Thread: Some pens made from tired old flooring and another made of Cocobolo

Group shot.














I've posted too many pictures haven't I?

Blame it on the maple, it just looks good from so many different angles....and the way the light catches it, it looks so much better in real life, its beautiful, beautiful stuff, how can wood be like this? Its not just the little birdseyes, its the whole lenth of the pen it has ripples that move up and down the pen as you move it, its gorgeous, I can just see how work is going to go tomorrow, I'm going to be sitting around all day moving a pen back and forth playing with the light....

Very nice Matt, that maple sure looks sweet. Can see what you mean about the different angles, each picture looks different from the one before, you are right in saying that you need to handle it to see the beauty of the grain

Really when I was a kid the stories were told of streets paved in gold,that maple sure is gilt edged in quality,likewise the Cocobolo,top pens,one observation your pens tend to be undercut and sharp at the hardware,you can see how one caught a thread.
When I turn I slightly oversize and smooth the ends before the final sanding being sure to gently mark and replace the blank in the same place on the mandrel.First thing you feel as you appraise the pen.Going great.
Peter

Very nice indeed. Very beautiful. What a great job to be a dumpster driver for flooring company. Every pen there is getting
very cool
Toni

Hey Toni, the man doesn't work for the flooring company, he just DIVED in when he saw the wood! I can see him in the dumpster asleep with a piece of maple that he is hugging to his chest, he's in love!! now we are believers!, Suddenly the poor homeless are struggling again, dumpsters have been taken over by Pen Turners.
All that said, what great looking pens , good work, Amos

Oh Dear I think I am going to shut up. I am having a blonde day...LOL
Toni

Hay Mat88s,
I'm not saying your photos are too large but I'm on dial-up and it took 1/2 an hour to download them. (a slight exaggeration) Lovely wood, nice pens. You pen turners are a bunch of addicts. I bought a stack of pen blanks from the Brisbane Wood Show. All I have to do now is get my move over and done and then settle down to some turning instead of just reading all your threads. Definitely broadband at the new place.
Yogi

G'day Matt,
If you can find a really good piece of quilted bird's eye maple it is hard to beat. I too love the way the light refracts in it. Of course, cocobolo is one of my all time favorites. Nice job.


Cheers,

Rick

I think they look fine. It's hard to say. Need bigger pictures.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words.

Hey Toni, the man doesn't work for the flooring company, he just DIVED in when he saw the wood! I can see him in the dumpster asleep with a piece of maple that he is hugging to his chest, he's in love!! now we are believers!, Suddenly the poor homeless are struggling again, dumpsters have been taken over by Pen Turners.
All that said, what great looking pens , good work, Amos

LOL, I love that image, possibly a bit close to the truth for some of us though....

Sorry about the pic size yogi, we just recently got high speed service out where I live so I remember how things used to be and feel your pain.

Really when I was a kid the stories were told of streets paved in gold,that maple sure is gilt edged in quality,likewise the Cocobolo,top pens,one observation your pens tend to be undercut and sharp at the hardware,you can see how one caught a thread.
When I turn I slightly oversize and smooth the ends before the final sanding being sure to gently mark and replace the blank in the same place on the mandrel.First thing you feel as you appraise the pen.Going great.
Peter

I thought they were supposed to be sharp, are they not supposed to be sharp? Oops. Hmm.

The Cocobolo one is a bit off, I've been having some problems with the lathe turning out of round due to a bit of a wobble it has, the harder the wood ie cocobolo seems to do it the worst, the maple turned out quite flush and centered though. I tried to clean up the cocobolo with a carving knife and kind of made things worse as you can see in the pics....

Are you saying you round the wood off with sandpaper where it joins the hardware?

I'm a bit new at this so I'm open for any tips or instructions.

Cheers!

Matt88s nice pens that you have done, the Birdseye Maple is exceptional great quilting in the timber as well. I have some timber given to me from a 60 year old goods wagon or ( box car) that I am yet to cut up so that will be interesting to see what it turns out like.
Darren