Another amboyna burl pen cracking

[pete00]

The last two amboyna burl pens I have done are cracking.
The emperor and the Jr statesman I posted last week.

Both cut from the same block, both cracking the same way.
Straight across the barrel. Looks like I took a razor blade and sliced two or three circles around the blank. Odd its not following any grain or feature.


The block of wood was waxed when I bought it. I cut a piece for the emperor, turned and assembled. About a week later cut piece for jr statesman turned and assembled.

One thought I had was that the wood was not dry and it cracking because I didn’t take the wax off and let it dry.

But I did an afzelia burl the same way. Wood was waxed, cut, turned and assembled, no cracks to date, that was a few weeks ago.

Any thoughts and or comments….the wood is too pretty to stop using it.

 

[alamocdc]

Don't know what to tell you, Pete. None of my Amboyna has cracked, but I suppose yours could have been a bit wet.

 

[JimGo]

Pete, what finish did you use? Where is the crack? Could the problem be a crack in the finish, rather than the wood, caused by excess stress near the end of one of the pressure-fittings? Have you exposed the pen to rapid temperature changes (e.g., walking outside with it in your jacket pocket on a cold day)? Just a SWAG, but maybe it's the different rates of expansion between the different materials (brass tube, delrin, and plated brass) that's causing it. Again, just a SWAG.

 

[PatLawson]

Originally posted by pete00
<br />The last two amboyna burl pens I have done are cracking.

Pete,
I'm one of the people who have had about half of my Amboyna burl pens crack, (and most of my Amboyna was professionally stabilized too!) I've shied away from it now for that reason. But I don't hear many people say this about Amboyna, so not sure what to think.
I did want to mention that my Amboyna burl pens that have cracked have been straight-barreled, thin wood pens like your Emperor and statesman are. Pens like cigars and Euros in Amboyna have not cracked for me.
Anyway, you are not alone with your Amboyna burl losses.

Pat

 

[pete00]

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />Pete, what finish did you use? Where is the crack? Could the problem be a crack in the finish, rather than the wood, caused by excess stress near the end of one of the pressure-fittings? Have you exposed the pen to rapid temperature changes (e.g., walking outside with it in your jacket pocket on a cold day)? Just a SWAG, but maybe it's the different rates of expansion between the different materials (brass tube, delrin, and plated brass) that's causing it. Again, just a SWAG.

Jim
Well the cracks are on the top and the bottom about in the middle of each section. Definately the wood and not finish.

The finish of One is shellac, the other CA.

THe cracks are weird, there in groups of 2 or 3 about 1/8 " apart on both pens. The answer is in how there cracking i think, but i dont know what it means. They dont look like a normal strees crack.

Oh well, ill just get somemore and try again.

Im thinking i should test/carry/or put aside all my pens for a week or so before i sell or deliver them. So i can see what suppries may come up.


anyway.....spring is here...no coat today...AND i dont need to turn on ALL the heaters in the garage anymore.....[][][]

 

[Woodnknots]

I have also had problems with amboyna. For me, though, it shrinks after the pen is turned and cracks. I've done 3 pens from amboyna, and all three have developed problems. I've metered my wood, and it's about 10%, at least with the HF moisture meter.

 

[JimGo]

Hey Pete, can you post pics? I'm just curious to see the cracks.

 

[pete00]

Hmmm..... now you want a picture after i disasembled it, see next post....its not pretty......[]

this was the bottom of pen
the one on the right goes just about all around, the other 2 mabey half way

the top had about 3 cuts much straighter.

<br />

 

[pete00]

Originally posted by PatLawson
<br />

Originally posted by pete00
<br />The last two amboyna burl pens I have done are cracking.

Anyway, you are not alone with your Amboyna burl losses.

Pat

Pat
hmmm ....im glad we have each other in this,... i think ...[][] [][]

 

[wayneis]

I sure hope that you two haven't put a hex on me, I've turned quite a few amboyna with no cracks and didn't know that anyone was having problems. LOL I hope its not my turn.

Wayne

 

[Dario]

WHOA [:0][:0][:0]

Never saw anything like that crack! Almost look like someone tried to bend it.

 

[huntersilver]

Just wondering about the mositure content of your burl? I have have
a problem with cracking before, but it was due to this reason.

Also I try to leave some extra meat on the pen, not straight.

Hope this helps,
Michael

 

[gerryr]

I'm with Wayne, I fear the hex.[] I've made several pens out of Amboyna from Dario and none of them have cracked. I still have two pieces left that I'm hoarding. It must be Dario's top secret method of preparing the wood.[]

 

[JimGo]

I agree with Dario; very interesting and it looks like the barrel was flexed. From what I can see, it looks like they all start from around the same general line along the length of the pen.

How long after assembly did the cracks develop?

 

[pete00]

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />I agree with Dario; very interesting and it looks like the barrel was flexed. From what I can see, it looks like they all start from around the same general line along the length of the pen.

How long after assembly did the cracks develop?

The cracks started about 2 days after, on top and bottom of pens.
i got the jr statemsn doing the same thing.

so what we have is two pens same wood both doing the three crack dance on the top and bottom at about the same place.

I wish i had kept track of where i cut the blanks from. Im going to guess all the cracks are comming from the same section of wood.

Mabey it was just a week section and couldnt handle the strees of becomming a pen.

The jr doesnt look like its goiong to be as bad. Im not going to disamble that one totally (after killing my emperor im gun shy).

Michael, i never check the moisture.


so i guess we just move on.....pete

 

[Dario]

One final question Pete.

What glue are you using?

 

[JimGo]

Thanks Pete. I was wondering if maybe there was a slight misalignment during assembly that cause the cracks. But it sounds like that wasn't a problem.

 

[pete00]

Originally posted by Dario
<br />One final question Pete.

What glue are you using?

that would be CA....why, what thought had pop in your head..

 

[Dario]

Can you do an "autopsy" on this barrel [}]? LOL

Please peel off the wood from the tube and investigate if you have good adhesion especially where the cracks are. Maybe using gorilla glue will prevent your cracking problem. I use GG and never had that problem (knock on wood).

 

[pete00]

Originally posted by Dario
<br />Can you do an "autopsy" on this barrel [}]? LOL

Please peel off the wood from the tube and investigate if you have good adhesion especially where the cracks are. Maybe using gorilla glue will prevent your cracking problem. I use GG and never had that problem (knock on wood).

lol....take a look at the little bowl with the peices that are left,
if you can glue them back together, ill do the autopsy then.[][]

 

[Dario]

I thought the last picture is still intact. So this is teh one in the bowl now huh? []

Anyway, try gorilla glue on your next amboyna pen...who knows, it might help.