Ebony vs. Sun

[Jgrden]

I learned a valuable lesson today. The sun snuck over the shade line of the tent and shown on five of my ebony pens. One of them was a $125.00 copper segmented pen. Before I got it out of the sun IT SPLIT. So did a Parker Cigar style. A Elk antler slimline with a ebony band also split. The sun cost me about three hundred dollars, or rather it was my stupidity that cost me this money.
The saving grace is that when I get my lathe out of storage and start working again, these will look better than before and be priced higher.

 

[sbell111]

Been there. Done that. Said bad word.

 

[ToddMR]

Sorry to hear that. At least you have a plan to make it right. I have heard of ebony cracking. But I prefer not to turn it due to it being so ashy.

 

[mrcook4570]

Two words come to mind - African Blackwood

 

[ed4copies]

Over 20 pens in one day, when I started--ebony, pink ivory--all cracked in 100 degree heat.

That was the END of taking those pens outdoors, and the beginning of turning far more resin.

 

[Haynie]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

 

[ed4copies]

My "calculation" goes something like this:
In hot conditions, brass tubes expand---meanwhile wood contracts as it loses moisture. The result is cracking pens.

Ebony, Pink Ivory, Snakewood all lead the list--but I have had many species crack at outdoor shows--even had one snake, cast in polyresin crack---but that was REALLY hot! In the sun (accidental placement) all afternoon.

 

[bitshird]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

It's Ebony>>>> It can't stand heat ore sudden temperature changes, Ebony sounds nice, but African Blackwood looks as good and doesn't have cracking problems, There's a few woods, all nice ones that you don't dare expose to direct sun for any length of time, not even heat of being left in a car parked in the sun

 

[Jgrden]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

It's Ebony>>>> It can't stand heat ore sudden temperature changes, Ebony sounds nice, but African Blackwood looks as good and doesn't have cracking problems, There's a few woods, all nice ones that you don't dare expose to direct sun for any length of time, not even heat of being left in a car parked in the sun

I'll trade the rest of my ebony blanks for your African Blackwood.:biggrin: Is it as BLACK as ebony??

 

[TellicoTurning]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

It's Ebony>>>> It can't stand heat ore sudden temperature changes, Ebony sounds nice, but African Blackwood looks as good and doesn't have cracking problems, There's a few woods, all nice ones that you don't dare expose to direct sun for any length of time, not even heat of being left in a car parked in the sun

I'll trade the rest of my ebony blanks for your African Blackwood.:biggrin: Is it as BLACK as ebony??

Almost... African Blackwood has some brown streaks in some of it.. but it's a really nice close grained wood and polishes beautifully. Like Ed, a few years back I lost about 6 pens from the sun... I had them all laid out in a really nice glass case and let the sun shine on them... the case became an oven and I had ebony, antler, and I don't remember what else crack... several split the entire length of the cap end... I watch my pens very closely in relation with the sun.

 

[Jgrden]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

It's Ebony>>>> It can't stand heat ore sudden temperature changes, Ebony sounds nice, but African Blackwood looks as good and doesn't have cracking problems, There's a few woods, all nice ones that you don't dare expose to direct sun for any length of time, not even heat of being left in a car parked in the sun

I'll trade the rest of my ebony blanks for your African Blackwood.:biggrin: Is it as BLACK as ebony??

Almost... African Blackwood has some brown streaks in some of it.. but it's a really nice close grained wood and polishes beautifully. Like Ed, a few years back I lost about 6 pens from the sun... I had them all laid out in a really nice glass case and let the sun shine on them... the case became an oven and I had ebony, antler, and I don't remember what else crack... several split the entire length of the cap end... I watch my pens very closely in relation with the sun.

"What a Revoltin' Development this is", Chester A. Riley

 

[EarlD]

"What a Revoltin' Development this is", Chester A. Riley

lol...haven't heard that in a looong time. :biggrin:

 

[mrcook4570]

by the way, african blackwood is a member of the rosewood family

 

[bitshird]

Brain not working fully this morning. What is causing the splitting

It's Ebony>>>> It can't stand heat ore sudden temperature changes, Ebony sounds nice, but African Blackwood looks as good and doesn't have cracking problems, There's a few woods, all nice ones that you don't dare expose to direct sun for any length of time, not even heat of being left in a car parked in the sun

I'll trade the rest of my ebony blanks for your African Blackwood.:biggrin: Is it as BLACK as ebony??

John I only have a couple of blanks, but the ones I have are Black as can be, we are doing a Symposium in Georgia next month, I usually set up near a fellow that has some killer prices on pen blanks. I'll see what he has. 90% looks nearly as good as Ebony.