Bill Pettit
Member
I'm the new kid on the forum. So just to break the ice I would like to show you one of my favorites.
This is a Gatsby kit with Hairy Banksia pod blank.
This is a Gatsby kit with Hairy Banksia pod blank.
A Pretty Hairy pen
- Thread starter Bill Pettit
- Start date
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WarEagle90
Member
Bill, that is a fine looking pen. Thanks for sharing.
robutacion
Member
Welcome to the IAP family...!
What an entry...! you have to be brave to tackle these blanks so early in your pen turning or, you have been turning pens for a while...?
You obviously took the blank to its final stages but inevitably you endup with the brass showing on both ends something that you couldn't avoid due to the diameter of the tube compared with the amount of "meat" you are left with when you turning the ends right to the bushing diameter, there are ways to get around that problem, one is to leave the ends a bit prouder than what the bushings tell you, some people paint the tubes brown to match the blanks' colour but the best option is to find a kit that lets you have more "meat" over the brass thus preventing the brass see through.
These are all suggestions based on what many other turners have worked out while attempting to turn these beautiful blanks into beautiful pens, make no mistake, you've done a lot better than many of the folks I know that tried those blanks so, congrats on going this far, lets see what you come up with next.
Best of luck,
Cheers
George
What an entry...! you have to be brave to tackle these blanks so early in your pen turning or, you have been turning pens for a while...?
You obviously took the blank to its final stages but inevitably you endup with the brass showing on both ends something that you couldn't avoid due to the diameter of the tube compared with the amount of "meat" you are left with when you turning the ends right to the bushing diameter, there are ways to get around that problem, one is to leave the ends a bit prouder than what the bushings tell you, some people paint the tubes brown to match the blanks' colour but the best option is to find a kit that lets you have more "meat" over the brass thus preventing the brass see through.
These are all suggestions based on what many other turners have worked out while attempting to turn these beautiful blanks into beautiful pens, make no mistake, you've done a lot better than many of the folks I know that tried those blanks so, congrats on going this far, lets see what you come up with next.
Best of luck,
Cheers
George
PenPal
Member
The Banksia family has heaps of appeal and sell well and are beaut gifts.I think your treatment of this pro made blank worked the way you did is a success.
Peter.
Peter.
johncrane
Member
Welcome to IAP Bill your pen looks very good great job!
mark james
IAP Collection, Curator
Welcome to IAP from Ohio. It's always nice to see the work of a newer member, and your pen and photos are great. (Robutacion's suggestion is excellent).
Excellent pen - not an easy blank.
Excellent pen - not an easy blank.
Woodchipper
Member
Welcome and I have yet to try Banksia. Great photos! I'm trying to master macro photos. My owner's manual is very limited in the process.
wolf creek knives
Member
Welcome from Montana. Nice looking pen!
Alan Morrison
Member
That'a good icebreaker.
Welcome to the forum
Alan
Welcome to the forum
Alan
Bill Pettit
Member
Thank you this by far is the best photo I've taken in a long time, out doors in bright sunlight works best for me...
Bill Pettit
Member
Thanks George of all the pod blanks I've seen yours capture the real beauty of both the hairy and body of the Banksia. I don't mean to brag "But" I think the banksia put me over the top 2 years ago when I was just showing my things, and was surprised to win this.
Attachments
thomgarner
Member
Bill - your craftsmanship is top notch and the blank is amazing ... Banksia is a wood I have not turned and looking at your turning makes me want to attempt it. Great job and your ice breaker photos goes a long way to melting the ice 
. Welcome Bill sending you the very best in all your efforts from Boerne, Texas
. Welcome Bill sending you the very best in all your efforts from Boerne, Texas
Charlie_W
Member
Welcome from Virginia!....,and great job on your pen!!
Dalecamino
Local Chapter Leader
Well done! I have turned one of George's Banksia blanks, and it was a pretty big hit with the forum.
Big enough to be a featured pen on the front page. Hats off to you and George.
Big enough to be a featured pen on the front page. Hats off to you and George.
George883
Member
Nice job.
robutacion
Member
G'day Bill,Bill - your craftsmanship is top notch and the blank is amazing ... Banksia is a wood I have not turned and looking at your turning makes me want to attempt it. Great job and your ice breaker photos goes a long way to melting the ice
Yes, Banksia is a wood that I offer as #45 wood that comes out of the same trees that produced the pods I use in these blanks but these are Pods or nuts as some call them, Australia has the most varieties of Banksias in the world many of which totally native to Australia.
Contrary to what many folks believe, the Hairy pods I use are not the same as the ones Bill show in that last pic with the awards, that is the most known pod of them all and the only one that is sold commercially, they are called Banksia Grandis pods, Bull Banksia pods or Banksia Honey nuts http://honkeynuts.com.au/bull-banksia-banksia-grandis/.
The second most known Banksia Pod/nut is the one I call Dwarf Banksia as it looks a miniature of the Grandis Nut, these have also other names as you can see here.
As for the ones I call Hairy Banksia pods or Banksia Hairy pods, I grow them in my yard I have 2 trees, like many other Banksias they are all native to Western Australia but some grow well in other areas of Australia, including South Australia where I'm at. I've seen some Councils use them on some public gardens and playgrounds but unless you know what to look for, they can be easily missed. One of the technical names is Banksia Praemorsa, cut leaf Banksia, etc., here are some of my own pic from some years back and I don't know about you but the one I have here are the purple flower ones and I can say I have never seen anything as beautiful as this
I have tried everything to try to preserve this stage of the flower/pod but I never could, unfortunately...!The "hairy" name I gave them is due to pods/nuts most identifying aspect when matured (takes 3 years), as you can see in this sliced mature pod,
the hairs are an intricate part of the blank when done, the body hardness structure of these pods are considerably softer than the Banksia Grandis thus making these pods a more friendly experience that in a way and for those that have turned a few of these big Grandis pods would agree, you almost need to have a full armoured bodysuit, particularly in the upper body as the "shavings" of this nuts hit hard and are sharp, I can not forget when I last turned these nuts for the Italian women show market where I turned 100 full-size pods at about 80 to 90mm diameter and about 1' long down to 52mm diameter, oh boy...! 
One other Banksia pod that is very rare that I have introduced here on IAP is the Banksia Speciosa pod, beautiful flower and the most interesting body shape/structure
some of the blanks I made that took great advantage of its shape and size were these e-cig blanks I cast a few years back and still have plenty 
Well, I hope that I managed to clear a few Banksia related issues, over the years many folks have become aware of all this but I feel its always a good time to share with new members a little of the knowledge and experience I acquired in years past so enjoy and pass on...!
Cheers
George
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turncrazy43
Member
Welcome Bill: Very nice job on that blank. Thanks for sharing that beauty. As George suggested, try a kit that will leave a little more meat at the ends. Suggest the Sierra Vista kit. And painting the tube or inside of the blank a brown will assure no brass tube showing through.
Turncrazy43
Turncrazy43