What to do with small blanks?

[jamesbil]

I have just recieved a few small blanks in a box I bought. They are of a very hard/brittle deep red colour wood and measure only 12mm square.

Any ideas as to how to make use of them?
I had thought of gluing 4 together to make a 24mm square piece, but I'm guessing I would have trouble drilling in the centre where the 4 meet.

What would you guys do?

 

[Simsonicole]

IMO you have the right idea! I would cut them into geometric shapes and glue them together...would make an awesome blank. If you stagger them, it will remove the centre drilling fear.

 

[TimS124]

Chamfer one corner of each piece before gluing. Then, glue the chamfered corners together so you have a slight "pilot hole" down the center of where they meet. That should keep the bit on track during drilling....

 

[jamesbil]

IMO you have the right idea! I would cut them into geometric shapes and glue them together...would make an awesome blank. If you stagger them, it will remove the centre drilling fear.

Can you explain?

 

[PenPal]

Make jewelry with them or note pad short pens.

Peter.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Cufflinks. Finials. Pensar kit?

 

[twinsen]

Uh... make a small pen? 12mm is just shy of 1/2 inch... glue a complementing material on the outside of the wood (all 4 sides) and turn as normal for big pen. Call it the "ellipse line".

 

[USNR'03]

Key chains

 

[The Penguin]

turn beads, string them up in to a necklace

 

[KenV]

And the slim line can be made from that size wood (with careful drilling).

 

[Simsonicole]

IMO you have the right idea! I would cut them into geometric shapes and glue them together...would make an awesome blank. If you stagger them, it will remove the centre drilling fear.

Can you explain?

Fit together like a jigsaw puzzle...takes the load that would be in the centre away from the centre but creating a shape that would give you the area needed for the blank...