# Your Favorite Material



## kennosborne (Jan 15, 2004)

What is your favorite material to make pens with?


----------



## admin (Jan 17, 2004)

Guess the next poll should be for favorite wood!


----------



## Randy (Feb 17, 2004)

I seem to remember the negative side of things better. Why don't we have a least favorite wood and why?


----------



## Bethlehem Olive Wood (Mar 9, 2004)

I am very interested to see what everyone's favorite wood is??

Best Regards,
Ghasan and Diane


----------



## chips (Mar 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Bethlehem Olive Wood_
> <br />I am very interested to see what everyone's favorite wood is??



Mine would probably be yours.. I love the looks of the unbelievable grain.  I'll get some someday..  I'd certainly love to try carving some of it..

Bill
http://picturetrail.com/chips
Iesus, tanto nomini nullum par elogium


----------



## Bethlehem Olive Wood (Apr 6, 2004)

Hello Bill,

Thank you for the kind words.

Many Blessings+
Diane Darwesh


----------



## Andy Ryan (Apr 15, 2004)

My favorite is any thing I can get my hands on.  especially if it is free.


----------



## timdaleiden (Jul 25, 2004)

My favorite material? Hard to say. I love Bloodwood, Wenge, Yellowheart, Quilted Maple, any highly figured wood, and Walnut. I also love the look of certain acrylics, but they are not as much fun to turn. 

  I recently acquired some awesome looking Bethlehem Olivewood that I look forward to turning. (Thanks PensByBud)


 There are also many other materials that I want to try.

 Way down at the bottom of the list is Oosick. I think the name says it all.


----------



## tipusnr (Jul 25, 2004)

I can't say why but I like working with maple and african blackwood.  They are great accent woods that can be used with most any other wood or material.  I don't think they turn or finish any better than other woods but will always be a part of my stock.

Of course, yesterday I received some of my favorite wood - free!  My neighbor did major trimming on his front yard trees.  I took my reciprocating saw and harested some 2-3" diameter limb from Maple and what looks to be a rough barked hickory or black cherry (I gotta learn my trees!).  I hope to cut them to shorter lengths today and seal the ends for blanks next spring.


----------



## pecartus (Jul 26, 2004)

I tend to work with the burls, did ruin a blade on one I was trimming up from a old walnut tree my brother-in-law cut down. Had a nice hard rock in the middle of it, believe me that is an experience I don't want to have again. I should have known better, but I checked for metals, not thinking about rocks. I also like working with the acrylics and trustone blanks.


----------



## melchioe (Jul 26, 2004)

I have to agree in part with Tip - "free" - I just took a nice Bartlett pear tree from my BIL's yard, with what looks like some nice crotch wood.  I'll be cutting them into blanks soon and in a few months you should see some in the blank swap section...

But other than that, it's a tossup for me between cocobolo and paduak.  (my wife does't like orange wood, so I stay more with cocobolo).  The cocobolo because it's simply great even without a finish, just micromesh it all the way and it often doesn't even need anything else.  Paduak just because I like the pattern and texture.


----------



## Gregory Huey (Jan 9, 2005)

Gotta be wood 1st amboyna 2nd bow.


----------



## btboone (Jan 9, 2005)

I was torn between metals and plastics.  Wood is fine and easy to work, but it does mess with the coolant on my lathe because of the bacteria and fungus.  It also sticks everywhere since the inside of my lathe has coolant residue on all the surfaces.  I like the look of some of the nicer acrylics over that of most woods.  It looks "fancier" to me, whatever that means.  Metals are good for me to work, but they need to be done right in order to look fancier than other materials.


----------



## Tom McMillan (Jan 9, 2005)

My favorite woods to work with are:  Bethlehem Olivewood #1---and the most favorite natural woods after that are:  kingwood, bloodwood, and just regular maple.  I actually prefer the plainer woods for the 2 layer spiral pens I make.


----------



## goldentouch (Jan 9, 2005)

My favorite wood is Bethlehem Olive also and will be placing another order soon.


----------



## bajacrazy (Jan 9, 2005)

Unfair poll. If I can turned, Iâ€™m happy turning it. All I had to turn was solid surface products and now since I became a member I canâ€™t stop buying different things to turn[]


----------



## Woodbutcher68 (Jan 10, 2005)

I like the look of Bethlehem Olive, but haven't ordered any yet. My favorite for bottlestoppers is cedar. As far as pens go, any kind of wood as long as it doesn't blow out!


----------



## panini (Jan 18, 2005)

Koa and Mango, highly figure and curly, birdseye maple...[8D]


----------



## Randy_ (Jan 19, 2005)

I'm new and have only done a few wood and a few Corian pens.  I love the look of a nicely figured wood pen; but am looking forward to doing some of the man-made "plastics."  I expect they will be some very spectacular pens and the problem of finish is greatly diminished.


----------



## jwoodwright (Jan 19, 2005)

I like trying different things.  Next is casting my own resins... [8D]


----------



## panini (Jan 19, 2005)

Definately Wood...[8D]  great grain...highly figured...great colour...can't beat wood...[8D]


----------



## sptfr43 (Jan 29, 2005)

My favorite wood has to be gmelia arborea. also a nice birch burl then plastics


----------



## Linster (Jan 30, 2005)

I'm new to turning pens so I don't have a favorite yet. I've only worked with some woods and some acrylics so far but want to eventually try all kinds of mediums. When I get more experience under my belt, I'd like to try making my own resins. It would open up a whole lot possibilities.

Thanks for a great forum!!

Linster


----------



## jwoodwright (Jan 30, 2005)

Turning more Corian.  It will be BOW when It gets here.  The piece I received smells so nice...[:I]


----------



## GregD (Jan 31, 2005)

Well, I voted for wood, but I like to mix it up. I get tired of the same old thing after a while. Now if I could get the cement to cut better....


----------



## Daniel (Jan 31, 2005)

I had to go with Wood. my penturning evolved from my love of woodworking. sort of a marriage of two interests. I enjoy the challenge of getting wood to behave the way I want it. wether through stabalizing or simply understanding how wood naturally wants to act and working with that.
wood is still alive even when cut into a blank. and it will prove it if given the chance.


----------



## Tropical (Feb 6, 2005)

My answer is wood and it is only because I am too chicken to try anything else.  I really admire some of the acrylics, corn, and antler I have seen on the site here though.


----------



## Gary (Feb 6, 2005)

Just wood...that is what I enjoy. I don't have any desire to turn anything else.


----------

