Cracked HRB

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Dalecamino

Dalecamino

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I wasn't sure which forum to put this thread in but, wanted to get this issue out to as many of the members as possible. Mods can move it if necessary.

Probably my own fault that the cracks in this Honduras Rosewood Burl occured. I keep my pens in these zippered cases for convenience of taking them with me to show friends and, family. I think the problem is temperature change. Sometimes I have to leave them in the car for hours. It can go from warm to cold real quick sometimes. I could kick myself, because this is my favorite wood. :redface: So, be careful how you store this wood.
 

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You are now in Florida not in our frozen tundra. You will have to adapt and you should also let your wood sit for a while before you turn any new wood that is sent to you from other areas of the country.

Sorry for the loss. But on the bright side there is some Lucite on it's way to you. :biggrin:
 
Add this to Snakewood and Ebony as an opportunity to refinish -- and that is too nice a pen not to go through the refinish process -- as is normally done with most snakewood and some ebony efforts.

very nice pen -- understand your grinding of teeth.
 
Wood

Any wood can crack under the right (well ok maybe wrong) conditions - wood shrinks as it dries and expands if it absorbs moisture and unfortunately either can cause cracks. You need to let the wood age where you are going to turn it. It can also be a little touchy shipping to areas where the humidity is a lot different than where you do your turning.
 
Thanks to all for the advice. I've had this pen over a year since I turned the blanks. I AM looking forward to the Lucite :biggrin:

Ken, it definately IS worth taking apart and, refinishing. Thanks for the compliment.:biggrin:
 
Hi Chuck...

I live some 1,200 miles north of Florida and I have experienced similar cracks in a couple of HRB JR Gent II that I made about 5 months ago. They have been stored in the house and recently developed cracks last month. I had the blanks in my collection for about 1 year before turning them.

Wade
 
Welcome to the South, Chuck! The humidity here is really hard on cased pens.

I have found that if pens must be left in the heat and humidity for several hours (i.e. enclosed in a case) about an ounce of rice in a bit of panty hose will help keep the moisture away. additionally, if you must leave them in the car, put a microfiber towel over the pens and leave the case slightly open.

This has saved several pens for me.

Respectfully submitted.
 
NewLondon88 said:
I had a snakewood Gent crack after a year and a half.. I feel your pain!
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Yeh, never have even turned snakewood, for that reason. Thanks Charlie.

PenMan1 said:
Welcome to the South, Chuck! The humidity here is really hard on cased pens.

I have found that if pens must be left in the heat and humidity for several hours (i.e. enclosed in a case) about an ounce of rice in a bit of panty hose will help keep the moisture away. additionally, if you must leave them in the car, put a microfiber towel over the pens and leave the case slightly open.

This has saved several pens for me. Thanks Andy. Certainly worth a try.

Respectfully submitted.
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Chuck I have the mate to it up here in Indy. Mine cracked just a couple of months after turning. It also was my favorite and my first FP. It was never subjected to any severe temp or humidity changes. I think it just sometimes happens as they say.
 
rej19 said:
Chuck I have the mate to it up here in Indy. Mine cracked just a couple of months after turning. It also was my favorite and my first FP. It was never subjected to any severe temp or humidity changes. I think it just sometimes happens as they say.
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Guess it does just happen sometimes. I'm glad it was in my possession and, not after I sold it to someone. :eek:
 
Chuck,
I feel your pain. I end up letting the fancy wood sit in the garage for a while before I blow it up on the lathe. But on the bright side, oh wait that was the bright side.....
 
Sorry for the cracking. I know it is frustrating. I guess these occurrences lead to some thought about having (or looking to get) wood stabilized. I know that I just turned some nice desert ironwood burl that has started cracking on me. I soak in as much thin CA as I can to stabilize the wood, but some woods are just too dense and oily to to mitigate cracking.

I also wonder if heat generate during turning generates micro cracks that grow when wood swells due to humidity changes?
 
stolicky said:
Sorry for the cracking. I know it is frustrating. I guess these occurrences lead to some thought about having (or looking to get) wood stabilized. I know that I just turned some nice desert ironwood burl that has started cracking on me. I soak in as much thin CA as I can to stabilize the wood, but some woods are just too dense and oily to to mitigate cracking.

I also wonder if heat generate during turning generates micro cracks that grow when wood swells due to humidity changes?
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I'm thinking of saturating with thin CA, inside the blank after drilling, then drill again. But, don't think it will be much help with humidity. However, if the ends and, all surfaces are covered with CA, moisture should not get into the wood. Right?:confused: I've also thought that, HRB would be too dense for stabilizing. Unless, the blanks are drilled first.
 
Just one more reason the big pen manufacturers,(Omas learned their lesson well) don't make wood pens. I really love wood pens and I make a very few but as I do shows from humid coast of Texas to the dry desert of Arizona, I only take certain pens to both climates and never to both.
 
OKLAHOMAN said:
Just one more reason the big pen manufacturers,(Omas learned their lesson well) don't make wood pens. I really love wood pens and I make a very few but as I do shows from humid coast of Texas to the dry desert of Arizona, I only take certain pens to both climates and never to both.
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Thanks Roy. I believe you have a very good point.
 
Chuck, A few years back I made some Camphor burl pens to give out to family in AZ, the day I pulled them out to give them away I noticed that every single one of them had cracked badly and could not be given to anyone. I still have one sitting here to remind me never to do that again, they get DIW from then on.
 
wolftat said:
Chuck, A few years back I made some Camphor burl pens to give out to family in AZ, the day I pulled them out to give them away I noticed that every single one of them had cracked badly and could not be given to anyone. I still have one sitting here to remind me never to do that again, they get DIW from then on.
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Neil, it seems I recall you posting about that. Then I thought Johnnie posted about an HRB cracking in AZ. Can't rely much on my memory these days:frown: Anyways, I was thinking more all day and, had another thought. Human error, these blanks turn down Pretty thin after finishing and, I'm thinking I may have pressed the parts in a little too hard. They look fine when finished but, after time goes by, they finally have to give somewhere. What are your thoughts on this? Does that make sense?
 
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