Grandfather’s loquat tree

[Curtis]

My grandfather's loquat tree died due to being flooded for almost 3 weeks about 2 years ago. I let it sit for a few months and it didn't come back so I cut it down and stacked it for cooking/fire wood. Last week I cut up the crotch of the tree and made some pen blanks out of it. This pen gave me some trouble. The first cap broke when I went to take the bushings off. ( I had too much ca on it.) I made a new cap and I fought the ca finish on it (stick fast). But it finally came together. It's a Kojent (woodcraft) wrapped in loquat.

 

[leehljp]

That is a beautiful pen. Glad you stuck with it.

Your problem of the CA breaking off on the pen when separating from the bushings was what drove me to using TBC (Turning Between Centers). Another method is getting a razor knife and scoring the CA at the bushing-blank line. That works for most.

 

[Curtis]

That is a beautiful pen. Glad you stuck with it.

Your problem of the CA breaking off on the pen when separating from the bushings was what drove me to using TBC (Turning Between Centers). Another method is getting a razor knife and scoring the CA at the bushing-blank line. That works for most.

I normally stop every other coat and brake it free and don't have any problems. But it was getting late and I put a few too many coats on it.

 

[Jim15]

Great looking pen.

 

[egnald]

Very Cool pen and outstanding story. I had never heard of Loquat before so I had to look it up. Did you ever eat fruit off of the tree? - Dave

 

[TDahl]

Very nice pen. I think it is great when there is a story behind the material used to make a pen. Well done.

 

[derekdd]

That's a new species for me.

Great job salvaging what seems to be pretty unique wood, and on the finished pen.

 

[Curtis]

Very Cool pen and outstanding story. I had never heard of Loquat before so I had to look it up. Did you ever eat fruit off of the tree? - Dave

All the time me kids also got to eat them as well before it die. I lost all of the little one that were growing on the property except one to the same flood.

 

[Todd in PA]

Love the pen and story.

 

[MRDucks2]

Quite Nice!

 

[Woodchipper]

Interesting story. The color and grain are awesome! Is loquat related to the kumquat tree? My parents lived in FL and had a kumquat tree in their backyard. Story: they made a few bucks selling the fruit to a guy at a flea market. He made preserves from the fruit.

 

[sorcerertd]

That has a nice color and grain to it. Is that Mopani that it's sitting on? I have used that stuff in several freshwater aquariums.

 

[Curtis]

That has a nice color and grain to it. Is that Mopani that it's sitting on? I have used that stuff in several freshwater aquariums.

I have know idea I bought it 20 years ago probably for a fish tank and it some how ended up in my parents garden till a few days ago. Might end up as a pen if I can bring myself to cut it. The shape of it looks like the the silhouette of a lady like o. A truckers mud flap.

Interesting story. The color and grain are awesome! Is loquat related to the kumquat tree? My parents lived in FL and had a kumquat tree in their backyard. Story: they made a few bucks selling the fruit to a guy at a flea market. He made preserves from the fruit.

Not the same family loquat. Loquats, also known as a Japanese apricot or plum, are in the Rosaceae family, the same as apples, pears, peaches and nectarines. Kumquats, however, are a citrus fruit — think of them as the smaller, tarter version of an orange.

 

[Burnpile]

There's few things I enjoy more than turning a pen out of some wood that has meaning to the recipient. I've turned pens out of old trophies, pieces of furniture, branches from trees that people have picked up on vacation, even my neighbors potty chair for him and his brother (I used a mask). I think having a story makes it more meaningful.