Barn Board Pens

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RDH79

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Mar 25, 2008
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Rimersburg, Pa, USA.
hi everyone, A couple months ago i posted that I was having problems with turning some old barn boards. I was limited to how much wood i had even thought there was a whole barn of wood. My aunt was so protective of the wood and only would give me a couple small boards. I took half of it and treated it in Min-wax Wood hardener. After letting dry for a couple weeks I tried to turn some. It was so sappy and sticky It was imposable to turn. So I cut up the rest and turned and treated with CA as I turned it. Thats the Sierra Clicks. So after letting the minwax treated blanks dry for over 2 months i was able to turn them into the slims.
The choice of platings was my aunts choice. Chrome for the Clicks and Gun Metal for the slims. These are all going to her kids there husbands and wives and grandkids. There was a total of 20 pens. I took a picture of the barn and and made little cards to put in the boxes.
Im really happy with the way they turn out. Going tomorrow to give them to her. Hope she likes them. Rich H
 

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Looks nice!

I just received an order this week for some pens from barn wood to be done by Christmas - I cut it up and it is yellow pine. In fair condition, but yellow pine is yellow pine. I was interested in reading what you had to say about your experience - thanks for posting.
 
That's really cool! One set of my grandparents passed away over the last few years and I've been trying to figure out something I can use of theirs to make some "memorial" pens with for my dad and uncles.
I'm glad you were able to do that and preserve some history. Really cool and great job on the pens.
 
Very good on the Barn Board pens, I too have made some pens from an 80 year old barn in Bath county, KY and also made some out of Tobacco sticks from the same barn. The barn wood was American Chestnut and the stick was Chestnut Oak, both turned very well and made beautiful pens. I will post the Pic's soon.
 
I offer a service I call "Historical" pens. Like you guys, I'll take wood that has special meaning for folks and make pens from it. It can be an old barn, fireplace mantle, tree from the homestead yard, whatever.
Usually, stabilizing is a must and it sounds like that is what you are up against. If needed I can toss into my stable pot and make old dry crumbly wood pretty,turnable and, most importantly, durable.
 
Those turned out really great. I did the same thing with our old family barn too. It was also pine and although the wood was solid, it sure as a brute to turn and even worse trying to sand it. It was dry and typical of pine with hard winter spots and huge soft summer grain. Happy to not go there again. It was cool though how I was able to salvage a couple of the old rusty square nails and inlay one into each of the pens.
 
Rustic option

Hi everyone,

Don't overlook the possibility of doing something more rustic with your pens. I like to pair barnwood with black enamel slimlines and turn using only the skew...no sanding, just burnish with maple block and coat with paste wax or friction polish. However, may sure you market the pen as rustic.

Other options are to try to leave some of the weathered look. Or could try your hand at painted finish, such as milk paint.

Just a thought on the other end of the spectrum.

Tim
www.iowacobb.com
 
iowacobb said:
Hi everyone,

Don't overlook the possibility of doing something more rustic with your pens. I like to pair barnwood with black enamel slimlines and turn using only the skew...no sanding, just burnish with maple block and coat with paste wax or friction polish. However, may sure you market the pen as rustic.

Other options are to try to leave some of the weathered look. Or could try your hand at painted finish, such as milk paint.

Just a thought on the other end of the spectrum.

Tim
www.iowacobb.com
Click to expand...
Now that, my unsuspecting friend, is the answer to my 1790 barn hickory. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
 
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