What type of wood?

[programmergeek]

I need an ID on this wood. I bought a mixed pack of 100 different woods and it came with 1 piece of this. My wife loved it and I went to make a pen for her and it cracked both pieces. I tried to strip it glue it and refinish but cracked again. I am so pissed that these pens keep cracking on me! Anyhow determined to make it work and feeling bad that she still does not have a pen I want to buy more of this wood so I can make her, her pen. but I have no idear what it is.

It is pretty hard had a really nice shimmer to it, a bit oily, grain is pretty open similer to oak but not as bad.

 

[thewishman]

Looks like it might be bloodwood. But it is probably just a form crack wood - you keep buying more, hoping it won't crack.

 

[bradh]

Could also be Redheart. Those circular grain patterns are common on the Redheart I have turned.

 

[louisbry]

Looks like bloodwood to me. From my experience bloodwood is not prone to cracking so if it is bloodwood it could be that the blank was not dry enough. It also looks a little bit like redheart, but I have no experience with redheart. My guess is that if you obtained a good piece of bloodwood your wife would love it also.

 

[programmergeek]

Bloodwood sounds correct. Where is the best place to get some?

It cracked during assembly not sure why I doubt moisture had much to do with it that would of cracked over night.

 

[Russianwolf]

call it a hunch, glue residue in the tube. Or, not having the part aligned just right when you pressed it in. Both cases will expand the tube more than you want and cause the outside material to crack.

As far as where to get more. BigRob777

 

[jimbob91577]

Looks A LOT like Redheart to me. And it was probably wet. Was the wood easy to turn, or was it dusty and chippy?

 

[programmergeek]

Not really dusty maybe a little chippy. Didn't seem to wet. Guess it is time to invest in a moisture meter. The tubes where difinally clean I doubled checked that twice and it did press stright. I really made sure of that since I had issues onthe first one and in general with pens cracking.

 

[mikemac]

I've turned alot of bloodwood, and I'm pretty sure that's what it is...

 

[GouletPens]

I've turned PLENTY of bloodwood and redheart, and everything you've said describes bloodwood to a T, especially the cracking! Redheart is significantly lighter than bloodwood and WAY easier to turn, you'd know the different right away if you turned one of each. Also, redheart will lose it's color very quickly in the sun, which is why I don't make it anymore. After a few weeks of sitting on a desk with a window in the room, the beautiful red that you selected for the pen will turn to this ugly bloody-stool color. BLECH!