Trying to dig out my blanks in the cabinet... Just go from front to back :wink:
Before and after pictures.
Hey George... What is this... ? I think it is a... Pretty woody, bluish, type nice blank...
Turned like a champ - This one went great!
G'day Mark,
Get used to look at the blank identification (wood species) number, on one end (end-grain) of the blank, that one would have 44 (Vine -Shiraz red) written in black marker on it...!:wink::biggrin:
That one was part of the lot in the pic,
probably the top raw (no wormholes), possibly #2 or some other...!
I hope, I answered your question...!
It did turn out really nice looking, the blue dye on the Juice gave it more definition in between the "wood" fibre layers, vine is not really wood but makes easier to call it that...!
Separation can be a little bummer with that lot, the resin looked pretty firm to the vine stabilised outer skin but, with time, some blanks did separate (resin from the vine), some so slightly, other a little more obvious so, I always looked very carefully to the blanks I was sending and even on a very small gap I would drop some super thin CA and clamp them for a couple of minutes.
Fortunately, the repair/fix is the easiest thing but, if ignored, if can come apart when drilling or turning, one of the reasons that I recommend wrapping with tape, these sort of blanks for the drilling process. 99% of the blanks, don't require full manual separation for re-gluing, a simple couple of drops of CA in the gap, is all its needed however, I have since, and after many months after they were made and past this last hot summer days, I went through each one (4 different colour batches I've done at that time) and soak them at each joint with the 5cps CA so, they should be all and truly "welded" back together, a joint that is impossible to see that have had any CA in it...!
This separation is much less common when Alumilite is used however at about AU$1,200 for a 20 litre drum, here in Australia, I don't think that is an option I and any other pen blanks maker, can afford to use, just image for how much I had to sell each blank for...!!!
:bulgy-eyes:
You may be wondering, why am I telling all this, and probably scare people from trying some...! Well, I'm honest and I want to make sure that, every blank I make, gets its best chances to endup as a finished pen, the fact that, these batches seem to have had more "separations" that I would like, some have happened well after they left my hands, and there is nothing wrong with the materials used in its making, nor was a incorrect procedure from my part, I may have lot left the stabilized blanks cook long enough, it could have been some excess moisture in the air when I cast them, it could be a dozen other possibilities and maybe I will never know, I have done these before and after, without showing any signs of separation, even if very minor so, if I miss any little bit with the thin CA, you can always give it a second inspection and take the preventive actions to minimize any chances of problems...!
Nothing to hide, here...!
Cheers
George