Bandsaws and Pen Blanks

[Neil]

Following yesterdays discussion about the ability of bandsaws to cut various thicknesses and woods and how long a machine will actually spens cutting wood each year, I thought that I hadn't turned any Ebony for a while so thought I would take a lump off this bit!,



Its just shy of eight foot and is 6 inches by four!

Weighs a bloody ton as I found out when I trapped my finger between it and a very sharp bit of the bandsaw table that I vociferously renamed at the time!

 

[PhillH]

I wasn't intending using it for anything like that

 

[Grump]

You mad crazy Englishman Get back to the midday sun.

 

[Woody]

The whole place looks like an accident waiting to happen

 

[Neil]

The whole place looks like an accident waiting to happen

No Woody, that's the camera playing tricks, flattening everything and not including the clean clear floor which is out of shot.

It hasn't had the end of day clear up yet so is a tad untidy!

Anyway, it was a two man job to put it through the bansaw and take a twelve inch lump off the end and then Ive sliced it around 22mm thick. Ebony logs are always prone to shakes as the way the locals fell them is bizarre to say the least. They ring bark them and leave them standing dead for a couple of years and then fell them. So Ebony from 25 feet up crashes to the deck and can, when opened up, as a reult look like the remnants from the Bryant and May match factory. There are a few shakes in it but I was expecting that.

Heres the results, Pens in it to follow!

 

[Jim]

I can see some beautiful Ebony pens appearing very shortly ...

 

[yorkshireman]

Thats a grand bit of wood Neil

 

[turnaround360]

Wow Neil that is a fare sized ebony sleeper.

 

[Jimjam66]

Don't go lighting any matches in that workshop, mate! It would take Fire & Rescue a week to put out the fire ...

Bl**dy nice bit of ebony - fancy parting with a bit big enough to make a guitar neck out of? :pray:

 

[Penpal]

Macassar Ebony and I agree scary the splits and shakes you can find ten times worse in jet black ebony where the price has gone to ten times that timber. Neil what did you have in mind to turn looks like with the grain so far?.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[Neil]

Macassar Ebony and I agree scary the splits and shakes you can find ten times worse in jet black ebony where the price has gone to ten times that timber. Neil what did you have in mind to turn looks like with the grain so far?.

Kind regards Peter.

Peter,

I obtained this piece of Ebony from a guy who claimed it was Makassar, but I disagreed. I bought two lengths, this was by far the larger, and the smaller one is definitely Asian Striped Ebony. They both came from Papua New Guinea, thats a fact and adds credence to the ASE. However, I opened this up this evening and I'm not too sure. One way might be to determine the weight as ASE is only 63lbs/cubic foot, Makassar is 66 - The reason its not used in acoustic instrument making because it doesnt transmit the treble notes well. However I dont know if it could be conclusive enough.

I'm going to find the other piece of ASE and post some pictures tomorrow so we can look at the difference.

 

[Woody]

Whatever it is Neil it is a nice looking bit of wood and will make some striking pens

 

[L200arg]

Looking forward to seeing the pens you make with those blanks Neil...

 

[rowdyyates115]

Neil.....
From a sleeper only dreams are made.... heard that quote once.... a long while ago.
That wood is beaut, should get some cracking pens from that....

 

[edlea]

Yes Neil would love to see some finished pens.