Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | May 29, 2010 12:12am | #1

   White oak is similar enough to ash that it'd probably work OK.  I have my doubts about red oak.  Big open pores, hard to finish.  Once he gets going, he'll be wanting more figured or otherwise interesting woods.   You might suggest that he look for a local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners (if he hasn't already).  I'm sure ours isn't the only chapter that has wood sales at their meetings, and  he might well find a mentor or other turning buddy who'd share some good scraps.

2. 
   sapwood | May 31, 2010 10:56am | #2

   Let him tell you

   One could turn a corn cob if one wished. Red oak isn't any different. The wood has open grain issues, true. But it will simply yield a different look. Give him the scraps and let him try them out. Perhaps things of beauty will emerge.

   People often say, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Well.... give me the sow's ear and I can pretty much guarantee you I'll make a damn fine looking sow's ear purse out of it. 

3. 
   forestgirl | Jun 01, 2010 02:10am | #3

   Is it worth the hardware?

   Yep, pens can be turned out of any wood probably, but the parts cost money, so at some point he'll decide whether the plain-Jane look of red oak is worth the cost of the hardware.  Guess I have a slight predjudice there, eh?  Exacerbated by spending 2 hours last Wednesday night at a pen-making demo with the local turning club.  The member who presented highlighted, with sample pens, the striking difference between relatively plain woods and those with more contrast (e.g., Pacific Yew) or figure (burls, etc.). 

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 01, 2010 09:48am | #4

   pen turning

   I thought about trying to turn some pens, but decided it was cheaper to simply cover Bics with wood-grain shelf paper.  ;-)

1. 
   BruceS | Jun 01, 2010 10:05am | #5

   Ecconomy pens

   Now there is a thought!!  I will have to investigate.   Using Bic "guts" to make a pen.    The long hole may by a "bit" of a task though.

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 01, 2010 11:07am | #6

   The simple solution, Bruce, is to use the Bic for a few weeks to partially drain the ink tube, and then simply cut off the excess. Then, just chuck up a long W.L. Fuller brad point.

   This, of course, only works for the round Bics. If you decide on the octagonal pens, my new book, "Turning Octagons" may be of interest. 

   ;-)

1. 
   BruceS | Jun 02, 2010 06:29pm | #7

   Gee, turning octagons

   My lathe even has an indexing pin ;-)  Or maybe regrind a round beading tool into a hex or oct .

4. 
   vespid | Dec 29, 2010 10:55am | #8

   bic pen

   Look on you tube under 12 cent and watch the video, haven't done it yet but it looks like one could make an interesting one.

5. 
   j_saenz | May 14, 2013 02:40am | #9

   White oak is easier to turn into pens. It's smooth and wouldn't give you that much of a headache. Red oak on the other hand can be turned but it requires more time to smoothen it out and make it more pen looking. Sanding time in red oak can make the wood thinner, so if you were to use scrap wood be prepared to have the bigger scraps for red oak. J.S.