Some Pens

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

ecrouse

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
84
Location
Houston
A buddy of mine cut down a bodark tree (aka bois d'arc, aka Osage Orange) and gave me a couple of 8 foot by 2 inch slabs and I thought "What could I make out of this?"

Turns out a pen was the first thing that came to mind and I'm pretty happy with the result. This is a Woodcraft Navigator Sterling Silver kit in Fountain and I use it daily.

1581314808019.png
1581314831018.png



I've also been messing with dying some old oak burl I've has around the shop for a number of years. Just got a vacuum setup and some cactus juice and am having fun playing with that. Made these for my niece. Both Woodcraft Navigator kits, the brown is a Sterling Silver Fountain and the green is a Chrome Rollerball

1581315038179.png


Then there was my recent attempt at casting. I was going for bright primary colors with good separation that would pop but I cast in a cold shop and that gave the resin too much time to mix so I ended up with this. I had a Sedona Copper Rollerball kit that had a Coolibah burl skin but the finish clouded so I kept it for myself and just lived with the shame. Decided the copper might go well with the muck so I popped the kit off and stuck it on this.

1581315571142.png


I don't normally like fat pens but this one works. Feels good in my hand and now my fountain has a friend.

1581315675550.png
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

ecrouse

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
84
Location
Houston
Thanks! When I cast it I was hoping for more defined colors but I was not completely bummed by the result. I loved the green but it got completely lost. I think it would have made a fantastic addition to the pen.

1581318973720.png
 

henry1164

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
243
Location
Webster, NY
I was given some osage orange that is really dry (sitting around for years). Did you stabilize? Or, is stabilization recommended?
 

MDWine

Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
2,690
Location
Manassas Park, Virginia, USA.
I love that Osage! One of the first pens I helped make (a learning pen for me) was Osage, which I had laser engraved... Too bad I left it in a restaurant...

Nice work there, great pens!
 

ecrouse

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
84
Location
Houston
Thanks for all the Osage love, and hey, me too!! Made it late December and it's pretty much an experiment to see if I can retain any of the yellow :)

For those that don't know it shifts to a medium/dark brown pretty quickly anywhere it is exposed to light/air. I have two slabs of it I've had stickered up outside under cover for a year and a half and I cut some checking off the end and it was a happy surprise when the brilliant yellow was still intact. I figured why not put some on a pen and see if it sticks. I finished it in General's WTF which will keep the air out but not the UV. We'll see how it lasts. The ends of the stickered pieces are right back to dark brown now but the pen is still 75% what it was when cut and I kind of like the way it is aging so far.

It definitely does not need stabilization but that's an interesting thought as it might help delay the color shift. It is pretty dense and closed grain so not sure it would take up any resin but I might toss a few bits in the chamber to see if they gain any weight.
 
Top Bottom