# Turning blanks across the grain???



## Hugob (Jan 19, 2005)

What is the pro's and con's of turning wooden blanks across the grain,
with other words when you cut the blanks you don't cut with the lenght of the grain, but across??????????

TXS guys.............


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## Gary (Jan 19, 2005)

Huh?  Are you asking about crosscut blanks?


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## Hugob (Jan 19, 2005)

Oh.... is that what it's called. YES must be that then.


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## wpenm (Jan 19, 2005)

On the pro side, it makes a very nice looking pen. I angle cut alot of my blanks. On the con side, it is a little harder to turn. It takes sharp tools but worth the extra work.


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## Gary (Jan 19, 2005)

The crosscut blank will be more prone to break and/or warp. Plus, it is just plain ugly...IMHO.


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## Gary (Jan 20, 2005)

LOL...now we see we all have our likes and dislikes. Just turn what pleases you.


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## wpenm (Jan 20, 2005)

LOL...Can't we all just get along!


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## Tom McMillan (Jan 20, 2005)

I've only made a couple of pens using cross cut grain---they were from staves of an old oak wine barrel.  The problem I had was they both came out somewhat oval shaped instead of round.  Actually, I think these two pens looked kind of neat---kind of leathery looking.


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## bud duffy (Jan 20, 2005)

Hugo   here is a couple of oak pens i made with a bias cut i am not sure of the exact angle cause i cut these ones freehand on the bandsaw i think it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 deg. tho.  hope this helps.      Bud


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## Hugob (Jan 20, 2005)

Txs Guys,
I did a crosscut last night, and couldn't believe the difference.
It was harder to turn, but worth the effort.


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## Gregory Huey (Jan 20, 2005)

You can get the best from both worlds by doing a mitered cot say from 22 to 45 degrees over a full 90.


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## woodpens (Jan 20, 2005)

This is a cigar pen made from cross-cut black palm. The photo is not very good, but the effect was very nice.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2005)

AS you have found out,the difference can be likened to the difference between a regular table top and a butcher block table.
I love the look.
Because you get "end grain" twice in a revolution of the pen you get the chatoylence of the grain.
Once finished and polished it's gorgeous.
I have two rollerballs and a coconut palm in my album here(I hope):
http://www.penturners.org/forum/photo_album_view.asp?cname=Main+Album&mid=402&cid=423&page=2
The roller balls were turned out of Bocote whis is a beautiful wood to begin with.
As you gan see the grain on the rollerballs looks tike a tiger "eye"


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## jwoodwright (Jan 20, 2005)

I like the look and I have done crossgrain work.  I've also had Grain separate from drillin on angled blanks...[8D]


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## woodscavenger (Jan 20, 2005)

Do you have to work harder to fill the pores of the wood to accept a good finish?


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## goldentouch (Jan 20, 2005)

The trick is make sure you tools are super sharpe.  The cut to support the wood as much as possible.  I go from the ends toward the middle instead of cutting all the way across.  This way the grain is always supported.  I seem to have more comments on my diagnal cut usually about 45 degrees or less I like 33 but that is my preference.  The main thing is do what you like and don't be afraid to try something different.  I just glued all the short pieces of BOW I had around the shop in a endgrain pattern.  I haven't finished a pen just turned it round and it is interesting.


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