Most attractive wood for beginners

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putnamm

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I'm coming back to pen turning after 20 years. The big difference is that now i have kids of my own. My twin boys are eleven years-old, and they each have turned only two pens. They're still beginners. But they are getting "orders" for pens from relatives and friends for birthday gifts, etc. They have spun maple and cherry before. But I'd like them to be able to use something a little more unique.

Do y'all have any recommendations for a unique or unusual wood that is still easy for beginners to use?

They did try spalted maple, but both of them shattered the blanks on the lathe. I also considered some burls, but most seem too hard/dense for beginners.

Thanks.
 
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Burls are nice, but offer turning challenges. So, get them stabilized.

Still have SOME challenges, but odds of success are drastically improved!!

FWIW,
Ed
 
Mark, where in Texas are you located?
Send me a PM with your address and I'll send you some fun blanks for your sons - some olive wood (great figuring), camphor (nice chatoyancy) and some others that I think they'll like.

Edgar
 
Are your boys using a skew yet, or turning using a scraper of some type? This can make a big difference with the types of woods that are still easy for them to turn.
 
ed4copies said:
Burls are nice, but offer turning challenges. So, get them stabilized.

Still have SOME challenges, but odds of success are drastically improved!!

FWIW,
Ed
Click to expand...

First responder doesn't have a chance! LOL I knew my suggestion wouldn't hold very long!
 
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SteveG said:
Are your boys using a skew yet, or turning using a scraper of some type? This can make a big difference with the types of woods that are still easy for them to turn.
Click to expand...

Steve, all of us use small gouges, mainly a 1/2" gouge. I wasn't with the hobby long enough the first time to learn to use a skew properly, and the boys are just now starting. I would like for all of us to get to that point, though. But for now we're just using gouges.
 
edohmann said:
Mark, where in Texas are you located?
Send me a PM with your address and I'll send you some fun blanks for your sons - some olive wood (great figuring), camphor (nice chatoyancy) and some others that I think they'll like.

Edgar
Click to expand...

Edgar, thanks for the offer. We have quite a bit of wood on-hand right now. (My dad has been a woodworker for decades, and I've bought a good amount.) I appreciate the woods you suggested, and if you have any others to suggest please let me know.

Mark
 
When I first started turning pens I found Bocotte, Cocobolo, Kingwood, and Wenge both easy to turn and looked good. Although it has never bothered me, some people can be allergic to Cocobolo however, so I would advise they wear masks or air filters. I love the richness of Paduk but it is one wood that does bother me, for upto a fortnight even with a mask, so that is definitely "proceed with caution" .....

Tony Wells.
 
TonyW said:
When I first started turning pens I found Bocotte, Cocobolo, Kingwood, and Wenge both easy to turn and looked good. Although it has never bothered me, some people can be allergic to Cocobolo however, so I would advise they wear masks or air filters. I love the richness of Paduk but it is one wood that does bother me, for upto a fortnight even with a mask, so that is definitely "proceed with caution" .....

Tony Wells.
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I second the above and will add Spalted Maple, and Olive Wood.
 
You might also try curly maple. It has a lot more character than regular maple. Plus your kids can dye the turned blanks before finishing them for even more fun.
 
putnamm said:
edohmann said:
Mark, where in Texas are you located?
Send me a PM with your address and I'll send you some fun blanks for your sons - some olive wood (great figuring), camphor (nice chatoyancy) and some others that I think they'll like.

Edgar
Click to expand...

Edgar, thanks for the offer. We have quite a bit of wood on-hand right now. (My dad has been a woodworker for decades, and I've bought a good amount.) I appreciate the woods you suggested, and if you have any others to suggest please let me know.

Mark
Click to expand...

A few others that come to mind are Koa (get curly Koa if you can), curly or birds eye Maple, Kou (if you can get some with a nice mix of heartwood & sapwood). Those are all nice and hard, but turn fairly easily and really finish up nicely.

I also like to make pens, stoppers & other things from Eastern Red Cedar - especially if you can get wood with a good mix of heartwood & sapwood - the red & white contrast is really neat. Cedar is fairly soft, so it turns & sands really fast.
 
Olive wood ... so attractive, easy to turn, and can look "finished" without finishing it !
 
Most attractive wood for beginners...???

Well, that will be almost identical for non-beginners, with the most obvious being the handling friendly of some woods, compared to other, regardless if most attractive or not.

You may find lots of options within you own country however, if you look ate overseas woods, particularly, Australian woods, you may find some off interest among the woods I regularly supply. Sure, shipping has to be considered but in some occasions. buying overseas won't cost you any more than buy locally so, you have options and lots of them...!

Great to know, you are involving your 2 kids into pen turning, they will be the future of the art so, nest of luck for them and for you too...!

Cheers
George
 
Mark; Olive wood, Bocote, and Cocobolo make unique pens and are easy to turn. Use caution with the cocobolo or any members of the rosewood family. They can cause allergic reactions. Lung and eye protection from sanding dust is needed.
 
Mark,

You can always use pecan or mesquite. Both are abundant here in TX. I like all the ones mentioned before. When I helped my grandson turn a pen, we used tulipwood for his mom.

Steve
 
Here's another simple thought - play with prunings from whatever trees & shrubs you have in your own yard & try to use an area that had smaller branches growing from it.

I made a pen from a small limb (just over 1/2" dia) from my crape myrtle tree. It has a nice creamy color and a knot in one spot gave it nice character. Nothing particularly fancy, but a fun little experiment & a nice pen that has special meaning for me.
 
I really love Padauk, which I found in a 2X10 board at a local wood supply place here in Kansas City. I thought it was quite cheap and love the color. Turns very nicely and sands well. It is a bright reddish hue and it does look like a Cheeto exploded when you turn or grind it. It will turn dark after aging but Tru-Oil keeps it bright and red. Sunlight will also make it darker. Exotic looks for cheap, and everybody loves the color.
 
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