# Last Of The Christmas Pens...



## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

These are all Berea Sierra pens. Finished with Woodturners polish and TSW after micro mesh to 12000. 

First one Desert Ironwood









Kingwood









Bethlehem Olivewood









Thanks for looking!

Corey


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Very Nice 

Corey

I like the one in the 3 rd.snapshot the best...  you do nice work..

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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Outstanding Corey. Those are beauties. I just made my first two Sierra's. They are just to cool with 2 pens from one blank. Great job buddy.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Corey you did an excellent job on those. Like the first two but like Bj said the third is the best grain in the wood. I can see between you and Bernie I'm going to go broke buying pen blanks again.


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Thank you guys. Olive wood is the neatest stuff. the grain is like no other and it smells wonderful when you turn it. It's very naturally oily. I am burned out on pens at this point. Time to work on boxes  

Corey


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Corey how does that desert ironwood turn and drill? The letterwood is hard as concrete when drilling you have to cut the blank a 1/4" longer, drill to 1/8" of coming thru and then cut it on the bandsaw. Perfect hole and perfect blank that even though it is hard turns, sands and finishes so nice.


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## mit-ch (Oct 1, 2007)

Corey
Congratulations on a job very well done. I like them.Like the man said, you do good work. Mitch


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks a lot Mitch I appreciate it. Bernie, Desert Ironwood is not all that hard really, not like letterwood at all. This piece had a lot of sap wood as you can see. The heartwood is beautiful and it's one of my favorite woods. It drills fine and turns well, you do need a nice sharp chisel as it is kind of pecky sometimes. It likes to lift little chunks out of the wood .. so slow and easy .. no hogging it off like you can some wood. 

corey


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks Corey. I was thinking of getting some for pens. Appreciate it buddy.


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## mit-ch (Oct 1, 2007)

Corey
Can I ask you a question then offer a suggestion? Do you pay attention to the turning speeds you use or do you just get in a rut and use the same speed all the time? As you certainly already know all woods turn differently and the speed you use on each should be different. If the wood is pecky as you described I would immediately up my speed. Turn another pen and decide if it helped any. Something as small as a pen blank could probably easily be ,safely turned at 2500 rpm's and the finish on the wood should be superior to anything turned at a slower speed. I just tonight made a 1/4" skew , from a old woodworkers chisel, that I think will put an excellent finish on a pen blank at high speeds. Forgive me for rambling. Mitch


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Hi Mitch, when I turn pens I used to go up and down the range etc. Now I use one speed to rough and finish turn. You are absolutely right however on your assessment, a higher speed may help. When I do larger turnings I do rough at lower speeds, and move up for finishing. EEWWWWW that skew... evil skew!! 

Corey


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