michael gallagher
11-09-2008, 12:19 AM
My neighbor down the street has a pretty neat job - among other things, he goes across the country and buys reclaimed wood for the higher-end projects. Things like wood that has been submerged for 150 or so years in rivers, fully intact trees at the bottom of the lakes that were impounded in the 30's, really old growth stuff.
He was nice enough to stop by Friday night with a nice chunk of wood (10" x 8" x 5") for me. He guesstimated the tree submerged in a river in the 1850's (he told me the name of the river but I can't remember it at the moment to save my life), and his company pulled it out of said river this past spring. He believes it to be sycamore, and I counted 90+ growth rings.
I peeled off about 1" of the 10" side to cut a few pen blanks, and turned one today to give him as a "thank you." It doesn't have the bling and flair of some pens, but I always like the story behind the wood - holding it in your hand, wondering who cut it generations ago, where it has been, etc.
I sanded through 400, then steel wool and the full set of micro mesh. Followed it up with a BLO / CA polish then the full set of micro mesh for the shine (picture doesn't capture the glossy shine).
Comments, etc. appreciated!
He was nice enough to stop by Friday night with a nice chunk of wood (10" x 8" x 5") for me. He guesstimated the tree submerged in a river in the 1850's (he told me the name of the river but I can't remember it at the moment to save my life), and his company pulled it out of said river this past spring. He believes it to be sycamore, and I counted 90+ growth rings.
I peeled off about 1" of the 10" side to cut a few pen blanks, and turned one today to give him as a "thank you." It doesn't have the bling and flair of some pens, but I always like the story behind the wood - holding it in your hand, wondering who cut it generations ago, where it has been, etc.
I sanded through 400, then steel wool and the full set of micro mesh. Followed it up with a BLO / CA polish then the full set of micro mesh for the shine (picture doesn't capture the glossy shine).
Comments, etc. appreciated!