Dakota Burl pen

[low_48]

This material came from a sheet of 3/4" thick Dakota Burl. It is made with wheat straw in the middle of the sheet, then layers of sunflower seed hulls are pressed on each side. The straw is too much of the sheet, so I resawed it by saving as much of the skin as possible. I glued the skins together to get a light 5/8" square blank. This stuff is really "chippy". I thought the black palm was bad, but this stuff is worse!!! I used a skew to get within a 1/32 of the final dia., then sanded the rest of the way in. On a couple of pens I had to glue hulls back in to fill the voids. One pen was turned, the other spiralled on the Legacy Milling Machine.


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[jwoodwright]

You do like a challenge.[] Great job, again... Have you tried Moose Nuggets[?] They're big up here. Earrings, Tie Tacs, Cuff Links, Key chains... I've got a lot of Moose Nuggets here in Anchorage. What'ya think[?][]

 

[low_48]

Thanks for the laugh John. I am a modelmaker by day at Caterpillar Inc. and create and invent all day. I guess it's tough to shut off the brain in the evening. Moose nuggets you say? I bet if I try a stabilizing agent in a mason jar under a vacuum, or it that using dish washing liquid to stabilize, or is it........?[] Wait a minute, lets start a new forumn on using animal bi-products for pen construction!!! The ultimate renewable resource!!

 

[its_virgil]

I've turned a few pens from dakota burl and did not experience what you described. It turned very nicely and polished to an exceptional finish. The mfg of dakota burl also makes another product similar to dakota burl from wheat straw. I think it is called bio-fiber, or bio-fiber is the name of the mfg. I have not turned the wheat product. they also make another product from shreded newspaper that turns nicely and looks good. It is called environ and comes in three or four colors. I have seen counter tops and table tops made from dakota burl and it really looks nice on large surfaces.
Do a good turn daily!
Don