Amazing figured maple

[NGLJ]

A generous woodworking buddy gave me some very expensive figured hard maple that he uses in making his guitars. I decided to make pen blanks and turn them. The first pen that I made was using my first ever cigar kit. I will probably make more cigar pens. This went to my buddy, as it should and he was very pleased with it. I have now made one using the gun metal Luxor kit from William Wood-Write - see attached. This figured hard maple is like no wood that I have turned before. It turns and finishes like a dream. It behaves more like a plastic than wood because it is very hard and fine grained. When turning you don't get shavings. It is more like large particles of dust. I finished with EEE and Shellawax after sanding to 600. The finished feel is so smooth that it is on a par with CA but not quite as shiny. It feels like plastic!

 

[1080Wayne]

Very pretty ! Your description of the way it turned makes me wonder if it was stabilized .

 

[NGLJ]

It is not stabilized. I watched as a piece was cut from a board 48" x 6" x 7/8" which he paid $80 CDN for. The grain is so fine and uniform I can't see how you could stabilize it. There is no place for the plastic to go. Besides my buddy would never use anything but the real thing. Luthiers are very particular about authenticity because it is all about how wood makes a guitar sound apart from how it appears. BTW my buddy can't play a single note, and nor can I, but he makes great guitars. He has people come over to play them and give an opinion. Occasionally, he sells one, but only to friends. The rest he either displays for his pleasure, but not permitted in the house, or he gives away!

 

[tiggere]

I agree on using maple...one of the smoothest pens I have ever held that didn't need a CA finish...this was I do believe the first pen I ever made...one of two I wish I had never gotten rid of...I will be using maple again for sure...

 

[NGLJ]

I have a little left and will make a couple more single barrel pens. I will be sure to keep at least one of them for myself

 

[dogcatcher]

I love feel of maple handled tools. For the finish I sun treat some flax seed oil. Then add some beeswax. I have used this linseed oil wax on a few of my personal pens. The pen develops it own patina with use. Not a finish I would use on items for sale. Except maybe to an old school woodworker.

How to sun treat flaxseed oil to make natural linseed oil.