I started turning wooden pens a few years back. I've managed to aquire a pretty good collection of rare and exotic woods from around the world. I haven't been turning for the past year or so because the place where I'm at now since my wife and I separated don't have enough room to set my wood shop back up.Here are a few pens I've turned.

Woooowww! Those are beautiful!
Isn't it wonderful working with wood! I used to run a BIG lathe at a job I had. It was the size of like a Toyota pickup truck. A bit different. Everything computerized (except the sanding). I loved the smell and feel of the bare wood! Don't miss the busted up knuckles though.
Do you still have your equipment?

Yeah. I've still got everything, but it's packed up in boxes.

That's good. Hang on to it! That stuff isn't getting any cheaper! It's too bad things aren't working out with your wife. Been there, done that, never want to do that again! Stick with the bettas - less trouble and they're always happy to see you! :D

Amen!!! :LOL:

10 Reasons why bettas are better than men/women:

10. Clean water and food is all they need... no diamonds, no cars.
9. The room is easy to clean, and they'd do it themselves if they had thumbs.
8. You can tell them anything, and they keep their advice to themselves.
7. Will work for food.
6. Will dance for food.
5. Will blow bubbles for food.
4. They cover that ugly bare spot on the counter perfectly.
3. They love to make faces at each other.
2. They don't confuse love and sex.
1. They don't talk back or give you grief about things. They don't nag or sass.

:OO :OO :OO :OO :OO

I saw a little funny the other day:

A lady told her friend that she and her husband were getting divorced. In shock her friend asked why. Religious differences. Religious differences?? Yeah, he thought he was God........ I didn't!

:OO :OO :OO :OO

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LMBO (Laughing my butt off)!

Davenia I loved that :OO :OO :OO

Say, Bettas4me. Have you ever worked with Lignum vitae? It's the densest of woods. Heavy as all get out! The place I worked at had gotten some in but quit using it because a couple people were having allergic reactions. The wood is like $24/linear ft. They just tossed it. My ex (who still works there) took it out of the trash and brought it home. Still hasn't used it but couldn't see it going to waste.

He was telling me there's a place in Barbados that is ordering 42 6' 3" posts made out of purple heart! They're going to be absolutely gorgeous but can you say expensive? First thing that came to my mind was drug money. I'm guessing all the scrap from that order will be snatched up be the employees.

There's so much wood that gets tossed that could be used it's just unreal. When I worked there about 4 or so years ago the owner would just take the scrap home and toss it in a pit and burn it buy the dump truck. I guess now he's up scaled to semi trailers. What a waste! In the winter a couple of the employees bring scrap home to heat their homes.

I was getting wood and giving it to a lady that was making wooden spoons and spatulas used for cooking. She gave me some free ones in return. You can't find stuff like what she made and your pens in stores!

Do you have a favorite wood that you've worked with? Is that burled oak I see? My favorite wood for the way it felt coming off the lathe was alder. It just felt silky. Smooth yet soft. Almost velvety.

No, I havent tried it "yet", but I'll probably make my way around to it eventually. :OO

The top pen is Amboyna Burl, second - Afzelia Xylay, Third - I'm drawing a blank on - sorry!, and the bottom one is Olive Wood from Jerusalem.

Purpleheart makes a pretty pen, but you have to use a UV sealer on it or it'll turn brown eventually. There's a lot of beautiful woods coming from Australia - Lacy Sheoak is one of my favorites - plus bunches of different wood from South America, Africa, Mexico & Central America. That Afzelia Xylay is an asian wood I really like and there's a burl in it thats beautiful too. I love most all of the burls. As far as "Native Woods", Sycamore is one of my favorites. Maple gives up several pretty grain variations - burl, birdseye, curly, spalted,and ambrosia to name a few. Most ladies like Pink Ivory - it's a beautiful shade of pink and very, very rare because the Zulu Chiefs in Africa only allow so much per year to be harvested because it is a "sacred" wood only allowed to be posessed by the chief or his sons. One of the most expensive woods is "Snakewood". Very beautiful snake skin pattern and very expensive -I've paid as much as $12 each for a 3/4 X 3/4 X 6 inch blank.

I could go on for hours. :LOL: Can you tell I miss it. Can't wait to get my shop set up again.

:WOU Wow, they are absolutely gorgeous! Hope you can get your shop set up soon. Those pens are just incredible. Anything out there these days is made out of plastic with a sticker on it.

Man! Those are really nice. Do you still sell them?

Nope, at least not for now. I don't have anywhere to set my shop back up.

Tis a tragedy to supress such creative talent! Not to mention dammit I want one!
:WOU :WOU :WOU :WOU

Darn! Me too.