Roasted Curly Big Leaf Maple/Bloodwood

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from mark james

mark james

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
13,212
Location
Medina, Ohio
Another from wood supplied by the recipient: Roasted Curly Big Leaf Maple and South American Bloodwood.

IMG_1580.jpg
IMG_1578.jpg
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Mark, that looks great. Well done.

However, I do have a question. Lately I have been seeing posts from others with Bloodwood in their pens. All of them look much more brownish than red. I bought a bloodwood board about 15 years ago that was 6+ inches wide, 3/4" thick and 6 ft long. I still have most of it, but it is red and almost maroon, but definitely Reddish. I know that lighting and camera types and settings can change the posted photo color.

IS the bloodwood in your pen more red than it appears in the photo? Just curious about this.

My bloodwood:

www.penturners.org

segments '08

This is a view of the metal and wood segments from a pen made in late '08 and used almost daily since then. Do segments move, shrink, grow? Here is a photo of my one of my pens and experience.
www.penturners.org
www.penturners.org

holes drilled

Holes drilled for 30 pieces of sliver - picts
www.penturners.org
 
Last edited:
leehljp said:
Mark, that looks great. Well done.
much
However, I do have a question. Lately I have been seeing posts from others with Bloodwood in heir pens. All of them look much more brownish than red. I bought a bloodwood board about 15 years ago that was 6+ inches wide, 3/4" thick and 6 ft long. I still have most of it, but it is red and almost maroon, but definitely Reddish. I know that lighting and camera types and settings can change the posted photo color.

IS the bloodwood in your pen more red than it appears in the photo? Just curious about this.

My bloodwood:

www.penturners.org

segments '08

This is a view of the metal and wood segments from a pen made in late '08 and used almost daily since then. Do segments move, shrink, grow? Here is a photo of my one of my pens and experience.
www.penturners.org
www.penturners.org

holes drilled

Holes drilled for 30 pieces of sliver - picts
www.penturners.org
Click to expand...

Hi Hank. I agree with your observations as they are the same as mine. As mentioned, this was from a box of wood that all materials were labelled.

This Bloodwood is certainly not as "reddish" as some I have turned in the past. I also have some bloodwood spindles 2" x 2" x 10" that are waxed. I have had it for 5-6 years and it is as red as can be.
I have not turned it, as the last time (5-6 years ago) I developed a nice rash on my arms. I have been slowly giving away any of my "vibrant" Bloodwood stock.

However, the less red Bloodwood has not given me any problems.

I suspect the issue is where the "Bloodwood" has come from, as there may be different variables in play. I have confidence in the labeling of the material, but just as some Buckeye, Koa, Bird's eye Maple, etc are labelled the same/correctly, the appearance varies greatly (and I do know that this is common knowledge, especially to you ;) ).
 
THANKS Mark. (And I meant all caps as deep appreciation!) This has kinda worried me lately, but it does bring to mind something that I learned early on: In my first 1 to 1 1/2 years of turning, on several occasions, I either ordered or bought from a store a grab bag of different kinds of wood blanks. Most (but not all) of them were far more dullish (or original color lost) than if the wood was purchased as a bag of all red wood, or all yellow heart or all Purple Heart, etc.

They still made great pens!
 
@mark james

Very nice pen, Mark !!!

I like the accent "bands" .... tell me .... is there a thin black on one side of the white ? . If not, do you know a good optometrist ? ! . LOL ! ;):confused:
 
magpens said:
@mark james

Very nice pen, Mark !!!

I like the accent "bands" .... tell me .... is there a thin black on one side of the white ? . If not, do you know a good optometrist ? ! . LOL ! ;):confused:
Click to expand...

No need for a Doc. Your eyesight is fine (today 🤫 ). There is a very faint but present thin black line in the photo (the pen is already gone) which I can only assume is a glue line. I use 2 part epoxy.

EDIT: Why it is only on one side I'm not sure?
 
Hank I brought this up in various threads here lately. Most bloodwood sold today is called Satine Bloodwood and it is more brownish than red. True South American bloodwood is heavy and deep red with sometimes yellow streaks running through it. This wood will turn darker but always stay red. Satine will turn brown. Years ago and I mentioned this on another thread somewhere here, Woodcraft was selling turning square out and i bought a huge bunch of various kinds and one I thought I was getting was Bloodwood because in the photo it was true red. But it turned out to be Satine bloodwood and is not what i wanted but at the price I kept them. I have boards of true bloodwood that are very heavy. Even though it cuts well it will splinter. I use for those special projects as my exotic wood dealer has never rebuilt after the fire in his place. relying on internet sites for exotic woods can be a crapshoot.
 
mark james said:
No need for a Doc. Your eyesight is fine (today 🤫 ). There is a very faint but present thin black line in the photo (the pen is already gone) which I can only assume is a glue line. I use 2 part epoxy.

EDIT: Why it is only on one side I'm not sure?
Click to expand...
My guess the epoxy reacted to something in the maple if it only on that side.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom