A few days ago I glued up a Mun Ebony blank with some slices of 1/4 inch Maple to see if I could actually produce a pen with this type of glue-up. One of the difficulties I face is that of alignment. Because I am using only a handsaw, I have tremendous difficulty in cutting the blank squarely. When I go to glue the angled pieces of the blank together, it doesn’t always go back together squarely with the other half of the blank (if I align the crosses). The blank a few days ago was so crooked that the drill bit ended up being crooked and too close to the edge of the blank and ended up splitting the wood. There wouldn’t have been enough on the side to make round on the lathe and so I had to try again.
Today I was a bit more careful. The blank was still wracked a bit when the glueup was finished but I was able to drill the blank, more or less, through the middle. Turning was difficult because of the difference in densities of the ebony and the maple, but I am pleased with how this turned out. The cross is still not quite uniform on both sides, but the alignment of the crosses worked well and I am not upset that the loops are inconsistent.
I finished with micro-mesh, then wiped the blank with rubbing alcohol before I used EEE Cream and then coated the final pencil with Conservator’s Wax. It is perhaps my favourite product so far with a lovely rich satiny smooth finish.
Now… I only have three more pens/pencils do do before Christmas.
To Everything, Turn...Turn...Turn 