Wasted wood from a bowl blank?

[Steve Gehres]

I'm sure this is a really dumb question, but it's something that's been stuck in my craw for quite some time. Here goes...

You have a really expensive, exotic bowl blank that you're planning to make a nice bowl from. When "I" look at that blank, I see 10 beautiful pen blanks just sitting in the middle staring at me. And they're taunting me with "You can't get me... You can't get me... Na na na na na!" Then I turn my bowl (which I still haven't attempted yet) and all those beautiful pen blanks get sucked right down into the dust collector.

What does everyone else see? Is there a way to get at these little devils without degrading the quality of the bowl you intend to make with it?

Still a newbie,
~Steve

[Nancy Laird]

I've never turned a bowl--haven't taken that step yet--but from my reading here and looking at catalogs, I know that there are bowl coring systems that will take the middle out of a blank so that you can get several bowls from one blank.
Try here: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/bowl_coring.html

Nancy

[Mark Pruitt]

Yup, Nancy nailed it. Coring system. Wish I had one....hopefully someday I will.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

I've never turned a bowl--haven't taken that step yet--but from my reading here and looking at catalogs, I know that there are bowl coring systems that will take the middle out of a blank so that you can get several bowls from one blank.
Try here: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/bowl_coring.html

NancyNancy, What can we do to help you get started? Seeing some of your pens I can only imagine what kind of bowls you could produce.:)

[Nancy Laird]

Nancy, What can we do to help you get started? Seeing some of your pens I can only imagine what kind of bowls you could produce.:)

Chris, thank you for the compliment on my pens. I'm pretty proud of them, and I've been very lucky to get some gorgeous blanks that make them look good. As for the bowls, it's a matter of time more than anything else. I work a day job (as does LOML), and we run a laser business, cabinet-making business, hubby does machine "put-togethers" and trouble-shooting/repair, and I have two clients for whom I turn pens for resale. I have a bunch of blanks (some I got from John Hart) and I have every intention of getting there. It's a time thing.:( I'm retiring from my day job at the end of 2007, so I'll be able to devote the time and effort to learning to turn some things I'll be proud to post (hopefully not too many funnels!!):D

Nancy

[Neal Addy]

If you round the corners of the bowl blank off on a bandsaw you can usually (depending on size) get several pen blanks from the cut-offs. They're also good for lids, finials, collars, inlay, etc.

But then, I'm a wood pack rat. Never throw anything away.

[Lee DeRaud]

If you round the corners of the bowl blank off on a bandsaw you can usually (depending on size) get several pen blanks from the cut-offs. They're also good for lids, finials, collars, inlay, etc.One thing: a bowl blank big enough (i.e. thick enough) to get pen blanks from the corner cutoffs is almost certainly wet wood. I don't do pens, but I was under the impression that pens are strictly a "dry-wood" operation.

[Ron Raymond]

Sorry Steve, but I can't help you. I don't see imaginary things the way you do. I do, however, hear voices that noone else seems to hear! :eek: They ususally say things like "You need more pen blanks".:D

[Jonathon Spafford]

Just turn a bowl with it... then go to Craft Supply and they have a whole range of exotic blanks in 1" x 1" x 12" that are perfect for pens and only cost $2-3. If you like turning bowls, wasting the center is just part of the deal. If you had a coring system you could make another little bowl out of the blank, but if this is a really small blank and you don't have a coring system, it might not be worth the trouble.

[Jonathon Spafford]

If you round the corners of the bowl blank off on a bandsaw you can usually (depending on size) get several pen blanks from the cut-offs. They're also good for lids, finials, collars, inlay, etc.

Wouldn't pen blanks made from the corners of a bowl blank be in the wrong grain orientation for pen turning, if the bowl blank had a standard grain orientation?

[Kurt Forbes]

Wouldn't pen blanks made from the corners of a bowl blank be in the wrong grain orientation for pen turning, if the bowl blank had a standard grain orientation?

There is no wrong orentation. just failed creative decisions.

Actually cross grain and 1/4 grain cuts yeild some beautiful blanks if you are careful. Apply CA glue liberally and keep the skew sharp as a razor and you will be fine and get some BEAUTIFUL pens. the pen in this picture was cut across a limb to give hart wood and sap wood.

http://www.artisticwoodturners.com/Gallery/128/PC220083.JPG

[Jonathon Spafford]

There is no wrong orentation. just failed creative decisions.

Actually cross grain and 1/4 grain cuts yeild some beautiful blanks if you are careful. Apply CA glue liberally and keep the skew sharp as a razor and you will be fine and get some BEAUTIFUL pens.

Good to know... thanks! I have always had a hard time with blanks of that orientation because of the bit of endgrain makes for tough cutting. Guess I'll have to try it again!!!

[Steve Gehres]

Wow! What a bunch of quick replies. Thanks.

The coring thing looks ideal, but then the price is something I definately can't justify yet. Especially since I've only completed *ONE* turned item so far. It's this baby rattle (see below). It didn't go without a few 'catches' though. The major one was right before I was ready to sand. I was doing a final smoothing on the rounded end of the handle when something whizzed past my head. It broke off chunks 3 quarters the way around. I never did find them either. That is the reason why the end of the handle is smaller than the rest of the rattle. It turned out for the best though. That way I could say that I 'purposely' made it a bit small so that my wife (who is a neonatal nurse) wouldn't 'steal' it to give to one of her infants at work. I planned on keeping it anyway. I wanted my 'very first' turned item to stay proudly displayed on the shelf in my shop. Just like restaurants do with their 'very first' dollar bill. Not sure what the wood is. It was in the scrap bin at Paxton Lumber.

[Dario Octaviano]

Few things.

Coring tool is right on saving the inside (and outside) of bowl blanks. You would need a strong motor to do so though (preferaby 1.5 hp or bigger)

You can use wet wood for pen blanks (all wood start wet don't they?). You do need it dried before using them though.

Wood grain orientation is not a problem. I used a lot of x-cut and biased cut blanks and they almost always produce more interesting pens than the regular cut blanks. Most are more difficult to turn but worth it IMHO.

[Jim Becker]

One thing: a bowl blank big enough (i.e. thick enough) to get pen blanks from the corner cutoffs is almost certainly wet wood. I don't do pens, but I was under the impression that pens are strictly a "dry-wood" operation.

Lee, you are correct. Pen blanks absolutely need to be dry. But one can still salvage the material given that the size for pen blanks does usually mean relatively fast drying as compared to big hunks of wood.

[Jason Slutsky]

I made a pen from the cut corners of a cocobolo bowl blank. I tried to (ahem) "enhance" the drying by dropping the blanks in DNA. I have seen no ill effects as of yet and it's been a month since I turned it. Since it's been this long I don't know if I will but maybe some of the veteran pen turners may know more.

Crossgrain...looks pretty nice to me and I reversed the orientation of the blanks so it made a neat "burst" design.

Image Link:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=61149&d=1174936661 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=54886)