New Baron... custom spalted maple from WoodnPecker

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from woodscavenger

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

woodscavenger

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Messages
1,491
Location
Boise, ID, USA.
I haven't put any pens up lately. The spalted maple baron is a beautiful peice of wood. I bought it from Bryant/WoodnPecker a couple of weeks ago. This wood is spectacular. Nice find Bryant. It turned beautifully. It is very solid. No punky spots.

DSC01849.jpg

DSC01848.jpg



This the first closed end Baron I have tried. When it is capped it is a little long for the eye and the pocket but in the hand with the cap off it is perfect. I turned this by using my PSI scroll chuck. I put a scrap of wood in the chuck. Turned a section at the base to the diameter of the bushing then stepped it down to the inner diameter of the brass tubing. I cut it off about 3/8" longer than the tubing to accomodate my extra drill depth for the rollerball spring. I drilled the blank the lenght of the tubing plus the extra 3/8" for the spring. Glue the brass in, squared the end, slipped it over the dowel and snugged up the live center and had fun.

The finish is different. I have trouble with CA-BLO on beaded surfaces and I don't have a good Beal system yet so I sanded lightly to 600 (although my skew was shepr enough I couldn't really tell a difference) and then used a couple of passes with EEE. I burnished with a paper towel then used two coats of Minwax Wipe-on Poly.

Comments are welcome on the shape. Although I love the length and weight, and the spalting is awesome, I think the shape at the end could be better. I need to work on that, it just doesn't work for me but it was fun to do something new. I have been a little burned out on the routine stuff.

The bowl is a little pot-pourri bowl I did from some 8/4 mahogany. Fun little project.
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Daniel

Daniel

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
5,921
Location
Reno, NV, USA.
That Maple is some striking wood. I have some of it myself. a few of the pieces even motivated my youngest daughter to finally ask for a pen. nothing in two years has caugt her eye until these blanks. of course she got her pick from the whole package.
I actually like the shape. I am not usually one for the beads but the top end actually caught my eye. different if nothing else. and of course it has that softer curve that is my soft spot. you repeat it on the cap which helps the balance with the cap on the pen. uncapped it tends to loose a little appeal for me. but not much. I've always been a fan of this nib.
 
O

Old Griz

Passed Away Oct 4, 2013
In Memoriam
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
1,977
Location
Hagerstown, MD, USA.
Nice pen and great change in shape... I have 20 of those blanks.. really have to get my butt in gear and turn one.. [:D][:p]
 
W

wayneis

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
1,948
Location
Okemos, Michigan, USA.
Beautiful job Shane, I really like how you did it. I think that I would leave the clip off and just make it a desk pen, maybe make a pen holder of some kind because of how long it is.

Wayne
 
R

rlh

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
96
Location
Angola, New York, USA.
Shane- Beautiful pen. I like the design and the wood! I have some Min Wax Wipe-On Poly but have never used it on a pen or any turned item. What finishing method did you use?
 
P

PenWorks

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2004
Messages
5,186
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
Very nice Shane, I think the end looks good. But I think the pattern in the middle broke up that flow to the end of the pen. The wood has enought beautifull grain that the middle section do dads took away from it. JMO
 
W

woodscavenger

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Messages
1,491
Location
Boise, ID, USA.
To answer Richard. The wipe one poly works well for me on the beaded type pens. I seem to get ugly buildup with CA between the beads that kills the details with the CA-BLO finish. You cannot use it on open pore woods without a sanding sealer coat. You can use a sanding sealer or a single thin coat of CA. The maple was solid enough I did not need anything. I turned it. Hit it with 600 grit paper very lightly then used EEE (it is a paste with a high grit abrasive some say is around 1200). I used 2 applications of EEE with paper towel and then pinched it hard to burnish the finish and evaporate some of the base chemicals in the EEE like you would a friction polish. Then I slathered on one layer of poly with a paper towel and set it aside until the next day. I then burnished it on the lathe with the paper towel to knock off a couple of rough spots and added a second coat not quite as thick. I let it dry 24 hours and put the thing together.

I appreciate the criticisms. I agree with most. I actually like the beads in the middle but on my next one I will end the pen shortly after the beads instead of having the 1" extension.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Previous Next
Top Bottom