• 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.

Omega in red meranti...oh boy!

bluntchisel

Registered
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Posts
3,849
Location
Kent, UK.
First Name
Bob
Hello, Guys,

Today I braved the icy workshop (dressed up like Scott of the Antarctic!) and made one of Dan's Omega rollerballs. I've dressed her in a stick of red meranti. As always, I was stunned at the grain that lies just beneath the surface of this beautiful wood (which came to me free of charge - see footnote).
Finished with grits to 600, grain popped with a wipe of white spirits, six coats of thin CA, and given a little polish.

Omega in Meranti 1.JPG

Omega in Meranti 3.JPG

Omega in Meranti 4.JPG

Footnote; A couple of years ago I was given a pallet which had been used to transport Indian stone. Because the pallet looked to have been made from mahogany I reduced it to the planks, threw away the ruined wood, and kept the rest. The "mahogany" was in fact meranti, and I turn a couple of pens from it every six months or so (I don't have much of the red meranti left so I'm a bit of a Scrooge when using it!) The moral to this is to go out and grab pallets where ever you can legally take them because you never know what you might come across. What is a real sin is that these hardwood trees are felled and then used for packing cases and pallets - what a waste, huh?

Regards to all,

Bob.
 

Terry Q

Fellow
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Posts
3,847
Location
Roanoke, Illinois USA
First Name
Terry
That is beautiful timber and you have done the pen justice. A friend of mine who worked for Caterpillar in Peterlee would salvage the pallets from Sweeden for the Beech.
 

paulm

grave manibus faciendum
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2013
Posts
12,046
Location
Sandford
First Name
Paul
That is lovely Bob and gives the Omega a Regal look. :thumbs:

I had some pallets of Indian Stone and burned all the pallets.... Now you say!!!!!!
 

bluntchisel

Registered
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Posts
3,849
Location
Kent, UK.
First Name
Bob
That is lovely Bob and gives the Omega a Regal look. :thumbs:

I had some pallets of Indian Stone and burned all the pallets.... Now you say!!!!!!

OH NO, Paul! Yes, I guess we all have done it at time or another, matey.
And it's like you say, Dan - when it's all gone we'll wonder where it all went, right?

Thanks for all your comments, guys!

Bob.
 

chas_41_uk

Registered
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Posts
10,034
Location
Manchester
First Name
Chas
Lovely pallet pen :thumbs:
We get pallets at work from all over the world, but one of the guys on the shop floor keeps chopping them up for his woodburner :nonono::nonono::sob:
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
It is hard to believe that this pen has come from a piece of pallet .. It is a stunner Bob, with a great finish .. :thumbs:

Another footnote .. Each day at work i see hundreds of pallets that we use, but i have never come across anything like this .. :sob::sob:
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Bob I love it that you got such a beaut blank from Meranti it is sold here by the mile for decking etc a mate of mine made some fine furniture along the same popped grain namely a circular table from Meranti that was 8 yrs in a paddock all grey from a field shed so I was prepared to be impressed with yours. It can be difficult but appears to have no growth rings I was told by a professor at work in Forestry that grown in the tropics there was no seasonal notion such as growth rings it grows steadily in Indonesia the stuff we get but as you have to kiss a thousand frogs to get a handsome prince or so we told our girls Merantii can be very hit and miss.

Beautiful penworkBob.

Peter.:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
 

bluntchisel

Registered
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Posts
3,849
Location
Kent, UK.
First Name
Bob
LOL, Peter! Bring on the frogs, matey! In the same lengths that I reclaimed there were whites and greys, and light, mid, and dark brown. I can't see any feature in the lighter colours but who knows? Maybe when I hit it with white spirit after turning I'll get a swan from an ugly duckling? Thanks, Peter!

Bob.
 
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