Spalted sycamore pen blanks - question & proposal...

[D Hagens]

Very interesting read guys, I've heard about these ways of dealing with wood but I've never had to use them. Most of the wood that I use for smaller jobs like this is all ready for turning.
The main concern that I have is putting the blanks in the lathe, as there's not a great deal of solid wood there my concern is that the blank will just spin and fly off.
I'm going to take pictures of my progress as I go and post them.

[CHARLIE]

Herb, your pen is on the way!  I hope you like it! 8)

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Charlie,

Great, perfect timing. I mentioned that I wanted one pen to give to someone. That someone is my brother-in-law Sam who lives in Newfoundland, Canada. They're coming for a visit the end of this month so your pen will arrive in plenty of time to become a gift for him.

Now for the remaining pen turners, who's going to be the second one to finish a spalted sycamore pen? That pen will be donated to the Forum to be auctioned off...

I look forward to seeing what you've done...

Herb

[WDH]

/quote]

That is a great idea.

[sawwood]

Herb will mail your pens tomorrow, enjoy and thanks for the blanks.

Sawwood

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Sawwood,

Thanks. Glad to hear that at least some of the blanks worked out.

Look forward to seeing how it turned out (pun intended  :D )

Herb

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

I received the first pens made from the spalted sycamore blanks by Forum members last Thursday. Circumstances kept me too busy with other matters to update this thread until today.

The first pen I received was turned by Forum member CHARLIE. Here's a couple of photos of this pen:





The photos do not do justice to this pen. CHARLIE did a great job.

The spalted sycamore was challenging to work because it was almost too far gone for turning. CHARLIE says he soaked the wood with "ultra-thin CA glue. As I turn wood away I would periodiacally take the wood off the lathe and resoak it with the CA glue. My next process was to sant it smooth down to 600 grit. I then applied a thin coat of medium viscosity CA glue. This coat gives the pen a very durable finish which it needs because they are handled so much. I sand that smooth with 600 grit and apply a coat of shellac, which I polish smooth on the lathe. And finally I buff on a coat of carnuba wax."

This pen will be a present for my B-I-L Sam when he visits next month.

Herb

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

The second pen I received was turned by Forum member Sawwood. Here's a couple of photos of this pen:





Again, my photos don't do justice to the beauty of this pen. Lester (Sawwood) did a great job of turning this pen.

Since this is the second pen I recieved from this offer, I have contacted Jeff and offered to donate it to the Forum for auction. Look for the announcement from Jeff and be prepared because I will be bidding on this pen myself...  8)

Herb

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Forum member Sawwood suprised me by sending me an additional item he had turned from the spalted sycamore blanks. Here a photo of the pencil he made:



This is a beautiful pencil and I'm keeping it  ;D

Thanks again Lester.

Herb

[DanG]

Fantastic!  Those are some beautiful pens, and my hat is off to Charlie and Lester for some great work.  Kudos to you Herb, for coming up with a great idea.  Everybody comes out a winner on this, even those of us who merely sit on the sidelines and watch. 8) 8) 8)

[WDH]

Looks like that I may become the owner of a new pen!  I can add that to my collection of Forestry Forum pens, one from Radar and one from DonK !!!!!!!

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Looks like that I may become the owner of a new pen!  I can add that to my collection of Forestry Forum pens, one from Radar and one from DonK !!!!!!!

WDH,

You'd better make sure you have enough cash. You can't get by on words alone...

Herb

[WDH]

If the cutting board is any example, I will be left standing in the dust  :-\.

[Don K]

I have yet to turn a pen. I have many things going on at one time and I feel like a dirt dobber. Dob a little here, dob a little there. : I am still playing with a design for these pens. Give me time, I will get it done.

Those are some beautiful pens to follow behind. I am thinking about a pen and pencil set to send to Herb. He can keep them or put them up for auction. Danny, start saving your pennies. :D :D ;D

Don

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Don K,

Take your time. I don't want anyone to feel like they've got to get rushed to finish a pen for me. Besides, building a shop is more important than turning a pen...

I'm sure I'll like any design you come up with Don.

Thanks,

Herb

[woodbowl]

Hey Herb, those pens are some kind of purdy!  I think I remember the board they were in. The grain pattern looks like the edging strip that was removed between the 14th and 15 lizard.  ;D

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Hey Herb, those pens are some kind of purdy!  I think I remember the board they were in. The grain pattern looks like the edging strip that was removed between the 14th and 15 lizard.  ;D

Yes, I'm very pleased with the pens. Each is uniquely beautiful and it is interesting to see each turner's creation.

My brother-in-law really liked the pen that Charlie made. I'm still waiting on Jeff regarding auctioning the second pen (I know he's very busy...)

I've also received a beatiful pen from Patty. I had problems taking a good picture of it but will post one soon.

These blanks all came from just a few of the slabs off the sycamore. I think most of them were from stuff you cut after the 20th lizard-cide... But the reptiles have outdone themselves and are back up to pre-massacre numbers. Several have taken up residence in the stickered stacks. :D

Herb

[ljmathias]

So I guess we need to add a new definition to the forum dictionary: a "lizard" as a unit of measurement.  Big question is just how big a lizard are you using?  Kinda like "hands" for a horse- all depends on who you are and how old...  Someone want to take a stab at a standard "lizard?"

Lj

[DanG]

"Lizards" would be more of a time unit.  In that particular pile, it looked like 14 lizards would have been somewhere around mid-morning. :D :D

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

LJ,

Dan has it ALMOST right. In this case BUTCHERED lizards are a unit of time measurement. On the other hand, live lizards are generally location markers as in "set this slab down on that pile over by that big blue tailed racer...

From purely a size perspective, the range from small chamealians (sp) about two inches long to large "salamanders" which run close to a foot long...

Herb

[Holmes]

Lizard:  A length of time associated with southern saw millers , also see grits   Holmes

[terrifictimbersllc]

i know about grits because I saw "my cousin vinny" 8)

[ljmathias]

For heaven's sake, why would you saw up your cousin?  And what's he got to do with lizards eating grits anyway?  Common folks, let's stick to the topic... whatever it happens to be at the moment, which I can't remember anyway without looking at the thread title which I can't see cause I'm typing a reply.  This is just getting to be two or three lizard problem is the way I see it.

Lj

[terrifictimbersllc]

For heaven's sake, why would you saw up your cousin?  And what's he got to do with lizards eating grits anyway? 

come to think it i done seen my cousin vinny and i done sawed him too....i am so sorry...i used 4 degree blades and didn't turn on the lubemizer.....but you young youts whose ever spun tires in southern mud  outer know that grits takes 18-20 lizards to cook and nobody never made any fit grits in 5 lizards no matter what anybody said anyhoo

[WDH]

nobody never made any fit grits in 5 lizards no matter what anybody said anyhoo

You got that right, brother.