Ebony finshed with BLO.... What to expect ?

[les-smith]

I just finished an ebony european twist pen that I finished with boiled linseed oil only. It really looks good. Is this a good finish for the pen? How can I expect the pen to age with this type of finish? Thanks, Les.

 

[Skye]

No idea. I do know that BLO will heat up the CA, which I wouldent think is a good thing for ebony. I would leave it unfinished, or maybe just a little oil.

 

[DCBluesman]

Assuming you are talking about Gaboon (Nigerian) ebony, you shouldn't have any problem with the pen or the finish. BLO will wear off fairly quickly, leaving behind the beautiful ebony. With regular use, the ebony will take on its own soft lustre, since it is a fairly oily wood. BTW, Skye, the heat produced by the application of BLO to CA is due to accelerating the curing of the CA.

 

[les-smith]

I built the pen for a guy at work that is going to buy it. I'm not sure that it is Gaboon (Nigerian) ebony. I would guess that it isn't, I bought it at Woodcraft for $3.00. Should I go ahead and sell it to him or will the finish change to look worse before it looks better.

 

[DCBluesman]

I would sell it. Just advise him that if it loses its shine, he can just polish it back up with some good furniture wax. BTW, $3 a blank at Woodcraft sounds like it probably IS Gaboone ebony.

 

[les-smith]

Thanks Lou. I appreciate your input.

 

[jthompson1995]

I have only used BLO or Tung oil as a finish on all of the ebony pens I have done and it holds up pretty well. I usually give it a couple of coats 1 day apart, then let it cure for a day and buff it withEEE and White diamond, or sometimes just white diamond. this really brings up the shine on the pen.

I have also used this finish on other hard, oily woods like cocbolo, teak and lignum vitae. The finish get shinier with more use and hold up very well. And you can't beat the silky smooth feel of the wood when finished this way (biggest reason I do it).

Just my $.02

 

[les-smith]

The more I read on the Forum, the more I see I might need a buffer. Hey Jason, Do you have a buffer wheel set up or do you use your lathe?

 

[jthompson1995]

I use my lathe and have separate buffing wheels on MT2 mandrels. I got them fron Arizona Silhouette. I can't wait until I can get another lathe to dedicate to a 3-wheel buffer. I use it for all of my pens and it would be nice not to have to switch them all the time.

 

[Ron Mc]

I would also warn your buyer that the pen is more than likely going to crack at some point. Especially if left in the car during the summer. (Yet I am not sure that this even matters).[]

I ran a test for about a year with two Gaboon (Nigerian) ebony cigar pens. One in the center console of my truck and one sitting in my office. They both eventually cracked.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

[jthompson1995]

I had someone give me a tip a while ago to use a glue called GOOP when making ebony pens. I found it at the craft store and is as strong as CA but stays flexible when cured. I have made a few ebony pens and none of them have cracked (yet). The glue is a type of modeling cement I think and comes in a metal tube like toothpaste. I'll keep checking on the pens I've made but hopefully they'll hold up pretty well.

P.S. I limith the pens I make from ebony to ones that have a fairly thick wood thickness on the finished blank to help with the cracking problem as well.