Cedar Pens

[Chris.hicks 82]

I was given a cedar log so I cut some of it down into pen blanks. Has anyone made a pen out of cedar and if so can you post pictures. Thanks

[Ron McKinley]

I haven't made any from cedar but have from redwood which is equally as soft. Sharp tools and judicious use of sandpaper will make the job easier......Ron

[Chris.hicks 82]

Thanks I will give it a try. I have a box of exotic wood coming should be here tomorrow cant wait to open it up and see what I got.

[James Combs]

Here are some cedar items including pens that I have turned. I haven't had any problems turning cedar though some say they have cracking issues. My biggest problem is finishing. The natural oils in the cedar make it hard to get a good gloss, otherwise you shouldn't have any problems. I will also ditto the heavy use of sandpaper comment.

The first two pens in the group are cedar.

[Chris.hicks 82]

Maybe if I get feeling better tonight I will head down to the shop and make a few pens

[Jeff Fagen]

I was able to make one out of three tries.It was pretty but the wood I had was both soft and brittle and it would tear off of the tubes.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have made quite a few pens, bowls and vases out of cedar. If your wood is solid it turns nicely and makes the shop smell good. I haven't had a problem turning cedar but like James said finish can be a problem at times. I found rattle can lacquer or CA glue will do the job.

[Chris.hicks 82]

I turned the pen out of cedar it did turn out pretty nice it was free wood so I cant complain

[James Combs]

No pic's?? It didn't happen without pics you know.

[Chris.hicks 82]

I will post pics in the morning didn't get any yet and now its bed time been a very long day

[Chris.hicks 82]

Here is a picture of the pen finally remembered to take it
Cedar Pen.jpg

[Joe Herrmann]

I used to make quite a few pens from aromatic cedar when I was doing shows. I would cut the blanks from the area just below a knot and the figure was gorgeous. Unfortunately, I had about a 30%+ failure rate but what I was able to get, sold extremely well.

[Les Elm]

Here is an Aromatic Red Cedar I did back in January.

Fitted with a Modified Perfect Fit 1/4 Twist Ballpoint.
Twisting the nib clockwise extends and retracts the refill.
Unscrewing the nib anti-clockwise allows access to the refill.
Sanded to 400x, buffed with Super Fine Steel Wool and applied 6 coats of MINWAX Clear Gloss Polyurethane.
No buffing or polishing on the MINWAX finish required.

Les