Cheap but looks nice!
- Thread starter Dale Allen
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its_virgil
Member
Nice pen and adding the wooden finial on the cap hardware is a nice touch. It is a bit thick for my taste but its your pen and personal preference is not debatable. So, if you like it then that is all that matters.
Blood wood is a favorite of mine to turn. It turns great for me and I love the aroma of bloodwood when turning. I have a couple of blood wood pens that I use. They are a few years old and have not changed color...not darker and not redder. Are you sure it is bloodwood and not red heart? Redheart will fade to brown eventually.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Blood wood is a favorite of mine to turn. It turns great for me and I love the aroma of bloodwood when turning. I have a couple of blood wood pens that I use. They are a few years old and have not changed color...not darker and not redder. Are you sure it is bloodwood and not red heart? Redheart will fade to brown eventually.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
CharlesJohnson
Member
Bloodwood turns good for me so far. Of course, now that I say that, I'll probly be in a lot of throuble with a favorate wood. Good looking pen.
Hexhead
Member
Nice pen, and I like the way you displayed it.
Dale Allen
Member
Thanks all for the comments.
It says bloodwood on the label, from CSUSA, so I'll have to trust them as I don't have any others to compare.
What I found is that is splits easily when drilling and will catch and tear itself apart when working it on the end-grain. This is also typical of many other woods that have very straight grain. I just need to remember these facts and proceed accordingly. I have enough for another 6 pens so it will get used again. I'm also thinking this would be a great contrast wood for segmenting and celtic knots.
It says bloodwood on the label, from CSUSA, so I'll have to trust them as I don't have any others to compare.
What I found is that is splits easily when drilling and will catch and tear itself apart when working it on the end-grain. This is also typical of many other woods that have very straight grain. I just need to remember these facts and proceed accordingly. I have enough for another 6 pens so it will get used again. I'm also thinking this would be a great contrast wood for segmenting and celtic knots.
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Dalepenkala
Member
Nice looking pen Dale! I personally enjoy turning blood wood. It takes a great shine taking it down to 1200 - 1500 and a French polish or CA finish!
jttheclockman
Member
Hello Dale
Nice pen and not sure what problems you had with the blanks but Bloodwood is some of the easiest woods to turn and does make for a nice looking pen. You are right about a few things. The redwood that is being sold today by various vendors is not the same bloodwood of old. This wood is not oily like the exotic bloodwood which is also more dense and has a tendency to splinter more. I am not sure where each species of bloodwood comes from so I won't mention it. I talked to my wood guy just a few weeks ago and he too has a hard time getting true bloodwood in. No this wood will not get any redder nor will it turn brown. It is straight grain as opposed to Redheart which has more pronounced grain pattern and will turn brown if not top coated. Here is a cross that I make with Redheart and brass scrolled letters. You will notice the grain is more pronounced.
Here is true exotic Bloodwood I used in the making of the Celtic knot pen. This wood will stay red and never brown and will get deeper as it ages. Love this wood for accent wood. It is used alot in segmenting work.
I too would use the remaining blanks as accent pieces such as with maple. It looks abit like a dark mahagony. Keep up the good work.
Nice pen and not sure what problems you had with the blanks but Bloodwood is some of the easiest woods to turn and does make for a nice looking pen. You are right about a few things. The redwood that is being sold today by various vendors is not the same bloodwood of old. This wood is not oily like the exotic bloodwood which is also more dense and has a tendency to splinter more. I am not sure where each species of bloodwood comes from so I won't mention it. I talked to my wood guy just a few weeks ago and he too has a hard time getting true bloodwood in. No this wood will not get any redder nor will it turn brown. It is straight grain as opposed to Redheart which has more pronounced grain pattern and will turn brown if not top coated. Here is a cross that I make with Redheart and brass scrolled letters. You will notice the grain is more pronounced.
Here is true exotic Bloodwood I used in the making of the Celtic knot pen. This wood will stay red and never brown and will get deeper as it ages. Love this wood for accent wood. It is used alot in segmenting work.
I too would use the remaining blanks as accent pieces such as with maple. It looks abit like a dark mahagony. Keep up the good work.
SDB777
Member
Keeping those drill bits scary sharp will help some with the blanks coming apart during drilling....might have been just a little too much pressure vs. sharpness happening(I've even noticed new drill bits are dull sometimes).
The finial is a nice touch too!!
Scott (keep them coming) B
The finial is a nice touch too!!
Scott (keep them coming) B