Two-Tone Bamboo Pen

The carmelized color straight grain (colored by actually heating, not staining the bamboo) and natural color end grain contrast nicely, on a rounded diagonal line, accented with Platinum hardware. (My favorite accent on a bamboo pen). Sanded and buffed smooth, and finished with friction polish. The platinum hardware is unmatched in durability to make this pen all but bulletproof. (with a subtle grassy smell)

This was the 2nd Bamboo pen I turned this week. The first was going to have a simple diagonal between the two different tones/grains of bamboo… but it had an empty pocket that was a bit too large to fill with superglue and dust, so I cut it off the pen tube, drilled another blank (sanded/turned off the glue ever so gently from the used tube (we woodworkers are a frugal lot eh?)... and prepped this blank.

Turning the first was a piece of cake, but where the end grain tapers to a point, exhibited a bit of tear out along the glue line, especially at the point where it tapered to a very thin point. Stopping about 1/16th or so (possibly less) larger than the final diameter of this pen, slathered it with superglue (waited, waited and waited for it to dry) and then turned/sanded it down to the final dia. worked perfectly to hold even the tiniest fibers together.

Now how did I get such a precise, angled glue line you might ask?

I didn’t. I cut this blank (and at least 30 others) out of a cutting board I picked up at a discount kitchen/home goods store for about $10. That just happened to be the design, a curved section of end grain on one corner of the board. No way I’m buying blanks for 3-5 each, if I can get so many for so cheap from a rejected cutting board. I like to check out the bargain rack to see if I can get any raw materials from damaged or otherwise heavily discounted items that are likely headed for the landfill. I can recycle the stuff I have, or buy stuff solely for that purpose!

This is the 24th item in my 30 day project/challenge
& auction.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/