Red Oak pen blanks

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Barnmb7117

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I don't know if this is in the right spot or not. I was look in my new Grizzly catalog and I notice they had Red Oak pen blanks 5 for $1.50. The item # is D3057. Is this a good deal?
 
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magpens

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Welcome to IAP !!!!

Usually, any blank you can get for $0.30 each is a good deal !

Whether you actually want to make a pen out of Red Oak is the REAL question.

I would not, because it is difficult to get a smooth finish on oak except with many applications of CA, and because it has a tendency to splinter when turning and sanding, in my experience.

Just my opinion, perhaps.
 
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Skie_M

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Check your local big box stores and lumberyards ... oak is a common wood used in detailing and construction, so it's readily available, as is poplar.


I can typically buy a 3 foot long 1x2 oak trim board for around 3 dollars ... that would easily cut up into 12 blanks at roughly .75 x .75 x 5.5 inches each
 
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I'd agree with Mal, any blanks you can get that cheap are great. These just will be more of a challenge to finish. However these would be great practice blanks for trying new techniques.
 

mark james

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I will partially agree with both Mal and Greg and Shane.

Red Oak can be bought very inexpensively. And for the price you have quoted, it is a good price.

And, it is a very open-grained wood, which may not be to your preference. I do not recommend it for a practice blanks, unless you like very rough blanks. Try poplar/pine/others. ME... I like working with it! I like open inclusions, holes, cracks, etc... so an open-grained blank is OK with me.

But it is not the best wood for refined work.
 

oldtoolsniper

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I don't know if this is in the right spot or not. I was look in my new Grizzly catalog and I notice they had Red Oak pen blanks 5 for $1.50. The item # is D3057. Is this a good deal?



Something else to consider is that oak splits very easy, thin oak splits really, really easy. I heat my house with wood, I cut, split and burn a lot of wood every year. Oak is my first choice for firewood because it practically shatters with an axe. Its my dead last choice for building anything.


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KenV

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Hey Mike

Do not forget to factor in shipping costs. It can easily run more than the costs of the contents.


Red oak fits the lable of "practice wood".


Need some practice stock drop me a PM
 

Skie_M

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Same lumberyards and big box stores can net you some cheap poplar and maple as well, for practice wood ...

Also, "hardwood dowel rods" can be ash, hickory, oak, maple, ect ... :) I occasionally grab a 3-foot 1.5" thick oak dowel for 3 bucks when I just need handle material.
 

chartle

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Yes you can cut your own cheaper but I'm assuming that some here don't have anything that can cut dimensional wood into manageable blanks.

The Oak that you buy by the foot at Home Depot are probably cheaper per blank. I've sometimes picked up some short pieces there for things like jigs.
 

chartle

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Also some pallets look to have some sort of Oak or other hard wood in them. The slats are usually less than 3/4" but some parts are over 1" thick.
 

leehljp

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Oak is my first choice for firewood because it practically shatters with an axe. Its my dead last choice for building anything.

I have used red oak for tables, book shelves, bed frames, headboard & foot board, and other things. Beautiful wood for flat work. As to pens, the straight grain is uneventful and open pores. Good practice wood. However, knots and gnarls make some beautiful pens. This is true in most all woods. Even lowly pine knots in a 2x4 make some pretty pens. It needs to be cut with an eye looking for the best cut to maximize the grain figure. Same with red oak.
 

larryc

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Oak is my first choice for firewood because it practically shatters with an axe. Its my dead last choice for building anything.

I have used red oak for tables, book shelves, bed frames, headboard & foot board, and other things. Beautiful wood for flat work. As to pens, the straight grain is uneventful and open pores. Good practice wood. However, knots and gnarls make some beautiful pens. This is true in most all woods. Even lowly pine knots in a 2x4 make some pretty pens. It needs to be cut with an eye looking for the best cut to maximize the grain figure. Same with red oak.

Like Hank I have used red oak for flat work and I tried to use scraps for pens. The blanks turned out blah (no there there) so I took a piece and cut it on the diagonal (about 45 deg.) and what a difference it made. I now have several in my inventory and I sell a couple at each show.
 
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