Snakewood- No Guarantees, No trades !

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PenWorks

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I guess this is only fitting with all the snakewood talk again.
I say, less talk, more work. Here are some closed end snakewood pens I had been working on. The tops cracked the same day when I cut them a couple of weeks ago, just as planned. But I waited for the bottoms to crack and they never did. I am assuming because the bottoms are much thicker than the tops. Who knows. Anyways, got tired of looking at them on my bench, so I finished them.

Thanks for looking. Please don't stare at them, just glance, you never know, you just may crack them :D


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Tip, I have been waiting for my snakewood to crack before I finish them. Once they crack, I use a slury of sanding dust and CA to fill the hair line cracks. Sometimes a little black die if they are bigger. Then I just put a CA finish on and you can't tell they ever cracked.
 
Anthony and I have discussed the snakewood delima a few times. I agree with his thoughts. Let it crack, fix the cracks and it looks great. The cracks are difficult to see. Here is a snakewood baron I made....the blank was $5..... and I think is is a pretty nice piece of snakewood. BTW, it cracked on the mandrel while I was eating dinner. It had been turned (to almost finished dia.) without the tube glued in and sat on the shelf for 6 weeks. Decided to finish turning it and it happened...[V] But Anthony and I agree, a cracked snakewood is nicer than most other woods.

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Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
That's some pretty nice sankewood for five dalla $$ [:)]

I'll take a gross of it [:)]

But we never figured out what to do if it don't crack ? My efforts to induce cracking, did not work. I had it setting inside the shop, outside the shop the only thing i didn't do was sit on it like a mother hen [:D]
 
Originally posted by PenWorks
<br />.....But we never figured out what to do if it don't crack ? My efforts to induce cracking, did not work. I had it setting inside the shop, outside the shop the only thing i didn't do was sit on it like a mother hen [:D]
Click to expand...

Dashboard of your car??
 
Bravo! Anthony! I have some more snakewood in the shop waiting in the wings. As for inducing the cracks, I've already told you, find the worse soprano you can, and have her sing you a song.[:D]
 
frpm the experience above, the blank cracking on the lathe, as well as one balank cracking and the other not,(possibly due to thicknessof the wood) it sound like the problem with snake wood is internal pressure. basically that is wood on the inside wants to warp. the wood surrounding it will not let it. until you remove enough of that outside wood. one addition to the let it crack then turn it idea, is rough turn it, let it crack, and then finish it. the CA Fill thing is a real miracle fix. I tend to assume everyone knows about it.
 
Hi Anthony,

Every time I see a snake wood pen I am afraid to get bitten by the bug to make one!!


These look awesome, the gold one has more hand appeal to me, the body shape looks better near the transition to my eye.

With all that cracking going on I can imagine the fun with CA and sanding...I might try one, but for now I am still looking.....ssssss

[:)]
 
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