a rich,dark black color after turning to shape.You can dissolve steel wool in vinegar and it will react with the tannins in the walnut and change the color.
The pen below has a lower end made of ebonized walnut.You could also experiment with cutting,segmenting,inlays,etc.

 

[KenV]

1. Make freedom pens for the troops -- great practice and with Smitty's offer on euros you can branch out. Try different approaches and styles.

2. Use these as skill builders -- make runs of 10 or so pens at a time and look and think through how you do the work. Try to make super sure your tools are scary sharp, add curves, try things.

3. put them (with perhaps one or two better blanks) in a small flat rate box and offer it for free to new turners on the site.

4. Make contact with a local school that has lathes or your local turning club for teaching pen making to newer turners.

5. Practice tool techniques -- captive rings, beads, make ornament finials.