Hickory

[Jgrden]

A fellow named Joe gave me some Hickory from an old barn built in 1790. I turned one blank. I wasn't too pleased with my work because the end near the point feathered a little. Did not leave a sharp, crisp, clean line leading up to the nib. I believe the end was squared off properly and think it was the kind of wood.
Anyone want to share their experiences with Hickory?

 

[papaturner]

John I`ve turned a couple of pens in hickory, not as old as your piece, it turned and finished great but the wood grain was not that impressive.
Sorry but I couldn`t fine the photo.

 

[Jgrden]

i feel the same way about the grain. I may need to dress it up a little. Maybe add a colored stain. Maybe soak it in transmission fluid to get red into the grain.

 

[mickr]

Hickory is an open pored wood..and used for bending & handles, etc...the grain will always be "boring" ..would you really want to hold a pen that was soaked in tranny fluid?

 

[Jgrden]

Hickory is an open pored wood..and used for bending & handles, etc...the grain will always be "boring" ..would you really want to hold a pen that was soaked in tranny fluid?

LOL LOL LOL No, but I have been told I have a "shifty" personality. Every day we "slip" into a new gear. Sometimes I crack myself up (no pun intended). Well what do we do to make this wood attractive?? Crystal Lite has a Raspberry powder that when spilled onto the countertop, is almost impossible to get off. I'll call it the Diet Hickory Pen. Watcha tink??

 

[jthompson1995]

I have a bunch of fiddleback hickory that is anything but boring. You will find there is quite a bit of chatoyance in hickory and if you can play this up, possibly matching it with some other darker woods, it will be really nice. It turns like butter, as well. Here's a pen using the curly hickory.

 

[bkersten]

LOL LOL LOL No, but I have been told I have a "shifty" personality. Every day we "slip" into a new gear. Sometimes I crack myself up (no pun intended). Well what do we do to make this wood attractive?? Crystal Lite has a Raspberry powder that when spilled onto the countertop, is almost impossible to get off. I'll call it the Diet Hickory Pen. Watcha tink??

LOL LOL I've been there on that one- just about used up a Scotch Brite pad up trying to get the Cranberry flavor off. Its pour over the sink w/water running now. Mabe, it would be a good dye after all since it does that to Formica.

 

[KenV]

I turn curly hickory for tool handles mostly. Tends to be a bit stringy, but with CA as filler, it cleans up well. There are just so many better choices for pens that I tend to use the John Jordan thought -- Life is too short to turn crappy wood. Think about using a thin CA soak on the end grain then finish milling. That works with Palm and Bamboo to help cut the string sheding effect at the ends.

It will color nicely with acrylic inks, and should take rit dye or food color. (Food color is not light fast).

 

[Chief Hill]

I have 4 blanks in hickory. They don't really look that good in blank form so I won't likely be turning them on anything other than a cheap slim.

 

[Jgrden]

I have a bunch of fiddleback hickory that is anything but boring. You will find there is quite a bit of chatoyance in hickory and if you can play this up, possibly matching it with some other darker woods, it will be really nice. It turns like butter, as well. Here's a pen using the curly hickory.

Get otta here, that can't be Hickory.

 

[Chasper]

I don't thing the problem is the hickory, it is the age of the wood, although hickory is not all that interesting unless it is curly. I've turned wood from old barns and when it is really dried out it tends to pull or feather out at the end. Super sharp tools will help, also try a few drops of thin CA on the end of the squared off, tubed and ready to turn blank, it will soak in and help prevent the pulling when turning. After you get down close to the bushings don't touch the end with anything but a sharp and properly aligned skew. None of this will make a boring piece of Hickory more interesting, no matter how old it is.

 

[leehljp]

I grew up around wood of all kinds - Dad had about 80 acres of original growth until my teens. Dad also made pallets and skids in his retirement years and put lots of wood aside for me. Hickory was one that mystified me in the colors. I had some clear almost ash like creamy white (as in the Teachers pen posted above), some with reddish brown streaks and most with a slightly dark beige color. Also something that bugged me was on several occasions people offered pecan as Hickory and claimed it to be the same family. Some boards do look alike.

Turning: I have only turned a few hickory but they turned well for me without any problems.

Below (second from right) is the hickory pen with in the dark beige (heartwood) hickory that I did 3 years ago as woods from Louisiana for a friend. Those were with calligraphy nibs.
http://www.penturners.org/photos/images/940/1_Five_Calligraphy.jpg

 

[jthompson1995]

Get otta here, that can't be Hickory.

Yup, Bolivian rosewood and bloodwood on the ends and curly hickory in the middle. I bought like 100 5/8" sq by 12" blanks on ebay years ago. I gave a bunch away but still have quite a bit. Big Rob had some fiddleback hifckory 3/4" blanks for sale that looked just as good, if not better than this.

 

[Jgrden]

Lee: Your ability to finish these woods is what makes them work. Along with my inproving in that area and "burnishing", I'll make this stuff look good.