# Beginner woods?



## les-smith (Oct 25, 2006)

What would be your top 5 to 10 best beginner woods for making pens?


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## Firefyter-emt (Oct 25, 2006)

Of what I have in the shop that turns very nice... Imbuya, Goncallo Alves & Jacaranda turn nice. Then you have the local maple, walnut that are pretty nice.

Bamboo flooring, now that's a PITA []


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## DocStram (Oct 25, 2006)

It might be easier if you asked what to stay away from.  In any event, here's my list of beginner wood:
a. any blanks that are free
b. any blanks that look boring and lack figure

After you get some practice turning blanks, I would say Cocobolo or Bocote.  Easy to turn, in my opinion, and they will get you really excited about turning more.


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## jedgerton (Oct 25, 2006)

I'm fairly new to this hobby so my skills only allow me to work with friendly wood.  Here are some that I find really nice:

1. Olive (my favorite is Bethlehem Olive Wood).
2. Cocobolo
3. Bocote
4. Bloodwood

Some difficult woods for me so far are:

1. Palm (frays easily)
2. Dymondwood or any plywood

Thats my 2 cents.


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 25, 2006)

I agree mostly with Al.. I'm not fond of cocobolo.. I Like bocote, 
I practiced on whatever I could pick up... turned a lot of my mesquite grill wood, I cut a pecan out of my back yard and turned that, anything that give you practice is a good wood.  Olive is a dream to turn... any olive is good, BOW is fantastic,
and I like the Dymondwoods... tends to be very dry and brittle,  lots of dust.


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## DCBluesman (Oct 25, 2006)

Fairly easy:
1. Maple
2. Eastern cedar
3. Walnut
4. Mesquite
5. Desert Ironwood
6. Osage orange
7. Anything stabilized
8. Cocobolo
9. Olive wood
10. Bloodwood

Avoid for awhile
1. Palms
2. unstabilized burls


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## chisel (Oct 25, 2006)

A word of caution on a few of the suggested woods. 

Cocobolo...some people are very allergic to it. 

Walnut...is beautiful wood, and easy to turn...but it is an open grain wood, so some filling of open grain may be needed. 

1 Curly Maple
2 Bloodwood
3 Olivewood
4 Yellowheart
5 Purpleheart

Always remember, sharp tools, and a light touch. 

Good Luck


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## Dario (Oct 26, 2006)

Can I say maple 5 times? []

From my limited experience...
Plain wood is easy.  
Burl is not that much more difficult than plain wood.
Curly wood can be tricky and more difficult than burl.
Almost all cross-cut wood is difficult.


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## chisel (Oct 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Dario_
> Curly wood can be tricky.



Grain tear-out can occur with curly wood. It seems to me though, when I first started turning pens, I always used a lot of sandpaper for getting the final dimension. That eliminated the tear-out issue for me. Straight grained wood would be easier though.


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## chigdon (Oct 26, 2006)

I would agree with almost everything posted here.  I also agree that it would be easier to say what to stay away from.  Just because a wood is burled does not make it difficult.  Just because a wood is hard does not make it difficult.  Just because a wood is expensive does not make it difficult.  The worst combination to me is hard and brittle -- not just for turning but drilling and trimming.  Purpleheart and Bloodwood are in this category in my opinion (nice woods though).


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## chisel (Oct 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by chigdon_
> I also agree that it would be easier to say what to stay away from.



Ebony, snakewood, and anything cross-cut. The first two because they will most likely crack, eventually. 

Any open grained wood, because of the extra step needed...Zebrawood, Oak, Walnut, Mahogany.


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## mrcook4570 (Oct 26, 2006)

Stay away from palm, wenge, punky woods, chestnut, angle or cross cut woods...


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## ctEaglesc (Oct 26, 2006)

I love bocote,
O.K. the pen making wood is covered.
The problem with the "easy woods" is you will not get much practice "honing" your sharpening skills.
If you try more difficult stuff like aspen
You will get very plain boring looking cyliders but you will learn to sharpen  and get an idea of when to harden off your blank with CA while turning.
These techniques and skills can be transferred to anything you turn.
The wood is inexpensive, 1x stock can be bought at the Big Blue Box store.


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## kent4Him (Oct 26, 2006)

Cocobolo is what I started on.  I find it a very forgiving wood.


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## TomJ (Oct 26, 2006)

Any tree limb will do to start


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## Rifleman1776 (Oct 26, 2006)

See what happens when you ask for opinions? [][]
One question, lebenty-leben dozen opinions. []
I don't like bocote, do like cocobolo.
Many woods are nice, but coco isn't usually expensive and your question asked for something for a beginner.
Another tip, when you order kits, always order extra tubes. This because you will be the first person in history [] to screw up a turning. [:0] Extra tubes allow you to save the pen without having to use too much censored language.


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## les-smith (Oct 26, 2006)

Lots of great replies.  Thanks everyone.  My problem and maybe some what of a gloat is taht I've got more orders for pens and pen sets for Christmas than I think I can get done.[]  I'm thinking of buying pens from someone else and selling them here at work.  I don't do to bad turning pens, but I think I might do better selling them.  I'm still new at this, but these folks at work have loved what I've done.  I'm just trying to make pens with out having to redo things.  I asked about beginner woods so that maybe ya'll could direct me to some wood that would allow me to turn out pens quicker.  I love the dymondwood, all these pens have turned out great.  Ebony has turned out great for me also.  The acrylics are selling the minute I get them through the door at work.  Anyways, great suggestions everyone. No time to talk I've got to turn pens.[]


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## JimGo (Oct 26, 2006)

Acrylics are a great option because they turn pretty quickly, and finish in a snap (unlike most woods).


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## keithz (Oct 26, 2006)

I've been turning all of three weeks, so I have all kinds of experience. [][]

Of course, I'm joking.  Actually, I have found that anything I like to turn for other products besides pens, works with pens.  So far, I have turned pens from walnut, koa, locust burl, spalted maple, ambrosia maple, purpleheart, bethlehem olivewood, african blackwood, and amboyna burl.  By far, the most difficult woods were blackwood and amboyna burl.  

All in all, I don't think it really matters what kind of wood you turn.  Each has it's characteristics and it's requirements.  I 'd just turn whatever wood you have or want to turn.

keithz


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## ed4copies (Oct 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by les-smith_
> <br />Lots of great replies.  Thanks everyone.  My problem and maybe some what of a gloat is taht I've got more orders for pens and pen sets for Christmas than I think I can get done.[]  I'm thinking of buying pens from someone else and selling them here at work.  I don't do to bad turning pens, but I think I might do better selling them.  I'm still new at this, but these folks at work have loved what I've done.  I'm just trying to make pens with out having to redo things.  I asked about beginner woods so that maybe ya'll could direct me to some wood that would allow me to turn out pens quicker.  I love the dymondwood, all these pens have turned out great.  Ebony has turned out great for me also.  The acrylics are selling the minute I get them through the door at work.  Anyways, great suggestions everyone. No time to talk I've got to turn pens.[]




Don't worry, if you keep making ebony, you will have the chance to make them again after they crack! (This assumes the climatic conditions in OK are similar, humidity-wise, to Chicago.

BUT, they are REALLY nice pens when you deliver them!!![][]


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## GBusardo (Oct 26, 2006)

For me, nothing turns easier than bloodwood.


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## Rifleman1776 (Oct 27, 2006)

> _Originally posted by keithz_
> <br />I've been turning all of three weeks, so I have all kinds of experience. [][]
> 
> Of course, I'm joking.  Actually, I have found that anything I like to turn for other products besides pens, works with pens.  So far, I have turned pens from walnut, koa, locust burl, spalted maple, ambrosia maple, purpleheart, bethlehem olivewood, african blackwood, and amboyna burl.  By far, the most difficult woods were blackwood and amboyna burl.
> ...



  Interesting comment about African Blackwood. I like turning it because it works so nicely. Granted, it is hard. But, I class turning woods into several categories. Some are simply 'hard-hardwoods'. Others are 'difficult to turn', these may be soft and stringy, prone to blow-out or just troublesome. ABW, to me, is a hard-hardwood that turns nicely.


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## Rifleman1776 (Oct 27, 2006)

> _Originally posted by GBusardo_
> <br />For me, nothing turns easier than bloodwood.



That's encouraging. I just acquired some in a trade and am about to start two pens with it, a Euro and a Baron or Statesman Jr.


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## les-smith (Oct 27, 2006)

I think what I'm starting to believe is that a beginner wood is a wood that is hard, has a tight/closed grain, and is easy to finish.  The way I feel now is that a tight/closed grain and easy finishing go hand-in-hand.  At least it has for me so far.  Anything that I have to fill the grain with is just putting a hurt on me.[B)]


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## martyb (Oct 27, 2006)

I agree with Frank about the ABW.  It's rock hard, drill it slowly to prevent blowouts, but from my experience, it turns beautifully.

But bloodwood has to be the easiest wood I've ever turned.  You'd be doing yourself a favor by finding the redest bloodwood you can.  Not for ease of turning, just more stunning in the finished product.


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## chigdon (Oct 27, 2006)

> Interesting comment about African Blackwood. I like turning it because it works so nicely. Granted, it is hard. But, I class turning woods into several categories. Some are simply 'hard-hardwoods'. Others are 'difficult to turn', these may be soft and stringy, prone to blow-out or just troublesome. ABW, to me, is a hard-hardwood that turns nicely.



I prefer a Stable Hard wood.  What I would qualify these as are woods that are very dense but not brittle.  They turn nice and finish very well -- much easier than an open grained wood.  Blackwood is an example and last night I turned some incredible Afzelia Burl.  The Afzelia is such a pleasure to turn and finish and is beautiful.


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## alparent (Oct 27, 2006)

For me it's redheart. Easy to turn, easy to sand and look wondefull (espacialy if your making something for your wife!).


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## les-smith (Oct 27, 2006)

I'll put walnut on my list of favorites.  Just made a Euro with it and it turned great and finished easily.  Not oily at all and the grain was somewhat closed and it has a good color.


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