A couple of Quarter sawn, Spalted Sycamore pens

[Doug B]

This is a mouthful to describe these pens because I also cross cut the stock piece. I knew I would get some really cool lines from the spalting if I cross cut the piece of wood, which was already quartersawn.

Thanks to Dave (DeepSplinter) for the wood. This is really unique stuff, and I could not wait to turn some of it. I don't know how you are coming up with this weird wood Dave, but this was very hard wood while being very soft in spots. And I had to stabilize and even fill with dyed CA where a couple of chunks came out all the way down to the tube. Challenging stuff to turn, and that is what makes it so much fun

Probably would not have been any problem if I had not cross cut the pen blanks...that always makes things more challenging. But this piece just had to be cross cut. And what a unique couple of pens I got out of it.

Thanks Dave!

First one is with some Box Elder Burl on the nib end with some pick guard separating the wood.


And the second one was made with an Antique Brass kit.

[triplefreak]

Very nice pens. I like the grain on the top one.

[boodrow]

Good lookin pens Doug, I like anything spalted
Boodrow

[deepsplinter]

Sweet looking pens, Doug!!

That's an interesting look on the "nib end" of the first one. (It took me years to figure out that "NIB" meant new in box, and now you throw this at me.)

That qtr sawn sycamore is beautiful wood to begin with, but turning it down like that just brings it to another level.

"I don't know how you are coming up with this weird wood" ...it's the "One Man's Junk" adage.

[sachbvn]

Those are pretty awesome!!! On the top pic - lower barrel - it almost likes like a "spalted camouflage" pattern!

That was a good idea to cross cut them - I'm sure it added to the pen. I need to try cross cutting some things and turn them - just to see the difference between straight and cross grain turning.

I think the Box Elder section before the pic guard really looks nice on the pen!

Zac

[sawduster]

Very classy pens. Gotta love that spalted wood. Great job, Doug!

[Ruffnek]

Beautiful pens, Doug. I really like that antique brass kit and the spalting on both is awesome.

[Gecko]

Wow! Those are really pretty. Great job on getting the spalting to show so nicely.

[Doug B]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I appreciate it.

Zac, cross cut pieces can sometimes tend to chip out badly while turning...another good use for a sharp skew. But sometimes even just cutting the blanks at an angle to the grain can dramatically change the look of the wood. Zebrawood is probably one of the best examples of that - a bias cut on Zebrawood completely changes the way it looks when you turn it.

[maverick31]

both pens look great doug, everytime I see that antique brass kit the more I like it.

[Doug B]

Thanks Mav.

I like the antique brass finish so much that I have to be careful not to over use it. Gunmetal has been my favorite for a long time and is still my standard finish, but this antique brass finish is catching up fast.