Tightest grain.....light colored

[sdb777]

I know it can depend from stick to stick, board to board, and whatever..... But I am looking for the type of wood to turn that 'typically' has the tightest grain pattern, and is a 'lighter' color?

Was thinking maybe a western cedar? Or maybe the outer wood on a red cedar?
Customer likes tight grain that I did on a western cedar blank cartridge pen(think DougB sent it to me) that was cut on a 15*-ish angle......well, long story short, he would like something like it but not exactly(ya, thanks for picking something simple and being able to make up your mind....errrr)


Opinions?






Scott (I dunno either) B

[Doug B]

Scott, I think Bethlehem Olive Wood has some very nice grain to it and it is wonderful to turn. It would be lighter than that Cedar, but still has some dark grain in it so it might not be what you are looking for. Just how light do you need it to be? Zebrawood is another good contrasting grained wood, especially when bias cut. I'll go check my stash and see if there is anything else that might be something you are looking for.

[sdb777]

I know that tight grain is usually just a very slow growth and if the conditions are right any wood can end up this way....

Just trying to figure out what the best choice(type of wood) of be when ordering something. Cause what you get depends on what the person at the place puts in the box. Unless you pay the extra to get 'photo'd wood'(I've seen a few places that will actually send the wood in the photo)...but this could turn a piece of $2.95 wood into something like $14.95. And I'm just to cheap for that!


Got some BOW sometime back, and the grain isn't very tight at all. But that was probably the 'luck of the pick'.... I enjoyed turning that wood, and finishing wasn't a problem with the CA/BLO. But I think it's too dark?




Note to self: This will be the last request I do! It's too much of a PITA.... Whatever I turn will be whatever I turn, and if it isn't what someone wants....so be it.






Scott (guy is too picky) B

[Ruffnek]

The ultimate tight-grained, light-colored wood is Holly. Don't know if you want it THAT light though.

[TDHofstetter]

Holly IS crazy light-colored! Nearly like a sheet of bleached paper...

Hey, apple's both light-colored & tight-grained. Some species of apple are, anyway. It's also pretty nearly free of distinctions between springwood & summerwood.

You've looked at the maples?

[Gecko]

Hmmm Maple, got it. Holly, got it. Apple, have that too. Juniper, just cut some blanks at 15* from some quarter sawn as well as some with the grain. Any others that might work? How about Box Elder? I have some that I think is pure white w/ no red.

[TDHofstetter]

Boxelder would be fine - that's technically a soft maple. If you've got some with "stress pink" in it, THAT is some PRIZED STUFF. If you've got some WITHOUT the stress pink, it'll be nice & white.

Another that might work OK would be sycamore.

[Doug B]

Mar 7, 2010 5:44:34 GMT -6 sdb777 said:

Note to self: This will be the last request I do! It's too much of a PITA.... Whatever I turn will be whatever I turn, and if it isn't what someone wants....so be it.

Scott (guy is too picky) B

I've come to that conclusion too. Several times in fact. Then, every time someone asks for something specific, I try my best to give them what they are asking for. It's usually the picky people who are most willing to put out the cash for the more expensive pens. Still...I hate having to do it that way. But it seems to come up again and again.

[triplefreak]

Ever try Persimmon wood? Beautiful stuff, super tight grain.

Here's a link for it.
www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/persimmon.htm

[mapleman]

tulip poplar --- the white stuff. not the yellow poplar (greenish color)... not that easy to turn, tears out somethin fierce. but light color.

it will usually stay lighter than the maples - they amber over time. hard maple is lighter than soft maple, in my experience.

i dunno.

[sawduster]

Mar 7, 2010 14:09:43 GMT -6 Doug B said:

Mar 7, 2010 5:44:34 GMT -6 sdb777 said:

Note to self: This will be the last request I do! It's too much of a PITA.... Whatever I turn will be whatever I turn, and if it isn't what someone wants....so be it.

Scott (guy is too picky) B

I've come to that conclusion too. Several times in fact. Then, every time someone asks for something specific, I try my best to give them what they are asking for. It's usually the picky people who are most willing to put out the cash for the more expensive pens. Still...I hate having to do it that way. But it seems to come up again and again.

Yeah it seemed to me that it didn't matter how many different pens in different woods that I had, there was always someone who wanted something else. ;D