• Thanks for visiting The Penturners Forum today.

    There are many features and resources that currently you are unable to see or access, either because you're not yet registered, or if you're already registered, because you're not logged in.

    To gain full access to the forum, please log in or register now. Registration is completely free, it only takes a few seconds, and you can join our well established community of like-minded pen makers.

pens from newly cut wood

scouseroy

scouseroy

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Posts
666
Location
Runcorn Cheshire
First Name
Roy
Guys I am looking to make some pens for a local school fete for prizes ,
they would be made from wood from the grounds of the school and it will be freshly cut but I have no idea how to prepare it so it wont split I don't have any special equipment ,I have seen you guys talking about microwaving wood to dry it ,any tips would be appreciated :goesred:
 
J

jameshj

Full Member
Joined
May 1, 2014
Posts
121
Location
bangor ni / costa del sol spain
First Name
james
Whats the time scale until you need them
To air dry its approx 1 inch per year plus a year. so 1" = 2years , 2"= 3 years and so on.
or cut pen blanks as near to size as possible, drill them and micro them for short blasts, Keep weighting them, microing until they loss no more weight. This can be time consuming, But hay-ho thats may advice.
 
bellringer

bellringer

The Young one
Registered
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Posts
5,187
Location
Surrey
First Name
Alex
Right I have this mastered depending on the wood and its tendency to crack cut the as long as possable then put them inside on a piece of news paper they should dry with in 2-3 months
 
scouseroy

scouseroy

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Posts
666
Location
Runcorn Cheshire
First Name
Roy
jameshj said:
Whats the time scale until you need them
To air dry its approx 1 inch per year plus a year. so 1" = 2years , 2"= 3 years and so on.
or cut pen blanks as near to size as possible, drill them and micro them for short blasts, Keep weighting them, microing until they loss no more weight. This can be time consuming, But hay-ho thats may advice.
Click to expand...
hmm so perhaps I should have started this 7 years ago:goesred: ok so how am I going to pinch the headmasters desk instead lol
 
bassethound

bassethound

Executive Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Posts
7,581
Location
East Sussex
First Name
Ted
Roy,if you look back to see the holly and hawthorn ones i posted,they were fairly greenish wood and nothing has happened yet to those,that's not saying it won't but if you Microwave bits carefully you may get away with it, I only do pens etc for a hobby and don't sell so it don't matter to me, I can just recycle the bits, I think everything is worth a try!

Regards Ted...
 
scouseroy

scouseroy

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Posts
666
Location
Runcorn Cheshire
First Name
Roy
bassethound said:
Roy,if you look back to see the holly and hawthorn ones i posted,they were fairly greenish wood and nothing has happened yet to those,that's not saying it won't but if you Microwave bits carefully you may get away with it, I only do pens etc for a hobby and don't sell so it don't matter to me, I can just recycle the bits, I think everything is worth a try!

Regards Ted...
Click to expand...
Thanks Im going to give the microwave treatment a try and just hope nobody thinks they are treats and tries to eat them !!
 
paulm

paulm

grave manibus faciendum
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2013
Posts
12,046
Location
Sandford
First Name
Paul
Roy, I've been boiling wood now for a while to experiment on the drying. If you boil wood for about and hour per inch thickness and then it'll dry in the airing cupboard. I still seal the ends after but it'll dry pretty quick... a few days. However, my experience dictates that you do it when the mrs is out.

cut it into oversize pen blanks and then boil those. Job done.
 
scouseroy

scouseroy

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Posts
666
Location
Runcorn Cheshire
First Name
Roy
paulm said:
Roy, I've been boiling wood now for a while to experiment on the drying. If you boil wood for about and hour per inch thickness and then it'll dry in the airing cupboard. I still seal the ends after but it'll dry pretty quick... a few days. However, my experience dictates that you do it when the mrs is out.

cut it into oversize pen blanks and then boil those. Job done.
Click to expand...
thanks will give all these ways a try,....... what does boiling wood do? does it deform the blanks?
 
paulm

paulm

grave manibus faciendum
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2013
Posts
12,046
Location
Sandford
First Name
Paul
scouseroy said:
thanks will give all these ways a try,....... what does boiling wood do? does it deform the blanks?
Click to expand...

I breaks the cells down Roy. I have had a bit of deforming but nothing too much, pen blanks will be a cinch.
 
billyb_imp

billyb_imp

Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Posts
4,298
Location
Lincoln, UK
First Name
Billy
scouseroy said:
they are cutting some trees down to make a playing field larger but I have no idea what type? it was a parent who approached me to see if I could do something ,will try to find out
Click to expand...

Now theres a novelty nowadays "making the playing fields larger" :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Hope it catches on :thinks:
 
Warning! This thread has not had any replies for over a year. You are welcome to post a reply here, but it might be better to start a new thread (and maybe include a link to this one if you need to).
Top