I fell in love with end-grain while making some cutting boards a while back. I have made several pens with end-grain blanks. The wood has a tendency to blow out so I've learned to use freshly sharpened tools and take light cuts. I also stabilize some of the more challenging pieces with a CA glue soak. Takes longer but it's worth the effort.
Today I had one blow out turning a pencil blank and the chip went straight up the dust collector. I have a cyclone with a 40-gallon bin so there was no way I was going digging for it. Since the chip did not expose the barrel I figured I'd try to turn it out. Worst case if it didn't work, I'd just turn away the wood down to the barrel and start over.
I was able to shape and finish the blank but now I can't decide whether chalk this up as a great save or just weird looking. Given how thin a pen barrel usually is outside the tube, I was quite surprised there was this much room to work with.
That's Canarywood, by the way.
Please help me make up my mind on this one. I'm teetering between keeping it or disassembling and turning a new barrel.
Today I had one blow out turning a pencil blank and the chip went straight up the dust collector. I have a cyclone with a 40-gallon bin so there was no way I was going digging for it. Since the chip did not expose the barrel I figured I'd try to turn it out. Worst case if it didn't work, I'd just turn away the wood down to the barrel and start over.
I was able to shape and finish the blank but now I can't decide whether chalk this up as a great save or just weird looking. Given how thin a pen barrel usually is outside the tube, I was quite surprised there was this much room to work with.
That's Canarywood, by the way.
Please help me make up my mind on this one. I'm teetering between keeping it or disassembling and turning a new barrel.