Sinker Cypress, liking the grain

[Kirk Dietrich]

A friend gave me some scrap sinker cypress he had left over from some 3/4" Sinker Cypress he used to side his barn/shop. For a while, I was just turning straight line, cylindrical, pens; then I was messing with a chunk to to practice with some chisels on my lathe. I made some beads, convexes and concaves and that wood took on a totally different look from the straight cylindrical turnings I had been doing on the pens. Decided to try on a pen blank from the cypress and I really like it.

Kirk

 

[Bowl Slinger]

The profile is awesome!

 

[panamag8or]

Nice. How did it turn? I'm about to pick up some vertical grain sinker cypress and pine, and some river-recovered curly pine.

 

[Kirk Dietrich]

Thanks Bowl, it fits nicely in the hand.

Panama, it turns really nice for the most part. On some pieces, you will get a chipout but not often. It does take a fair amount of sanding to get the grain to be very distinct, the softer wood between the grain tends to fold over and blur the edges of the darker grain lines. Of course that is looking at it really close, which I have a bad habit of doing.

Kirk

 

[Edward Cypher]

Love the grain incorporation into the overall design. Very nice!!!

 

[PaulDoug]

Really a beautiful job on that pen. Great shaping to accent the grain.

I bought a board of Sinker Cypress off the internet. I was so disappointed when I received it. Just an ugly board. The other day I dug it out and decided to use it for some organ pipes I needed to build. These pipes won't show so I thought I use up the "ugly" board. Well once I cut into it was I surprised. Beautiful wood. Multi colors and beautiful grain. Now I find myself looking for more of it.

 

[Jon-wx5nco]

Very well done!

 

[Hendu3270]

Good looking pen for sure! If you have any larger pieces, that you're unsure what to do with, they will make really nice lidded boxes and small bowls. Great job.

 

[Kirk Dietrich]

Edward and Jon, thanks.

Paul, the boards are dingy and dark. If its been out in the weather, you really can't see the grain even on the cut end. That's funny how it turns out like that. I'll now get what I can as well.

Hendu, thanks. I think I have one "timber" that is a cutoff from a beam, maybe 4 x 6. All the other pieces are 3/4 inch thick boards that were his scrap cutoffs.
I'm looking out for more as well.

Thanks,
Kirk

 

[Jim Smith]

I'm usually not a big fan of slimelines, especially when people make it with a wasp waist shape. That being said, I really like the profile of your pen. It complements both the kit and the blank. Beautiful job, thanks for sharing!

Jim Smith

 

[Kirk Dietrich]

Jim, I appreciate your honesty in saying what you are not usually a big fan of, it makes your compliment that more meaningful. I didn't even know there was a name for what I just did - wasp waist, that's funny and appropriate; I was just trying to get some interesting looks out of the grain.
One day, I'll graduate to some nicer pen parts. Until the kids are out of high school and college, I'll be relegated to the more economical slimlines.

Thanks again,
Kirk

 

[mikespenturningz]

I would say you nailed that one. Very nice grain in that wood. I like the way the profile really fits into the grain.

 

[walshjp17]

If you are going to continue turning Slimlines, might I suggest Don Ward's recently published book, Turning Modified Slimline Pens: Beyond the Basics . It is an excellent treatise on how to raise the bar with this humble pen.

 

[Kirk Dietrich]

Thanks Mike. and Thanks Walsh for the recommendation.

Kirk

 

[ttpenman]

I turned some sinker Cypress years ago when the mill I worked for was selling it. Turned pretty nice as I remember and, if I recall right, smells nice while turning.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin