Red Elm pen

[Doug B]

Thanks to Dave (Deep Splinter) for allowing me to try out some Red Elm. I don't quite know how to describe this wood...it seems very very hard, yet soft at the same time. I had to use thin CA to keep from getting little chunks from coming off. But it was only in some of the grain. Kinda like the open grain of OAK, but,,,different somehow.

Anyway, it made one heck of a nice pen, with an iridescence that makes it look different when you change the direction the light shines on it. Very unique pen, and one of those that you just have to handle to get a full appreciation of it.



And the other side looks like this:

[sachbvn]

Isn't crazy how that grain turns out? Some neat shades of color too!

I was really pleased with the one I finished up and plan to make 1 or 2 more for the craft show.

As always, the pen looks great Doug!

Zac

[deepsplinter]

Suweet!!

That is a good looking pen, but aren't they all.

I'm glad you got to make good use of that elm, even if it was less than pleasant to work with.

"...it seems very very hard, yet soft at the same time"

You lathe guys even have language all your own.

[Doug B]

Thanks Zac and Dave!

Dave, I know that sounded crazy, but it was strange to me. It was not all that difficult to work with...I frequently use thin CA to hold some woods together on the lathe. I just never had one that was that hard of wood and yet still needed some stabilization to keep from getting chip out. It very well could have been just this piece of wood too - I picked out one that looked a little different than the others.

At any rate, I sure like the wood.