Pre Cut and Drilled Blanks

[Band Saw Box]

I was looking on Penn States site to see how much cocobolo blanks and I see they carry pre cut and drilled blanks. I didn't know there was such a thing. They have good reviews over all and I was wondering if anyone was tried these or use them on a regular basis and what you think of them.

 

[76winger]

When I first started making pens in 2008 I got a collection of pre-cut & drilled Rosewood blanks. They were just the right length for Slimlines or comforts with little or nothing to trim and easy to glue up and turn.

The biggest problem I had with them is they weren't matched sets, which made it a bit of a challenge to find two with similar enough grain structure so they looked like they came from the same piece of wood. If you're just cranking pens in numbers this isn't a big deal, but if you're wanting the pen to look uniform in color and grain from top to the bottom, it's not the best solution.

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

I also tried them when I first started turning pens and I agree with the problem of not getting the top and bottom part of the pens to match. So I haven't bought any since.
Tim.

 

[Rangertrek]

I also bought some of those when I first started turning. I believe they were included in a package deal of some kind. Completely agree with Dave and Tim above. Very hard to match a top and bottom section. I still have some sitting around that are now about 5 years old.

 

[Joe S.]

The acrylic and color grain ones have always appealed to me more than the wood. I would rather buy wood in bulk (board form) and save $.

 

[plano_harry]

The ones I bought from PSI were a full 5" so there was no issue of mismatch. They are ok, but the grain is nothing special. Seemed a little dry for such an oily wood. I bought therm for the economics of saving time on a volume job, but found that I could buy better wood and pretty much drill in one pass with a Colt-5 Star bit, so I didn''t order any more.

Harry