Having problems with motivation...

[Phillip Kelley]

It is a beautiful day here in South Arkansas! Here is some pics of some spalted beech I picked up from a mill yesterday....I was going to turn it into pen blanks and possibly some large pieces for platters but since it is so cracked & checked I am having a difficult time getting motivated....it must be time for more coffee before I decide it is not worth reclaiming.....:coffee:

 

[jttheclockman]

Phillip, the good thing about pen blanks is they are a small canvas to work with. You can use them as your practice pieces and not be disappointed. You need to highlight the imperfections. If it were me that would be a perfect piece of timber to do some segmenting. I would fill the imperfections with black colored epoxy. I would use 2 small rings of black wood such as ebony on the ends of the lower blank 1/4" For the upper blank I would do something a little different and make 3/16" spalted, 1/16" black, 1/8" spalted,1/16" black Do this on both ends. In between a nice piece of that spalted.

There I designed you blank for you. Motivated me.

 

[Phillip Kelley]

Wow!

Now that is some great advice from a master turner....thanks for the ideas!:coffee:

 

[leehljp]

Phillip,

I have a considerably supply of wood to choose from for turning pens, but the cracked and hole-y wood are best. If you aren't into casting much, Epoxy with black is a good start for the filler. But beyond that, turquoise and other colors great add to the improvement of split, cracked and holey wood. And as JT mentioned, where the blank is not long enough, segments with black wood or holly or bloodwood or yellow heart greatly increase the appeal.