I'm making an "ebony and ivory" pen/pencil set. I need to find something that looks very white. Is holly the right choice?
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Dave
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Dave
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What is the 'whitest' wood available?
- Thread starter unidave
- Start date
R
Ron Sardo
Guest
Holly is the whitest, but you may have problems with the ebony staining the holly when sanding.
There is artificial ivory available on the market. If you do a google I'm sure you will find some.
There is artificial ivory available on the market. If you do a google I'm sure you will find some.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Unidave
Holly is the whitest I know of. You might also consider bone and Tagua nut. I've also used white plexiglass. I like ebony better than black plexiglass because it has some other coloration to it that makes it look more like wood. Tagua nut tends to look more like Ivory because sometimes you'll get some yellow or even faint cracks that look more like Ivory. Both bone and Tagua are white and very smooth. You will have a problem with the Ebony dust bleeding onto the Holly. Put a layer of sanding sealer, lacquer or CA glue on the wood before you ever touch it with sandpaper. This fills in the pores of the holly and helps keep the bleed over from happening.
Holly is the whitest I know of. You might also consider bone and Tagua nut. I've also used white plexiglass. I like ebony better than black plexiglass because it has some other coloration to it that makes it look more like wood. Tagua nut tends to look more like Ivory because sometimes you'll get some yellow or even faint cracks that look more like Ivory. Both bone and Tagua are white and very smooth. You will have a problem with the Ebony dust bleeding onto the Holly. Put a layer of sanding sealer, lacquer or CA glue on the wood before you ever touch it with sandpaper. This fills in the pores of the holly and helps keep the bleed over from happening.
Tauga
I first thought of tauga nut but I didn't think it would glue together well enough to be turned. (I'm assuming ALL tauga nuts are small like the ones in my area.) ...AND how would I glue it up?
Also, where can I get Holly? I've searched with Google but no luck.
I first thought of tauga nut but I didn't think it would glue together well enough to be turned. (I'm assuming ALL tauga nuts are small like the ones in my area.) ...AND how would I glue it up?
Also, where can I get Holly? I've searched with Google but no luck.
Holly
Holly can be pure white but in this part of the country is usually has some discoloration due to minerals in the soil, etc. I turn holly all the time and find it a great wood for the lathe, especialy when it is wet. But, avoid all knots and be careful to dry the wood carefully. The Alcohol treatment works well. When you want really white holly get some wood bleach and follow the instructions.
Send me a PM and I will see how much you need. Phil
Holly can be pure white but in this part of the country is usually has some discoloration due to minerals in the soil, etc. I turn holly all the time and find it a great wood for the lathe, especialy when it is wet. But, avoid all knots and be careful to dry the wood carefully. The Alcohol treatment works well. When you want really white holly get some wood bleach and follow the instructions.
Send me a PM and I will see how much you need. Phil
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Try using WoodFinder. http://www.woodfinder.com
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Dave
Tagua Nut glues together quite well with CA or epoxy. I flatten one end or one side on the belt sander just a little and then glue it to a 2x4 scrap. Then you can cut it safely on the bandsaw or table saw. sometimes I'll glue it to a small square block and mount it in the chuck on the lathe and turn it to a cylinder. Most Tagua nuts have a void that makes them difficult to use for some things. I've had very good luck cutting off on end to reveal the void and then filling the void with a product called West Systems Mirror coat. it is an epoxy but it gets very thin when curing so it will run and fill all the voids. Of course it's clear but I have colored it with india ink the void is filled with black color.
You might also try Inlace. Inlace comes in White and turns better than most epoxy. I fill small paper cups with the stuff and then glue this to a waste block and turn it. If you wanted pen blanks you could simply route out a groove in a board and fill it with inlace. Then saw it to shape afterwords. They also sell Black Inlace. In fact if you let the two colors harden seperately for a few minutes until they get like toothpaste you could blend them together for a swirl ebony and Ivory look.
Tagua Nut glues together quite well with CA or epoxy. I flatten one end or one side on the belt sander just a little and then glue it to a 2x4 scrap. Then you can cut it safely on the bandsaw or table saw. sometimes I'll glue it to a small square block and mount it in the chuck on the lathe and turn it to a cylinder. Most Tagua nuts have a void that makes them difficult to use for some things. I've had very good luck cutting off on end to reveal the void and then filling the void with a product called West Systems Mirror coat. it is an epoxy but it gets very thin when curing so it will run and fill all the voids. Of course it's clear but I have colored it with india ink the void is filled with black color.
You might also try Inlace. Inlace comes in White and turns better than most epoxy. I fill small paper cups with the stuff and then glue this to a waste block and turn it. If you wanted pen blanks you could simply route out a groove in a board and fill it with inlace. Then saw it to shape afterwords. They also sell Black Inlace. In fact if you let the two colors harden seperately for a few minutes until they get like toothpaste you could blend them together for a swirl ebony and Ivory look.
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You may need to bleach the holly to get really white. Do this before final sanding with since bleaching raises the grain and only affects the surface.
I use a 2 part bleach I think by Klean-strip.
follow the direction with the product you use.
It will be someting like wet the surface and let dry. They may suggest a neutralizing agent. (I have never used one of these)
It will raise the grain so sand with 400 and finish. sanding holly beyond 400 probably won't improve the finish much. the ebony will have to be sanded to 800 or more since it shows every scratch like a mirror.
I use a 2 part bleach I think by Klean-strip.
follow the direction with the product you use.
It will be someting like wet the surface and let dry. They may suggest a neutralizing agent. (I have never used one of these)
It will raise the grain so sand with 400 and finish. sanding holly beyond 400 probably won't improve the finish much. the ebony will have to be sanded to 800 or more since it shows every scratch like a mirror.
Holly will get black stain when exposed to iron so you may get some staining from dust from your tools. If so, give it a light soak in lemon juice and the stain will disappear.
Dietrich
Dietrich
Dave:
I did a couple of ebony and ivory pens about a year ago using the "alternative ivory" sold by Craft Supplies USA. I's a plastic material made to look just like the real thing. It's ivory (not white) in color and shows some grain just like the real stuff. If you'v ever turned any of the plastics, you'll have no problems with this stuff. About $10 buys a 1" dia x 12" long stick. Here's the link:
Alternative Ivory
I did a couple of ebony and ivory pens about a year ago using the "alternative ivory" sold by Craft Supplies USA. I's a plastic material made to look just like the real thing. It's ivory (not white) in color and shows some grain just like the real stuff. If you'v ever turned any of the plastics, you'll have no problems with this stuff. About $10 buys a 1" dia x 12" long stick. Here's the link:
Alternative Ivory
Whitest White
I once saw a pure white, 10" Globe Bowl in the Museum Shop in Aukland, N.Z. It was turned from 5000 year old Kauri wood that had been dug up in the swamps on the Northern Island. It was not fossilised, just preserved.
I once saw a pure white, 10" Globe Bowl in the Museum Shop in Aukland, N.Z. It was turned from 5000 year old Kauri wood that had been dug up in the swamps on the Northern Island. It was not fossilised, just preserved.
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I just took this off the lathe a few hours ago. There is no finish on it yet . I will be spraying it with WB laquer because I want to preserve the whiteness. It is aspen and walnut. That is pretty darned white wood. It is lighter than what the picture shows.
I have also made quite a few white pens with aspen.
W.Y
My photography on this aspen pen with walnut band was very poor.In reality , it was almost snow white . It is sold long ago or I would attempt a better picture now that I have a different lighting setup for pens and smaller stuff.
I must make a bunch more aspen pens. It seems that most of them are chosen by women.
I have also made quite a few white pens with aspen.
W.Y
My photography on this aspen pen with walnut band was very poor.In reality , it was almost snow white . It is sold long ago or I would attempt a better picture now that I have a different lighting setup for pens and smaller stuff.
I must make a bunch more aspen pens. It seems that most of them are chosen by women.
Holly
If you are just making pens, Crafts USA (woodturners catalog) carries 3/4", 1" and 2" sq holly.
If you are just making pens, Crafts USA (woodturners catalog) carries 3/4", 1" and 2" sq holly.