# finding the right size pen blank -



## bradbn4 (Oct 24, 2006)

This is more to just blow off some steam - but what the heck - I might get some good websites that provide this info.

There are a few pen kits that tend to use more wood than the normal slim line, cigar, etc - and I was wondering if there was any websites that index their wood offerings by a searchable size?

For example - I have spent a fair amount of money with Arizona Silhouette - I like the pen kits, most of the wood is quite high quality.  Good selection, fast shipment, over worked, and still helpful.

But - when I try to find a good quality wood that is the right size and in stock becomes a bit of a pain.  It is not his website - but most websites are hard to search for the size of the wood.  Yes, the good sites aways will tell you once you drill down that the wood is of this size - or at a minimum the size of the blank is x....

I was thinking something like using a letter scale for width - and a number scale for length.   

Heck, small, normal, large, xl would work quite well.  As long as those sizes are defined someplace.   Something unique, something searchable.

Bradbn4

Still having some fun in Colorado


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## leatherjunkie (Oct 24, 2006)

woodturners catalog lists their wood by catagory.
on the catagory wood blanks they have a selection that says jumbo size.
the wood they sell are top notch just like Arizona Silhouette 
woodturners catalog is also know as craft supplies usa

I myself keep it very simple, i just order 3/4" blanks for all pens to a cigar size. I will order the 7/8" or larger blank when i make the bigger gentlemans pens.
I know that i am wasting some wood making a slim pen out of 3/4" stock but it works very well for me.
hope this will help alittle.


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## ctEaglesc (Oct 25, 2006)

There are very few pens I can think of that need a blank larger than 3/4" inch square.Even the Gent Herring bone I recently made was done with a 3/4" blank.
I know that because it was drilled in a Beall collet.


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## bradbn4 (Oct 25, 2006)

The one pen comes to mined is the Panache - - while it would be rare for me to want any wood wider than 1"  - some kits can use longer.  When drilling out the blanks I find if I don't cut the the bottom - I have almost zero blow out of the pen blank.  Longer is better.  I find if I start out with a bit wider pen blank - I have less problems with pen blow out during the drilling stage. 

Also working with captured end sytle pen's might require a bit longer pen blank due to my style or lack of style making this sort of pen.

Computers can make searches easier - why not mark within the description some searchable method for finding that right pen blank?

1.  I use sharp drill bits
2.  I cut slow
3.  I stroke less than 1/8" after I hit 3/4 the way
4.  I let the bit and wood cool
The wider the wood - the less often I have blow outs during the drilling phase for brittle types of wood.


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## ctEaglesc (Oct 25, 2006)

I have posted this before.
If you are amking a pen with a larger diameter you can "Wrap" the wood with scrap sock box style an dglue the pieces on, trim off the edges.T
This will give the blank more mass and thus have fewer chances of blowing out.
The same can be done on the bottom.
I have always found it odd that some feel the need for a waste block while drilling.I drill on both the DP and the lathe. If I am not concerned as to where the DB will exit I use  the DP but when I want an accurate hole on center I use the lathe.
In neither instance do I use a waste block.


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 25, 2006)

I buy most of my wood from the Wood Turners Catalog... CSUSA... I prefer to buy the bigger blanks and cut my own blanks depending on what kit I'm using... you can't do that with the stabilized blanks, for the regular woods I think is more cost effective.
You get an 1.5 in. square x 10 to 12 in long... you can usually get about 8 pen blanks.


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## bradbn4 (Oct 25, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ozmandus_
> <br />I buy most of my wood from the Wood Turners Catalog... CSUSA... I prefer to buy the bigger blanks and cut my own blanks depending on what kit I'm using... you can't do that with the stabilized blanks, for the regular woods I think is more cost effective.
> You get an 1.5 in. square x 10 to 12 in long... you can usually get about 8 pen blanks.



Now that is info I can use - so are there other sites that offer the larger / bigger blanks?  I have an 11" bandsaw so I can do a bit tweaking to get a ben blank that will work.

I would also like to find stabilized spalted blanks at the 7/8" by 6" size - anyone know a site that offers this size wood blanks?


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 25, 2006)

Brad,
I haven't done much business with these, but here are three sites I have stored on my system... they have some nice stuff in their catalog.. 

http://www.exoticwood.biz/
http://www.amazonexotichardwoods.com/index.html
http://www.rrpwhite.com/index.html

Arizona Silhouette also has some really nice stuff... 
Hut Products has some pretty good deals... their on line catalog is a little cumbersome, at least to me..


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## bradbn4 (Oct 30, 2006)

Thanks all - this has helped me collect a few larger pen blanks - a few more than I have pen kits for - I ended up using up my budget for wood (I have a budget?, or was that a credit card limit) on 20  - 30 extra long pen blanks.  Maybe I should have stated the top better - how to find 1" by 1" by 6" (or more) pen blanks.

I am not sure what I was doing wrong - while I buy 70% of my kits and fine wood from Arizona Silhouette - I ended up beating my head agaist the wall.  Find some wood - instock, wrong size, find some wood - out of stock, right size....

I am not sure how some people mark XL for pen blanks that are 3/4" square by 51/4".  It is a useful size pen blank - but XL? No that was not from Arizona Silhouette - but some other website. 

I ended up doing a bit of bin diving at WoodCrafts and found some nice unknown hardwood - at least heavy wood in there buy it by the lb container.  So I bought 5lbs of it. 

Once again thanks for your help

Bradbn4
Still having fun in Colorado


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## Russb (Oct 31, 2006)

If you're a turner like myself and others who do more than pens you collect a large collection of wood. Lumber, turning square, bowl blanks, and logs. It sometimes is hard to decide to use what wood for what project. If you're lucky you can cut a bowl blank square and still have wood left for a few pen blanks. Try buying lumber or turning blanks in large sizes and cut your own pen blanks. You can cut them to the size you need and cutting your own pen blanks can be less expensive if you buy right.


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## pastorbill1952 (Oct 31, 2006)

If you try www.curlywoods.com they have some pen blanks by size, largest being 7/8" but they also have turning blanks as well as flat stock that can be cut to size. This is not stabilized wood.


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 31, 2006)

Bill
Good site.. used to live about 20 miles from them (before I got into turning)


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## dfurlano (Oct 31, 2006)

Rob will cut you any size blank you want and he has a very good selection of woods. Just email him with sizes.  I always bug him with requests.


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