paralam at an angle

[low_48]

I turned a paralam pen a week ago along the grain. Here's one from the same piece of beam, but the blanks were cut out at a 60 degree angle. Or was that a 30 degree angle, I just can't remember now! CA finish, sanded to 12000 grit, polished with Flitz brass polish, final coat of wax. Kinda tickled with this one. You sure can't get a much cheaper blank!

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[C_Ludwigsen]

That is just too cool. It is amazing what folks are turning pens from these days. And GOOD looking ones too.

Chuck.

 

[jwoodwright]

"found" wood, I love it. Totally recycled...[] Great job with the pen.[]

 

[Bev Polmanteer]

Great pen, what is paralam? Sure made a nice pen!

 

[low_48]

There was some discussion on the last pen I turned and I guess I used the wrong term. I just googled it and I am wrong. This is actually LVL, laminated veneer lumber. Paralam is small strips of veneer pressed together into beams, laminated veneer lumber is sheets of veneer pressed together in the same direction. Plywood has every other layer reversed, LVL has them all in the same direction. I got this piece at the wood scrap section at work. I've seen it at Menards and the lumber yard. I think this one is southern yellow pine and it was 1 1/2" thick. If I remember somewhat correctly, a 1 1/2" thick x 9 1/4" tall is around $2 a foot. That's puts it in the $.10 a blank region, based on what angle you cut them at.