Thread: 11 pen blanks in excange for a finished pen!

Originally Posted by garypeck

Hi RBTCO......

I would like to confirm 50 blanks with you....... 2 seperate sets.....

Set 1 - 25 Different Blanks
Set 2 - 25 Ancient Gum if possible.

Dont worry about the name too much....... im here just to enjoy the pen making hobby..... not make a big hoo hah over the names of the blanks....... In fact..... what i wanted was some black wood..... and you mentioned Ancient Gum..... if Ancient Gum fits the description of black wood or close to it..... than i'll like to have that...... it doesnt matter if the timber is 300 years old or 3 months old...... what im after is the colour ....... not the age of the timber.......

If i specifically wanted 300 year old timber..... i would have asked for it up front......so..... dont worry too much about it......

To put it simply...... im after some "black" timber..... call it any name you want..... im happy so long as its black...... but if you say that you have a limited supply of these "dark" colour timber...... than please do give me other timbers that are also close to "black"

Would that be acceptable?? If so, i would be making payment....

Regards,
Gary

OK Gary, fair enough.

Is going to be like this, 1 set of 25 (one of each species) will go to you, you pay the blanks freight, and you send me 2 x of your pens (any kind, any wood). Now, out of these 25 species there are other medium dark colours, including one ancient gum one, is possible that after you see and work with some of them (I could say which ones, but I won't...!) you are going probably want some more of them also, that is for later discussion/decision!

The second set of 25 ancient gum pen blanks that you are requesting, you pay for the freight to you, you pay for the blanks and is nothing (pens) to return, just a simple transaction. Because you are asking for the darkest colour possible and I have already showed you the darkest timber I've got, those will need to be cut from already round cut/ready bowl blanks (x 5 various sizes, none very large). I will cut them into bits (pen blanks) after I decide on the price and PM you with it and you agree. This was a small log (1 meter long x 1 foot(ish) diameter that was buried on a soft sandy creek natural spring behind and old stone farm house in total ruins. One of the house foundation stones was engraved with "Billy 1887" and would have weight at least 1 ton. Is a believe (family relatives that the house was built due to the spring location and then hight flow, logs were then used to support the escavated square well (1.5 meters deep). About 3 year ago, I was at this location to cut some firewood in a what become a very hot day, so at lunch brake I decided to lay of the water hole with just a trickle of water coming out but nice and cold, yeah...! You could actually see be white sandy bottom if undisturbed, so after I got myself, "dressed/undressed " for the occasion and in to my neck of cool clear crystal water, I started to feel something hard under my feet as I was keep moving around, until I manage to get my foot just under it, realizing and then diving to verify if it was what I feelt with my feet there is a slippery timber log. It was and I didn't stop until I manage to get it on the water surface sort of floating and using the support of the water easing the log weight, I manage to roll it to the side (solid ground). Now this log was the last one left from the construction of the well, as all other maybe 12 in total that were used to fix the spring, have become lose and with the rain seasons through it, the flow would be such that took the well apart and drag the other logs down to a big slope and probably many miles down string. I also believe that this logs didn't float as such, they were just pushed away and possible re-buried down the creeks sandy bottom somewhere I was by myself and the log was just too slippery and too heavy to move around so I left there. I contacted the property owner to ask what he wanted to do with that log and his answer was "burn it"!. After all I was there to cut some of the trees into firewood that did grow to close to the house in ruins, which the family wanted to maintain in the family and not ever for sale.
The log when was wet did look really dark close to black, and I thought that is was like that because been in a water for at least the time the farm house was built, after all the spring was the reason of its existence, so and making some quick calculations, subjected obviously to a error factor, I would say 100+years under the water and probably another 100 year before it was cut so, ancient in my books.
I left the log there hopping that would dry (become easier to handle) until my last firewood load, about 3 weeks later, by them the log as most certainly lost lots of water and because by accident, it was in the shade all day, the hot days that proceeded its removal from the water didn't seem to have created any cracks. That log was just dark all over and with all the water off, it didn't change its darkness. I didn't do much to it for the first 6 months or so, and then I decided to slice it into slab size and the int round blanks. They have been there waiting for me to turn them or be sold, (advertised on my web site), and a few people that visit me haven't spotted them, nor I've though in making any mention of them, for some unknown reason. Been moved further back, every time new blanks get rounded ready for action. Certainly, is that much stuff up the front of the shelves that you either forget what you got hiding behind, or one day you need to re-shuffle things around (always a nasty job) but by doing so, you bringing them back to light and maybe to life! Last time I check the humidity levels were just on 4 % , so its dry, huh?

Now, giving you and everyone else the story of this unusual dark log, is by any means increasing or decreasing its value, after all is only timber. When it comes to wastage, well I've already lost a considerable number of possible pen blanks, if I hadn't round the buggers, now there will be some wastage again but if I'm thinking right, still will give more useful timber as pen blanks then as a bowl, unless i would cut the center out for another smaller bowl, na... stuff it, you can have it. Would you like to get the blanks as they are (bowl blanks) and cut them yourself, or you prefer me to cut them for you?

By now, there will be a few people trying to work out, how much I'm going to charge for these fully waxed pen blanks, I've got a figure in my head but I'm going to sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow.

Sorry Gary, the PM is going tomorrow! don't distress about it, I'm generally a generous bloke, money means nothing to me, only when I get others asking me for it... good were those days where you exchange your potatoes with a bag of green beans

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi peoples,

Gees... what a day...! Why in a heck do we waste time planning things? yeah, one of those days...!

Anyway, I sent that PM to Gary about the blanks he wants, and I did also mention to him that I know how to make "most" timbers jack black right through them. I haven't done it for a long time nor I had any use you requirements for black wood for many years. I need also to do a little search on the products that were used then in Portugal and find equivalents here in Australia. After that is just a matter to do a little practice run and maybe some adjustments to get it right, depending on the type and condition of the timbers that I decided to use for this. A secret recipe from an old Master carpenter/carver that I worked with, in my younger days. I reckon that if I can get the products, I should be able to remember the stages and tricks involved with this, yeah... I should be alright! well will soon see, huh?

Today's mail was a bit of a disappointment, as the only thing I received were bills...!

All my 150 wooden eggs ordered Monday are finished and ready to go (thanks goodness), I reckon if I had one more egg to do, I would be transforming myself into a chicken's saw bum!

All for now... back to you!

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi everyone,

As advised on a previous post, this offer is now CLOSED

Those that expressed their interest and who I've in my list, but have not yet send the bag, will have until the end of next week (Friday the 6/4/09) to do so, otherwise the bag will be returned empty, sorry!

On another hand, I manage to get a good surprise when I decided to get those dark ancient gum bowl blanks out, to find 2 flat(ish) pieces from the same log that I forgot all about it. These were the result of one of the logs end, have a solid resin crystallized vein, which did separate the half log in the middle. After I took the pics, I cut them (these 2 pieces only) into 1" pen blanks.

After dinner and getting ready to download the pics into the computer, I got a PM from garypeck, with his decision on the price I quoted him for cutting those bowl blanks into pen blanks, which are a little out of his reach at the moment so, those bowl blanks are now available again, in that form or cut if required.

I've got about a dozen or so pen blanks from those 2 pieces that I cut today and half of then are 1 x 1/2 the normal pen blank there is, 2 blanks will make 3 pens of most types which I offered to garypeck as a possible second best thing from the 25 he wanted, as the price was a little better also, because they were off-cuts or pieces that didn't have enough "meat" for a bowl blank, as its sisters or maybe brothers, I don't know! Garypeck has also confirmed his interest of 2 x complete sets of 25 blanks (one of each species) for a 4 pen exchange.

Gees... his making some damn nice pens recently, like the coffee one, yummy...! I wonder what I will get if we get this pen blanks thing sorted...!

Have you seen 150 wooden eggs together? (2 boxes, one with 100 the other with 50), well they look like this;

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi RBTCO,

I finally got into the shed for a few hours on the weekend and got some pens made... I absolutely love the Sheoak and the Majestic Olive! The others that I made were nice too. I wont post pics - I don't want to spoil the suprise! Your pen(s) will be in the post on Monday.

Thanks for all the effort - it has been fun to play with different timbers.

Cheers,
Dave

That's a lot of eggs!

I made some keyrings this morning. The dark brown ancient gum is beautiful - and means more to me now I know the story behind it.

The majestic olive is by far my favourite though. I already have someone wanting me to make a pendent for them out of it!

Hi peoples,

Thanks everyone that participated the one way or the other with this idea/offer of mine. I have in no way regretted to do it, as the results were win, win, positive, positive, in all aspects

The pens I've got so far are just precious to me, and there are a few more coming which I'm waiting with great expectation and excitement. Some of them will take probably a few months before I will see them, as some blanks were sent by sea-mail and the pens will be made with some of those timber sent so, is going to take a while, but that's OK, I'm happy with it!

I've managed to get 17 people which I was able to provide a little bit of my timber world, by making available a fair number of timber species, some native to Australia some introduced but all grown and processed in this little corner of the Adelaide Hill in this big country of ours. For some, this will be the first time they have seen, smelled, touched and worked with these timbers, either overseas people or in Australia. I hope that they/you don't think that now that the offer is closed that you/they are no longer able to get some more, by the contrary people, those timbers will be available to anyone, anytime and for a long time, this way;

- Available on eBay very soon, in the same 25 set timber species and or separate (lots).
- By PM me here
- Through the email address provided on my web site
- By emailing me direct on [email protected]
- By visiting me!

PS: There will be a few lots of pen blanks of some timber species that will go for 50c each up to $3 and all the others in between.

So don't worry, I will be around...!


Ozkaban -
I've got your PM mate, not a problem!
You're save...!

ElizaLeahy-
Sorry to disappoint you, but if the ancient gum you are talking about is the one I've sent you, then the story is totally different, as they are not from the same log. Yours, and all the ancient gum I cut into pen blanks for the offer, come out of a square long post that was used on the construction of some cattle yards, them ripped off, buried and replaced with modern(ish) materials. I found the "burial" site by luck, by escavating with a tractor front bucket, looking for a main water pipe that was leaking! This is in the Chinese vegetable farm, less than a mile from me. This land has been owned by the Chinese community for over 150 years, with many, many Chinese owners in between. (normally every couple of years or so, ready to change ownership again in a few months time)

Oh, oh... did I mention another 2 timber species that I found hidden? next time!

Cheers
RBTCO

Oh

Well, that's interesting too.

Hi everyone,

I may have felt a little disappointed last Friday when I had nothing else but "bills" on the mail, but today the story was quite different. I've got 6 pens from 3 forumates, Touchwood, Fireman Sam, & Funckchicken, thanks guys!
So my pen total at the moment is; (no particular order)

*- Gawdelpus ----- 1 pen
*- Shakie --------- 1 "
*- ElizaLeahy ------1 "
*- Bowl-Basher ----1 "
*- Funkychicken ---1 "
*- Fireman Sam ----2 pens
*- Touchwood -----3 pens

Pics of all these pens will be displayed in the end!

Thanks people, they'r all very nice! they aren't going anywhere either, they will displayed as my private collection with "a difference"


Also 2 bags have left today, PM's have been sent!

Cheers
RBTCO

That good that they arrive in one piece
Andrew

Hi Robutacion,

You promised piccies! Where are the Piccies!!!



Cheers,
Dave

Originally Posted by Ozkaban

Hi Robutacion,

You promised piccies! Where are the Piccies!!!



Cheers,
Dave

Very soon mate, very soon, I'm just finishing re-building my my set-up for taking the pics!
I was also waiting to get all the pens together from the Australian forumates that participated in my offer, as some of those overseas will take a while (few months). So, don't despair, they are coming!

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update on the pens received

Not much received last week, 2 pens and 1 letter opener from Ozkaban.

There are 3 Australian forumates that I've sent the blanks, but have not yet received pens, (some very recent!) and 4 overseas forumates, which I have not yet received confirmation that they got the stuff (too early)!

So, as from today 7-4-09, these are the pens received with their respective makers names.

*- Gawdelpus ----- 1 pen
*- Shakie --------- 1 "
*- ElizaLeahy ------1 "
*- Bowl-Basher ----1 "
*- Funkychicken ---1 "
*- Fireman Sam ----2 pens
*- Touchwood -----3 pens
*- Ozkaban --------2 " ,1 letter opener

I will be waiting until the end of this week, for any other pens, before I put pics of the pens received here!

Close up pics of finished pen turned blanks and some of its "variants" of the 25 timber species offered in this thread + 2 others, will also be available for viewing very soon.

All for now!

Cheers
RBTCO

Hi everyone

Well, I finally have some pics from those pen blanks I have been mentioning about. They are not exactly what I wanted, but after the third attempt of taking about 90 pics at the time (about 2 pics per blank) each time, I decided was enough! This will give a general idea of the colourations & textures. The blanks used are part of the large quantity that I cut a few weeks back, so both ends had wax. The blanks were cut simply buy chucking then in my G3 with the 2" jaws and using the tail-stock for support. The finish on all blanks is the same, and that is, 1 coat of sanding sealer up near where the round part of the blank as finished or started, then one dipping coat of Floorseal up to about 1" down from the end of the sanding sealer. All blanks were sanded up to 400 grit, with no sending after the sealer was applied.

There are 28 species worked on, and some of them have already been cut also into variations of X (cross) or Z (diagonal) cuts. I have at the moment about 45 pieces of finished samples (including variations) with and average of 2 pics per sample. I have estimated that by the time I finish this lot, I should end-up with about 30 species and about 100 samples + in total, which will represent a total of 200 pics at 2 pics per sample. This obviously require some consideration on the way they will be presented here and in other places, but at the moment I'm using multiple pics on one page file, converted into PDF for size reduction. I am adding now the ones I manage to finish today, to see how it works, and if possible I will add the other half tomorrow.

Let me know how they appear at your end, and if there are any problems with the files.

Cheers
RBTCO

Note: All files now completed and downloaded .

Generally look pretty good.

Some of the shots taken straight on have a few problems. The wire stands I assume it is, behind/below seems to be causing the camera to autofocus on it and the background, rather than the blanks, so the blanks are out of focus.

That willow piece really caught my eye - looks very nice.

Russell.