Bowl blanks to pen blanks

[ray7]

If you are cutting a bowl blank up to make pen blanks would you have to cut a certain way or would it not matter?

Ray

 

[rayf6604]

I think it would depend on how much the grain stands out and by cutting in different directions on the grain will give different effects.

 

[Walter]

Generally I would cut so that the grain is running along the length of the pen blank, but that is not an absolute as cross cut or bias cut blanks can produce attractive results too depending upon how figured the timber is.

 

[ray7]

Thanks for the replys. It`s a spalted beech blank that I am going to be cutting up.

Ray

 

[Twister]

i am always looking at my blanks
not cut one up yet but so tempted
especially the small ones
i have some ebony that i keep looking at

Steve

 

[Penpal]

I have been cutting pen blanks across the grain for ever it seems however in spalted material the most exciting can be had with the grain what appears on the surface can dissapear as you turn, the exception IMHO is Olive Wood that most always livens up cut across the grain.

One of our precious to me is Hairy Oak that cross cut can resemble a Tigers skin the way the striking medullary rays go when cut at right angles. Be prepared for another degree of difficulty cutting end grain is totally different to with the grain, no heavy cuts.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[ray7]

Thanks Peter, I have cut end grain before when doing bowls but was not sure on something as small as a pen blank. What I might do is divide it in two and do half with the grain and half cross grain and see how they come out.

Ray