Quick gap filling question on a pen

[Aaron Buys]

Just found this hidden prize in a pen blank I am turning. I really like the potential figuring it will have if all goes well but I'm worried it might blow apart as I keep turning to size. Would there be any reason not to fill it at this point?

[Lee Koepke]

I probably would. put a little thin CA to save it from fracturing.

252960

you can't even tell this cigar pen i just finished exploded on me. It blew out half of the cap end (luckily I found the piece virtually intact). The CA glue line is part of the little black line in the top that looks a little jagged.

[Aaron Buys]

Should I make a slurry with some sanding dust or just fill it outright?

[Doug W Swanson]

Depends on the look you want. I'd fill it with some something a little darker since it might not blend in when you are done. Coffee grounds work great for things like this (just make sure they are finely ground)...

JMO

[Belton Garvin]

I agree with the darker filling. Coffee grounds work great. There are 2 ways that I would approach this one 1. Mix up 5 minute epoxy, mix in the coffee grounds and stuff into crack. 2. stuff crack full of coffee grounds then soak with thin CA. Either way worsk but the Epoxy will saturate into the wood less. If you are finishing with CA I would use CA for the fill. You can also undercut the crack with a dremel tool and small diamond bit for better fill.

[Jim Burr]

Other than coffee grounds, espresso powder is very fine freeze dried crystals that turn to dust by rubbing them between your fingers. The fill anything. Only use CA as an adhesive if you are going to use it for your finish too; it will discolor the blank all the way to the tube.

[Clint Baxter]

I have some flexible Black CA that I like to use for these types of fills. Stick Fast brand that I got from Harville tools. You can use just about any fill you want and it typically looks more like a wood defect than a filler.

Clint

[Donny Lawson]

I would use CA and coffee grounds. A good CA finish would be great for this blank. It will make the figure stand out.

[James Combs]

If it were me at this point, I looks to be a blank that you are just now getting to the round stage. I would just drench it with thin CA to hold it together and stabilize it the turn it down to about 1/32 to 1/16 oversize then look to see what might need filling and then grab some finely ground coffee grounds or some dark wood(such as walnut) sanding dust. Good luck with what ever you do/did.

[Aaron Buys]

I ended up going with the coffee and CA glue to fill the void. I think I ended up applying it a few times as I kept turning/sanding through it but nothing flew off during the turning =). Thanks you all for your advice.

[Doug W Swanson]

Looks great! Nice job on the pen!