African Ebony Fountain Pen

[drgoretex]

Hello folks,

 

Here is something that I have been planning for some time. Having been inspired by the beautiful wood pens coming out of Japan (Sailor, Pilot), I have been planning for some time to put together a series of pens in a classic flat-end style using a range of exotic (and maybe some not so exotic) woods. This african ebony pen is the first. (Hmm...it was enough work to do this one that the next may be a while before I get to it... :embarrassed_smile: )

 

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_7654_zps15cb8721.jpg

 

This pen posed some cool challenges - Acrylic threading (grip to barrel, barrel to cap, and finial to cap), and grain matching (finial to cap, and cap to barrel). It took me about twice as long to do this pen as it does to make an all-resin pen. Oof. Sore back, sore knees....

 

I decided to do something a little different with the nib, and stubbed a broad JoWo. Came out very, very nice - smooth, nice line variation.

 

Here are a couple of pics. More on my website/blog (link at the bottom).

 

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_7638_zpscb3efb91.jpg

 

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_7684_zps3c6d0d11.jpg

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Ken

[pelman]

Stunning. An exquisite looking pen.

[Scriptorium Pens]

Oh, my, I think I'm in love!

[smk]

A lovely pen. I love the fact that it doesn't have a large step from section to barrel - this is indeed well executed.

 

Salman

[penultress]

Beautiful, I love the organic look of it.

[jacksterp]

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

[WOBentley]

[twissy]

Beautifully done Ken! Such a clean join on the cap finial.....I'm in awe!

[drgoretex]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

[18111]

Nice sheen, not overly gloss. I love it. Is African ebony same as African blackwood? Where do you buy JoWo nibs?

Thanks. Yoshi

[Jgrden]

Beautiful and nicely proportioned. Watch out for splitting. Keep it out of the sun. I lost four pens at a show one time, due to the sun.

 

Good work.

[dougscott]

Very nice. Very, very nice. But then, who's surprised?

Doug

[pictogramax]

Beautiful, superb understated texture.

[3rdlakerobert]

Another of your pens that I'd love to own. Looks like it'd be very nice to use.

[rudyhou]

this is such a beaut! would love to get my hands on it

[raging.dragon]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

 

Wood contracts when it dries an this can cause surface cracking (or through cracking on thin sections) that is know as checking. Finishing all surfaces of the the wood (inside too!) with CA, varnish, etc. will seal the wood and prevent it from absorbing or loosing water, consequently preventing checking.

 

will seal the wood so

[N2theBreach]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

 

Ken,

 

Checking usually occurs as a piece of wood dries. If you've ever seen the end of a log that's been cut and the raw end is left exposed for months or years, you may have noticed small splits that run from the outer edge to the center and back down the length of the log. That's checking. If the wood has been dried properly, checking shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think it's caused by the wood trying to contract as the moisture leaves it. If the log dries too fast, it dries unevenly, tension builds in the wood, and a split occurs to relieve that tension. If dried slowly, the wood has time to adjust evenly to the changing moisture content and checking is minimized.

 

Someone correct me if I haven't got it right.

 

Oh, almost forgot, nice pen! Typically, I prefer natural materials over man-made stuff, but that doesn't always work in pens. This time it did. The extra effort was worth it.

[3rdlakerobert]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

 

Ken,

 

Checking usually occurs as a piece of wood dries. If you've ever seen the end of a log that's been cut and the raw end is left exposed for months or years, you may have noticed small splits that run from the outer edge to the center and back down the length of the log. That's checking. If the wood has been dried properly, checking shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think it's caused by the wood trying to contract as the moisture leaves it. If the log dries too fast, it dries unevenly, tension builds in the wood, and a split occurs to relieve that tension. If dried slowly, the wood has time to adjust evenly to the changing moisture content and checking is minimized.

 

Someone correct me if I haven't got it right.

 

Oh, almost forgot, nice pen! Typically, I prefer natural materials over man-made stuff, but that doesn't always work in pens. This time it did. The extra effort was worth it.

 

I would add this. Checking is the result of rapid surface drying, almost always at the end grain surface where the wood most readily absorbs and wicks out moisture . To avoid it, turners often try to control the rate of surface drying, sometimes by burying the wood in shavings, the idea being that the shavings will absorb moisture more slowly than air. i have successfully dried 4' walnut this way in a year. More commonly, turners apply a coat of wax preparation to seal end grain surfaces. Curing, or drying, the wood by this method is very slow but reliable, taking about a year for every inch of wood thickness. Most hardwood for sale to turners has been dried, but when fresh wood is sold, it usually commands much less in price because the turner must then deal with the drying process.

[drgoretex]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

 

Ken,

 

Checking usually occurs as a piece of wood dries. If you've ever seen the end of a log that's been cut and the raw end is left exposed for months or years, you may have noticed small splits that run from the outer edge to the center and back down the length of the log. That's checking. If the wood has been dried properly, checking shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think it's caused by the wood trying to contract as the moisture leaves it. If the log dries too fast, it dries unevenly, tension builds in the wood, and a split occurs to relieve that tension. If dried slowly, the wood has time to adjust evenly to the changing moisture content and checking is minimized.

 

Someone correct me if I haven't got it right.

 

Oh, almost forgot, nice pen! Typically, I prefer natural materials over man-made stuff, but that doesn't always work in pens. This time it did. The extra effort was worth it.

 

I would add this. Checking is the result of rapid surface drying, almost always at the end grain surface where the wood most readily absorbs and wicks out moisture . To avoid it, turners often try to control the rate of surface drying, sometimes by burying the wood in shavings, the idea being that the shavings will absorb moisture more slowly than air. i have successfully dried 4' walnut this way in a year. More commonly, turners apply a coat of wax preparation to seal end grain surfaces. Curing, or drying, the wood by this method is very slow but reliable, taking about a year for every inch of wood thickness. Most hardwood for sale to turners has been dried, but when fresh wood is sold, it usually commands much less in price because the turner must then deal with the drying process.

 

Thanks guys, these are great tips for sure, and worth taking to heart for and work with woods.

 

Fortunately for me, the vast majority of my exotics (and non-exotics) are well over a year old - most are several years old. Regardless, I tried to stabilize the wood with thin CA as I got near the final turning. It seems to have done nicely, though as per one of the other tips noted above, I will advise its new owner not to leave it in the sun (or let it get soaked, etc)

 

Awesome bits of advice here!

 

Ken

[ajzeller]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

What do you do to prevent checking?

 

Is the wood stabilized?

 

Positively beautiful pen.

 

I don't prevent checking. I check it continuously as I go :roflmho:

 

Seriously, don't know what you mean.

 

The wood did not come stabilized, but as I near final dimensions, I give it some penetrating coats of thin CA to stabilize it for final turning.

 

Ken

 

Ken,

 

Checking usually occurs as a piece of wood dries. If you've ever seen the end of a log that's been cut and the raw end is left exposed for months or years, you may have noticed small splits that run from the outer edge to the center and back down the length of the log. That's checking. If the wood has been dried properly, checking shouldn't be a problem.

 

I think it's caused by the wood trying to contract as the moisture leaves it. If the log dries too fast, it dries unevenly, tension builds in the wood, and a split occurs to relieve that tension. If dried slowly, the wood has time to adjust evenly to the changing moisture content and checking is minimized.

 

Someone correct me if I haven't got it right.

 

Oh, almost forgot, nice pen! Typically, I prefer natural materials over man-made stuff, but that doesn't always work in pens. This time it did. The extra effort was worth it.

 

I would add this. Checking is the result of rapid surface drying, almost always at the end grain surface where the wood most readily absorbs and wicks out moisture . To avoid it, turners often try to control the rate of surface drying, sometimes by burying the wood in shavings, the idea being that the shavings will absorb moisture more slowly than air. i have successfully dried 4' walnut this way in a year. More commonly, turners apply a coat of wax preparation to seal end grain surfaces. Curing, or drying, the wood by this method is very slow but reliable, taking about a year for every inch of wood thickness. Most hardwood for sale to turners has been dried, but when fresh wood is sold, it usually commands much less in price because the turner must then deal with the drying process.

 

When I get green or wet wood in and am not going to turn it right away, I'll typically wax the ends and that prevents a lot of checking/cracking. Another route that some turners have taken (I haven't.... yet...) is to take your wood and soak it in ethanol for day, (to let it get to the core,) then letting it dry for a day. From what I understand, the ethanol molecules are smaller than the water molecules, so as the ethanol leaves (which it does much faster than water) it takes the excess water with it without any cracking/checking.

 

I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for its effectiveness, but the turners that I heard it from say they do it quite a bit and swear by it if they think there's a chance that a piece will crack while drying naturally.