Pink Ivory - Cracking and color change

[PatrickR]

When going through some older pens I found on of my favorites had cracked. Figured Pink Ivory. I was able to disassemble and fix it. The crack was irregular following the grain so it looks okay. I filled it with black ca and gave it a matte finish using Yorkshire grit.

Wanting to make more from the same block of wood I decided to try and cast some. I had some problems the first try and found that when I sealed it with CA it turned more brown. The next one I didn't do anything to it after turning and it has retained the color, at least for now. Time will tell if the process stops any future cracks and helps retain the color. Snake wood is next.
Opps - I put this in the wrong forum and don't know how to move it.


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[jttheclockman]

Man you are playing with fire. These are 2 of the notorious woods that crack with time. Some people have had success with them and mostly others not so much. I give you credit for trying and let us know how that snakewood goes and show photos. Just remember heat is your enemy especially drilling and turning snakewood. Good luck. It is funny about the pink ivory, I have some I had gotten many years ago and I was suppose to make a pen for someone a couple years ago and just chickened out because I know color change is something uncontrollable and cracking is one of those shot in the dark things. I talked them into some more stable at the time and have not heard any comments from them so I am guessing all is still good. I was suppose to use pink ivory with some Gabon Ebony as trim rings which would have looked cool. May still do it some day just for my own collection. Have the blanks and they still look great.

 

[PatrickR]

My hope is that by casting it will be held stable.
I had a set of snake wood blanks finished and ready for assembly that sat in an un-heated garage for two + years, no cracks. After assembly they cracked. The only cause I can think of was the radial pressure from pressing together. Next time I will make them slip fit and glue the parts together.


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[magpens]

@PatrickR

"Opps - I put this in the wrong forum" - I don't think so ..... here seems fine to me.

Just want to say THANK YOU for posting this .... good information for us all to know about.

Please post your continuing work on these subjects.

 

[PatrickR]

You are welcome. I will update this as things progress.
I didn't explain the second pic. It shows a finished pen with the pink ivory turned thin, no sanding, no ca and then cast in clear.
The barrel below it is the same wood but I sealed it with ca before casing.


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