A day of firsts.

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cacardon

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2011
Messages
96
Location
Fallbrook CA.
So I decided to make a pen and pencile set, just for fun. I was thinking of what to make them of? Something matching. I decided after looking on this site to make it out of pine cones. So I figure that like anyother wood they would be consistent. Hard wood is hard all the way throu, and soft wood is soft all the way throu. If I treat them like soft wood I should be ok right? I couldnt be more wrong. First off they are a pain to make blanks out of, then at first big chuncks fly every were then once you finley get them round the brown is sooo much softer then the white and the tools cut so much more of it at a time that they are hard to kee round. But at last I prevaled and for my first pine cones not completly horrable. Then I decided to take pic's and post them, but I didnt know how to do that either so here is my first pic post.
 

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Well you certainly picked a challenge there :), and made a pretty good fist of it as well, we never stop learning with this addiction , most of these types of irregular materials are cast in acrylics or similar to give a more even handed turning and consistancy ,so to produce a pen in that material without that process is a worthy effort :) cheers ~ John
 
Welcome aboard from Arkansas!

Pine cones do indeed pose a challange, but that's what thin CA is for during the turning.....


What kind of 'cones' did you utilize in these two instruments?





Scott (well done) B
 
I'm not to sure what kind they were. My wife found them and asked if I could make some pens with them, as I have shown her some of the pine cone pens I've seen others make. But I am sure what ever kind they were, they were extremely soft and I'm sure the hardest kind to turn.
SSgt C.
 
I'm not to sure what kind they were. My wife found them and asked if I could make some pens with them, as I have shown her some of the pine cone pens I've seen others make. But I am sure what ever kind they were, they were extremely soft and I'm sure the hardest kind to turn.
SSgt C.

Welcome; Soft materials are often the most challenging to turn because of tear out. You did well and those look very good.

Flooding the pieces with thin CA will harden and strengthen the material. The CA gets in all the fine cracks and voids. You may have to do this more than once. If you do this on the mandrel, be sure to apply wax to every surface of the bushings and mandrel to prevent gluing everything together!


God Bless the USA!!!!!
 
Welcome to IAP!!! I'm impressed.. I've never had really good luck with pine cones unless they were cast.

Fallbrook.. SSgt... I'm guessing Marine at Camp Pendleton with a decade or more in? Not only welcome to IAP, but thanks for your service too.
 
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