pen woes....

[Keith Christopher]

Anyone else have a problem with pens splitting ? I have made 2 ebony pens recently and both have split after a couple of weeks. ideas/suggestions ? nothing has been forced or fits too tight.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Keith,

Ebony is notorius for splitting when used in pens. Maybe you could try to stablize the blanks with a acetone/pexiglass soak for a few weeks prior to turning. But, you experience is certainly not unique. I have heard of this happening everytime someon has tried to use ebony in pens. Good luck!

[Mike Ramsey]

Keith, ebony is prone to crack like that. Not many pens made of ebony
make it very long without cracking...Just what i've read about it
here on the creek....

[John Hart]

I've heard the same thing Keith. Some folks have good luck with it though. The snakewood pen I did a couple of weeks ago split too. I gotta get that figured out.

[David Fried]

Keith,

I've only made one Ebony pen and I guess I got lucky - no problems so far.

The gentleman who taught the pen making class at Woodcraft told a story about making a set that was for sale in the museum store in Hartford. Both the pen and pencil split while on display. He felt the light and heat in the display case did it. Apparently it is sensitive stuff.

Dave Fried

[Corey Hallagan]

Hmmm.. good to know. Sorry about the problems Keith, got to suck after you spent time making a nice pen as you do. Maybe you can use some African Blackwood instead? I buy some really nice blackwood with no sapwood from Woodturningz.com, any sapwood will turn out and is cut so that it is on the edge of the stock. It is very dark and has some choclate color in it as well. Neat stuff, and one of the woods I want to make a pen out of soon.
Corey

[John Hart]

...Maybe you can use some African Blackwood instead? ....


I've heard that this is the preferred alternative. Blackwood is much more stable from what I've been told....plus it looks great. Good idea Corey!

[Bernie Weishapl]

I was told by a turner at woodcraft in Denver not to use Ebony because it splits about 95% of the time. He said the same thing Corey said use African Blackwood. Sorry to hear about the pens. Bummer after you spent the time on them.

[Pat Salter]

I'm curious how much time there was from the time you drilled it and the time you turned it? I wonder if you need to let it set for a period of time after drilling. hmmm, just a thought.

btw, me too poor to buy ebony:rolleyes:

[David Fried]

I buy some really nice blackwood with no sapwood from Woodturningz.com,

I got some from them too and loved it. One piece had lots of sap wood and made a pen with a really nice strip down one side. I think I like the sap wood combo.

Dave Fried

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Keith, although no experience with the pen department, I am quite familiar with the Ebony stuff. Yes indeed it's a wood of it's own. At times it acts just like carbon.
If you like the black look, and again, with a very limited experience, however gaining on the same. May I suggest trying the all Black Corian. I turned several pieces the other day and it is the closest thing I have come across that looks and feels just like Ebony. One might call it "Faux Ebony". Finishes equally as well.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Corey Hallagan]

Yeah, Ebony was out of my reach too Pat. I dont like to pay anymore than a dollar a blank for pen blanks but yah have to sometimes. I paid 2.00 ea. for African Blackwood. I have a piece of what is called Black and white ebony. It is mostly a cream colored wood with black striping thru it. I assumed it was sap wood mixed with the ebony striping. Anyone know if it does the same thing or if this is actually some other wood?
Corey

[Bill Stevener]

Just wanted to add, I think if one were to put an Ebony and Corian pen side by side, no one would be able to tell the difference. The better part is the Corian will not split.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Corey Hallagan]

That is incredible that Corian can be turned on a lathe. How do you finish it Bill? Corian is a synthtic stone not real stone, right?

Corey

[Bill Stevener]

Corey, I don't know the chemical make up of Corian. It turns very similar to Acrylic with out as much of the static characteristics. Personally, I like how it turns. One can also bend it with the proper heat. Finishes great with 600g. The black I take down to 1200g. The other stuff one will never note any scratch - sanding marks. Polish and or wax is all that is required for a finish. A little tougher on the tool than the Acrylic, about the same as Ebony, I think.

Worth a try for the pen makers, if you wish Black ones that will not split.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Keith Christopher]

I'm curious how much time there was from the time you drilled it and the time you turned it? I wonder if you need to let it set for a period of time after drilling. hmmm, just a thought.

btw, me too poor to buy ebony:rolleyes:

Pat,

About two weeks. but of all the ebony pens only 2 split of about 8.


All,

I'm thinking of turning water buffalo horn. Could be a ebony replacement.


Keith

[Mike Lawler]

keep ebony away from heat as much as possible.

do not overheat while drilling, sanding, etc.

do not use finishes that generate heat (ca/accel.)

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I have just used Ebony for the first time AND it's in a pen. I can't talk too much about it yet. The pen is a gift in the "Pen in the Hat" exchange at another site and the recipiant hasn't got it yet. Don't want to ruin the surprize.

I have heard that Ebony can wait months before splitting and for no good reason........... split. Hope mine doesn't. I'll show the pen and explain what I did after it is delivered.

Bruce

[Blake McCully]

How do you finish it?

Corey,
I finish corian, you can also get a product called nairoc which is simply corian spelled backwards but not made the the same mfgs of corian, the same as I do regular acrylic. Wet micro mesh to 12000 then acrylic polish. Works fine.

[Hank Walczak]

Keith - I've had some success using thin CA as a stabilizing method. A couple of coatings after finish turning the blank. I use CA as a finish on most of my pens too. just my .002

Hank

[Rich Stewart]

Corey, I turned some of that black and white and had no problems with it. Only thing I didn't like was the black stripes turned away and left me with some very unremarkable wood. I got one out of five that looked good. They run like 3.50 a piece.

[gerald sievers]

Dick Sing was doing a demo on pen turning in Peoria Ill woodcrafters about 2 months ago. He was asked the same question about ebony. His suggestion was to use gorilla glue. It has enought give in it that ebony will not crack.

[Randy Meijer]

I have seen all sorts of proposed remedies to the problem of Ebony cracking. To the best of my knowledge none of them have a 100% success rate. Death and taxes......Ebony cracks!!:mad: