Plum Pretty SlimLine

[James Combs]

Some of you may remember my "Plum Gloatful" gloat from several months a go where a friend of mine cut down a dying plum tree in his yard and gave me some of the largest sections of the trunk.:D

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=136205

It seems to be pretty dry now so I made this pen just to see how the wood worked:confused: and I'll be darn if it didn't turn out plum nice. The wood works/turns nicely, almost like some of the nicer exotics.http://www.penturners.org/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

I never thought about plum being so colorful although I have a feeling that it has something to do with what ever was wrong with the tree. It had a lot of decay in the center pith area and the wood gets darker the closer to the center you get. To look at the better parts of the wood it almost looks like it its oil soaked but it doesn't feel oily.

What do you folks think? Maybe a bowl next?

Here are three views of the pen:

157105 157106 157107

[Roger Chandler]

you're right James.....Plum Purdy! :D

Great job on some really nice pens!

[David E Keller]

Nice pen. I've never turned plum, but I like the coloring. I think a bowl is a great idea... A larger canvas to display that color would be great.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great pen.

[Donny Lawson]

You have some nice coloration in there.I've got some plum drying that I won at my local woodturners meeting several months back,including one small bowl that is roughed out.I think it's about time to look at it again.
Donny

[John Keeton]

JD, that is spelled "plum purty"!! Very nice! I got some plum from Baxter Smith that is in the barn drying. Makes me look forward to turning some of it.

[Dave Wagner]

Wow, very nice..... :)

[Allen Neighbors]

Plum Purty Pen! Love that color, intensifying from the top down!
You got that bowl turned yet? :D

[Art Kelly]

I never thought about plum being so colorful although I have a feeling that it has something to do with what ever was wrong with the tree...

Not sure which variety of plum you have, but the color is about the same as the Chickasaw plum that is native to Georgia, Florida, and probably other places.

Not trying to hijack your thread, but here is an example of C. plum that was murdered by hurricane Charley a while back. (Watco natural oil and Beal buffed.) It's sometimes a dark pink color when first cut. The oil covers the pink sheen which is not that attractive when just Beal buffed. The color of the bottom of your pen is a little darker that what I've seen, though.

Oh yeah, and critters love it, so get it processed right away. I tried to protect a pile of it by keeping it in my camper while I was recuperating from surgery. Ended up full of post-pile beetles :eek: that came from who knows where. It was not on the ground for more than 30 minutes after being cut down.

Art

[Thomas Canfield]

Great looking pen. Makes you want to pick it up and try the grip. I don't think I have seen that shape before, but it looks comfortable and allows having more wood surface to highlight.

[Baxter Smith]

Good looking pens but I think you need to make something a little bigger to really appreciate the grain and wide variety of colors in the wood.:) The vivid reds will fade with exposure to the light but it will be beautiful while turning. Just bring it out into the light for special occasions!;)

[Billy Tallant]

Great looking pen. That wood looks really nice. I especially like that grip. I make a lot of slimlines & I hate making a straight smooth grip. Your grip looks really comfortable.

[brian watts]

very nice .