Best End Grain Woods

[simplepens]

I have been wanting to turn an end grain pen. I end up exploding the blanks. My spindlemaster is pretty sharp. BTW, I was using Cocobolo. Is there a wood that is easier to do? I have some Bloodwood, Lacewood, Bocote, and Zebrawood at hand. Any suggestions other than patience and to "use the force, Luke." (Had to get in the Star Wars...sorry, 36 year old Star Wars geek.)

Larry

 

[DCBluesman]

My experiences with end-grain are that "pretty sharp" won't cut it. Your Spindlemaster needs to be so sharp that you cut yourself looking at it. That and take real light cuts.

 

[woodscavenger]

Lots of good glue with a super scratched up brass tube helps.

 

[pen-turners]

Larry,
I turn alot of end grain woods. Most blowouts happen when you are first starting to turn the wood down to round. I have found that using a 1/8" parting tool to bring the blank slowly down to round. Then turn it down normally and use the "80 grit gouge" to bring to final shape.

Hope this helps,
Chris

 

[Scottydont]

If you have a router, it is fairly easy to make a jig to set on top of your lathe and use the router and a straight bit to make repeated cuts until you round out the blank and finish turning with your tool of choice. I know it is cheating for the woodturning purist, but it beats the frustration from blowing up pen blanks before you even get to the good part.

 

[simplepens]

I came home last night and just couldn't stay away from the lathe. I had another end grain Cocobolo blank to practice on. I tried the parting tool as Chris suggested. It worked!!!!! I couldn't stop myself!!! I turned it down quite a bit with the parting tool then switched to my spindlemaster which promptly blew out one end of the blank. But, I continued on and finished what I had. What a big difference in the look.

Lessons learned before an attempt with ZebraWood this weekend:

1. Glue, glue, glue on the brass tube.
2. Use the parting tool to take it down very small.
3. Baby steps, Bob. (Take small cuts)

Larry

 

[Old Griz]

Instead of the spindle master try using a skew resharpened to a curve blade format and honed scary sharp.. this works better for me than the spindlemaster... I have one and since reshaping my skew like Alan Lacer shows in his videos, I have had a lot more success...
Ask Mike about it... I redid his and he now can actually turn a pen... LOL...