# Plethora of Pine Cones



## Vince_Hoffmann (Sep 9, 2008)

I don't post here very often, and I haven't been showing off my latest works...  but over the past week I've made a variety of pine cone pens that I thought you all would enjoy.  I have several sugar pine trees nearby which provide me with a fairly steady supply of large, closed cones which I pluck and set out to dry for a couple of months before working them over.  2 months ago, my wife and I went up to the northern California coast to do some camping and abalone diving when I came across an interesting tree...  a Knobby Pine, which only grows along the coast.  These trees had the most beautiful LARGE cones which dried closed on the branch. I plucked half a dozen and turned 2 pens from them.  Here are some of the results with a blank shown for reference:  (I apologize for the large pictures)

Sugar Pine cones are dark, very seedy, and are very hard requiring at least one re-sharpening per session.











Knobby Pine cones are lighter in color, much softer, and less seedy.  When I make a pen with a cap, the pine cone has to be at least 8" long in order to have enough material to make both parts.  otherwise, they lend themselves quite readily to single-piece pens such as the Wall Street and Patriot styles.


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## hehndc (Sep 9, 2008)

Vince:

Remarkable, some of the prettiest pens I have seen.  I have yet to try this as I have not done any casing, but when I pull the trigger, I pine cone will be the first.

Did you use pressure or vacuum with the blanks?

Again, very nice pens.

Regards, 

Steve


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## woodchick (Sep 9, 2008)

:star:
Vince,
Those are insanely fabulous!!  The patterns are wild.  Did you use any resin on them?  It seems like you might expect voids in a cone.  Anyway, excellent job! :RockOn:


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## el_d (Sep 9, 2008)

Very nice cones Vince....


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## rd_ab_penman (Sep 9, 2008)

Very nicely done Vince!!


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## JayDevin (Sep 9, 2008)

Very Nice work Vince!
very Cool! Me Like!!!


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## Vince_Hoffmann (Sep 9, 2008)

Thanks folks!
Steve and Maria:  No casting here.  The way I prep the cones is to first chop off the top 1/2" or so of the cone, then fill the cone to saturation with thin CA.  After a few days to make sure it has all cured, I slice the cone into a blank using the table saw and soak all 4 sides with thin CA.  This is what you see in the pictures.  I generally do 4 or 5 cones at a time so I have a nice steady supply.

When turning, I will turn off about 1/4" at a time then soak the exposed wood with thin CA.  The problem with pine cones is that they consist of many layers of hard and soft fibers which easily split apart unless stabilized.

Since I don't have a pressure casting rig, this is how I do it and while it is time consuming, it works out quite well.

Perhaps Santa will bring me a pressure pot  :biggrin:


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## NorCal (Sep 9, 2008)

those are awesome.  when you are turning is it like pine where your tools can get really pitchy?


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## les-smith (Sep 9, 2008)

Man!!! I'm digging those.  Great job.  I never really thought about the differences between the look of pine cones from one species to the next.  You really did a great job.


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## desertyellow (Sep 9, 2008)

Amazing does not begin to describe it.
Nature at its best.
With a little coxing from you of course.
Beautiful work.


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## toolcrazy (Sep 9, 2008)

Those are all gorgeous. Nice work.


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## JohnU (Sep 9, 2008)

Ever since you posted the first pen made, Ive been amazed!  I think these blanks have more character than any blank Ive ever seen, natural or created.  After seeing them in the "show off your pen" forum, Ive been planning on making one.  I even went to CA and spent a great deal of my time, looking for a tree.  I was around San Diego and found nothing.  Of course, three years ago while in South Lake Tahoe, we were ankle deep in them and i didnt bring any home.  Now that I make pens, I cant find them.  I currently have smaller cones in the pressure tank drying and hope to try my hand at one in a couple days.  Of course they wont look like yours because they dont have the meat that yours have, but its a start.  Again, job well done!  Thanks for sharing!


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## altaciii (Sep 10, 2008)

Vince, Those are some of the nicest pens I've ever seen.  Great work and thanks for sharing.


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## OldWrangler (Sep 10, 2008)

Could we see some pictures of the cones before being cut up? This cone must be huge compared to the ones I am finding.


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## angelofdeath (Sep 10, 2008)

Beautiful looking pens....really like the slew of colors within the cone iteself too...great job showing off your skill and some of natures finest.


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## rherrell (Sep 10, 2008)

BEAUTIFUL!!!


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## theturningcircle (Sep 10, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful.
Ian


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## Jim15 (Sep 10, 2008)

Those are OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!:bulgy-eyes:


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## leehljp (Sep 10, 2008)

WELL DONE! Nice and great photos too. Thanks for sharing and keep it up!


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## ehickey (Sep 10, 2008)

hehndc said:


> Vince:
> 
> Remarkable, some of the prettiest pens I have seen.  I have yet to try this as I have not done any casing, but when I pull the trigger, I pine cone will be the first.
> 
> ...



Those pens are just plain fantastic.

I'm going to have to agree with Steve, when I get the time to start casting, pine cones are now going to have to move to the front of the line.
Eric


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## Vince_Hoffmann (Sep 10, 2008)

OldWrangler said:


> Could we see some pictures of the cones before being cut up? This cone must be huge compared to the ones I am finding.



Hi Wrangler

The cones are generally 6" long, but I look for the 8" variety because the taper of the tip looses about 3" of useable material.  It is a rare event that I am able to get two pieces from the same cone.
Here's a picture of a Sugar Pine cone that I was able to get two pieces from:






Since most cones are asymmetrical, I use a taper jig on the table saw to get the cut down the thickest part.  This cone had the bottom cut off and the inside filled with thin CA prior to cutting square.


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## stolicky (Sep 10, 2008)

Those look great.

The natural color inside is also amazing.


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## hehndc (Sep 10, 2008)

The cones we have in Michigan are more open than the one you pictured.  I'll have to look more closely for that type.

Thanks for the pic

Steve


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## RMB (Sep 10, 2008)

Wow, that must take a lot of CA. Looks great though!


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## george (Sep 10, 2008)

Great, great , great.


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## papaturner (Sep 10, 2008)

Those are absolutely awesome.


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## rlofton (Sep 10, 2008)

To think -- I grew up with pine trees all around and didn't have a clue that the cones could be so beautiful.  Great job!


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## shull (Sep 10, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful pens.  I will have to start walking in the woods and keeping an eye out for some new turning stock.


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## OldWrangler (Sep 10, 2008)

Absolutely great. I have tried turning pine cones and they are tough. I think our cones must be a little small as I never get a blank that big. Wouldn't want to trade some blanks or the cones, would you?
Let me know if we can work a deal. I'll even buy some of the pine cones from you. Let me know. 
Thanks,   George


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## Vince_Hoffmann (Sep 11, 2008)

PM Sent Wrangler.


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## Hosspen (Sep 11, 2008)

Very, Very, Very Nice. (One of those pictures of the cut blanks reminds me of a former boss. He was a sort of conehead too, what a coincidence.  Just kidding of course.)   If you have any more of those to trade or sell please let me know too.  The ones around here are too big & open when dry and too wet when closed. Does anyone here know a way to close a big pine cone without wetting it? The CA method of "stabilizing" really appeals to me also as I'm "casting challenged".  Thanks for sharing your nice work.


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## Vince_Hoffmann (Oct 20, 2008)

For anyone who is interested,  I have a number of blanks cut and ready to turn:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38227

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.


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## workinforwood (Oct 21, 2008)

I love pine cone pens, and yours are fantastic.  Haven't tried any closed ones yet, heck the open ones are sweet too!  I'll have to quest for some closed ones later today.


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## PaulDoug (Oct 21, 2008)

Great job, Vince.  Looks like a very messy, but fun project.  If the cones are short, couldn't you butt two together and make a long one?   I have got to give these a try this winter.

PS Thanks for sharing the how to part.


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## Vince_Hoffmann (Oct 21, 2008)

PaulDoug said:


> Great job, Vince. Looks like a very messy, but fun project. If the cones are short, couldn't you butt two together and make a long one? I have got to give these a try this winter.
> 
> PS Thanks for sharing the how to part.


 
Thanks Paul!

You could butt two short blanks together, but they would not match color and texture.


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## karlkuehn (Oct 21, 2008)

Wow, very cool cones! I'd love to get my mitts on some of those. 'Tis the season to be out gathering the ones that I use, which are so different. Those things are beautiful, way to make them work, absolutely gorgeous pens!


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