Banksia Seed Pods

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OldWrangler

OldWrangler

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Spring, Texas, USA.
A couple of months ago I got some Banksia seed pods from someone on this forum. I have finally learned to turn these into pens. Now I need some more. I have lost track of who I bought them from. If you are reading this, please contact me. If anyone know who has some, send me the info.

Many thanks, George
 
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Banksia Seed Pods are Strange Things

The Woodcraft inmy area also sells them regularly (~$10).

I bought one and made two Christmas ornaments ... well, they sort of look like ornaments. Perhaps they beyond my skill set, but I found them difficult to turn (the layers of fuzzy hairs make if difficult to get a smooth surface).

I'd definately like to see a picture of your Banksia pen.
 
Found my supplier and have pods coming soon. Turning them just takes very sharp tools and even sharper for turning when the turquoise stone is in the holes. Here a recent one......
 

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Exoticwoods INC, Oakville, Ont, they are 3 for $20 if I remember right and they have a huge 4x4x4 foot box full of them in all sizes. They do ship to USA. They are great people with great prices, I wish they were in Michigan! I don't know the website address, but a simple google will get you there. They have burls bigger than a V8 engine too.
 
The ones I have gotten from Rod Rice are bigger than normal, nice and dry and he only charges $8 each. Should be able to get 4-6 pens from each pod. Turquoise is just about as expensive as the pod. I've been paying $18 for an ounce and that is only about 2 teaspoons worth. If you are careful, it will do about 6 pens. The stone is really hard on chisels but you can eventually cut it flush with the wood. It does polish up good with 6000 MM. These pens have sold really well so they are worth the extra work. Takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to make one pen. Maybe less if you set up to do 3-4 at a time.
 
George-

I have a couple of those pods sitting on the shelf trying to figure out what they will be when they grow up. I've never turned one, but they seem really porous. What did you use to stabilize it for a pen - half a bottle of CA glue?
 
How wide are the pods? I would be looking for something like 4" square by 1.25 thick. Would I be able to get something that size from one of his pods?
 
Didn't have to stabilize the blanks at all. Did have to fill in some small tear outs and of course, used a fair amount of CA setting the turquoise in the seed holes but it turned fairly well. I did have several that exploded while turning that were discarded but I did get a few to come out OK. These pods are about 4" in diameter and maybe 8-10" long. The outer layer is useless for pens so I cut off slices about 1/2-3/4" thick before taking blanks.

As with everything, the chisels have to be razor sharp. In turning one complete pen, I probably sharpened my tools about 15 times. I start with a 1" gouge and end up with the skew. The turquoise is really tough on the chisels. It takes 3-4 hours to turn one of these pens but I really think it is worth the time.
 
Why do you say the outside is worthless for pens? Is it worthless for any kind of turning or it just doesn't yield good stock for pens?
 
The outside is soft like a cantalope, the inside is hard like a seed. It doesn't seem like it when you look and touch a pod. First couple inches of turning it's like you are shaving actual hair..just like I'd imagine turning a mushroom would be like.
 
The outside of the Banksia would turn about like the outsides of a pine cone. Better to get to some hard wood that than be drilled and then turned. Remember sharp tools, turn fast but think cuts and CA the tearouts as you go. Expect some of the blanks to explode on the lathe but kep at it as the completed pens are worth it.
 
The inside is hard like any hardwood blank. The outside is crumbly like a pine cone. I suppose you could turn it if you tried but I don't think it is worth the extra effort. I might try it to see if it has any possibilities.
 
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