Sylvanite
Member
Lately, I've taken to finishing pens made from lignum vitae in their own resin. The process is very simple - essentially just a friction polish. I noticed one day as I was burnishing a lignum vitae pen barrel that, when hot, resin boiled up out of the wood. A few moments of experimentation later, I knew that this resin could easily become an attractive natural finish. Here's my process:
After sanding, fold a paper towel several times and wrap it around the pen barrel. Turn at high speed with firm pressure to generate plenty of heat from friction. The resin will naturally boil up out of the wood. I know it's there when it starts smoking. Then I reduce pressure, swipe the paper towel smoothly back and forth across the barrel, and reduce late speed. The blank will quickly cool and the resin will harden. The low pressure turning and constant sideways motion smooths the varnish and buffs it to a nice gloss.
Sounds remarkably like a friction polish, doesn't it? So far, it seems to be holding up much better than the shellac friction polish I used previously, and it adheres very well (better than CA sometimes does). The thought of finishing a wood in its own resin also appeals to me. There's a natural esthetic to it. I suspect the finish might soften at high temperatures, but I'm not planning to leave my pens in an oven. Lignum vitae naturally has a very high resin content, even when dry (moisture sensor says 8-9% on the blanks prior to turning). That's why they used to make bushings from it.
Has anybody else tried this method? If so, what was your success? Are there any caveats I should be aware of? Clarity? Durability? I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Regards,
Eric
After sanding, fold a paper towel several times and wrap it around the pen barrel. Turn at high speed with firm pressure to generate plenty of heat from friction. The resin will naturally boil up out of the wood. I know it's there when it starts smoking. Then I reduce pressure, swipe the paper towel smoothly back and forth across the barrel, and reduce late speed. The blank will quickly cool and the resin will harden. The low pressure turning and constant sideways motion smooths the varnish and buffs it to a nice gloss.
Sounds remarkably like a friction polish, doesn't it? So far, it seems to be holding up much better than the shellac friction polish I used previously, and it adheres very well (better than CA sometimes does). The thought of finishing a wood in its own resin also appeals to me. There's a natural esthetic to it. I suspect the finish might soften at high temperatures, but I'm not planning to leave my pens in an oven. Lignum vitae naturally has a very high resin content, even when dry (moisture sensor says 8-9% on the blanks prior to turning). That's why they used to make bushings from it.
Has anybody else tried this method? If so, what was your success? Are there any caveats I should be aware of? Clarity? Durability? I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Regards,
Eric
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