Pen(z) a poppin

[Michael James]

David Keller very generously sent me a pre holiday assortment of some very NICE pen blanks. There's not a boring chunk in the lot! Thanks David - big time!:D
I saw the crosscut spalted hackberry as the biggest challenge in the bunch, CA / BLO on a Wall Str II Chrome w/Satin. Nice!!!!

[John Keeton]

Congrats on the early Christmas present, and very nice work on the pen!! That hackberry shows very well!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Michael, great gift and beautiful pen. You did a great job. Thanks for showing.:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a beauty. Well done.

[David E Keller]

You're welcome! Looks like you made short work of that hackberry. Enjoy!

[Cathy Schaewe]

Nice! And the wood is very pretty -

[Jeff Nicol]

Michael, The new lathe is getting a workout and the fun of getting wood to play with is a great thing! You make some beautiful pens as I can personally attest to by the gorgeous buffalo horn pen that is used by me every day!

Keep up the good work and enjoy that little delta,

Jeff

[Dave Wagner]

Question on the hackberry, I got some and it was very dry (like balsa wood?) and smelled like mold or musty? it that typical, or did I just get a bad batch that they had laying around? Thanks, (don't mean to hijack the thread, but since it was about hackberry, thought I would ask the question).

[Jim Burr]

Nice work Mike...and Merry Christmas again!:D

[David Reed]

I have not made any pens so am not an expert here but if the hackberry is the toughest piece, I would definitely say you have it mastered. Lovely.
Keep it up.

[David E Keller]

Question on the hackberry, I got some and it was very dry (like balsa wood?) and smelled like mold or musty? it that typical, or did I just get a bad batch that they had laying around? Thanks, (don't mean to hijack the thread, but since it was about hackberry, thought I would ask the question).

The stuff I've got is dry and fairly dusty, too... It's really spalted. I've never turned normal hackberry, but I think your description is pretty typical for the spalted stuff.

[Michael James]

I have not made any pens so am not an expert here but if the hackberry is the toughest piece, I would definitely say you have it mastered. Lovely.
Keep it up.

Well, I based that guess on the fact that is was cross cut as opposed to the grain running the length....makes it fragile and it is spalted to the heavens, ie soft / punky. I put thin CA on the blank all over before I ever even drilled it, more as I cut it. thanks!