# Civil war pen blank



## fredito (Apr 5, 2015)

My father and myself are big civil war buffs. I am making us a pair of civil war pens. I have been thinking of what wood to use on the pen for quite awhile but I am at a loss. I want something that is in someway tied to the civil war or makes one think of the civil war. We had family on both sides. I have thought of using buckeye burl since we had family in the war out of Ohio...and I have some one the way. I don't want anything to expensive since I would be afraid to use it. I have thought of trying to find wood forsale from a battle feild or such...anyone have any ideas? I want to make this one really special for my dad.

Edit: just for claifaction, not necessarily looking to buy/trade, but looking for ideas as I'm sure I'm not thinking of something....but if someone had something that would be good then maybe we could work something out in the appropriate fourm
Thanks!!


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## Schroedc (Apr 5, 2015)

@Treecycle Hardwoods did some old historic wood pens and might have some suggestions

Reactions: Like 1


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Apr 5, 2015)

fredito said:


> My father and myself are big civil war buffs. I am making us a pair of civil war pens. I have been thinking of what wood to use on the pen for quite awhile but I am at a loss. I want something that is in someway tied to the civil war or makes one think of the civil war. We had family on both sides. I have thought of using buckeye burl since we had family in the war out of Ohio...and I have some one the way. I don't want anything to expensive since I would be afraid to use it. I have thought of trying to find wood forsale from a battle feild or such...anyone have any ideas? I want to make this one really special for my dad.
> 
> Edit: just for claifaction, not necessarily looking to buy/trade, but looking for ideas as I'm sure I'm not thinking of something....but if someone had something that would be good then maybe we could work something out in the appropriate fourm
> Thanks!!


I have some rifle stock from civil war muskets. (Both confederate and union) I also have cypress used in cotton barge poles.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## fredito (Apr 5, 2015)

Treecycle Hardwoods said:


> I have some rifle stock from civil war muskets. (Both confederate and union) I also have cypress used in cotton barge poles.


Do the rifle stocks need to be stabilized?


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Apr 5, 2015)

fredito said:


> Do the rifle stocks need to be stabilized?


The first batch I turned I didn't stabilize them and they turned out good. I am going to stabilize a batch and see if there is any improvement. I am looking for a harder finished pen. I have noticed a couple of the ones I turned dented some time after turning them. I am hoping that by stabilizing the material I can reduce or eliminate that risk. I have more material you were interested.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fredito (Apr 5, 2015)

Treecycle Hardwoods said:


> The first batch I turned I didn't stabilize them and they turned out good. I am going to stabilize a batch and see if there is any improvement. I am looking for a harder finished pen. I have noticed a couple of the ones I turned dented some time after turning them. I am hoping that by stabilizing the material I can reduce or eliminate that risk. I have more material you were interested.


I might be interested in some depending on what you would like for them. I'm not set up to stabilze so I honestly don't know if I would use them or squirrel then away. Are they walnut? Do you have pics? We can talk via pm if you want and move it to the appropriate fourm if we make a deal.

Also, if anyone had leads on wood from historic areas that would be cool. I don't need something like wood from Lincolns desk or a tree cut down in 1862. But if a 200 year old tree was cut down in the last 10 years in the area of Gettysburg, Bull Run or something like that, that would be cool...I think I'm thinking wood that was a witness to history....I think I might have champagne taste on a beer budget

Other then they I'm open to ideas other then Buckeye burl


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## Bean_counter (Apr 5, 2015)

Hey fred I don't have any wood ideas but what I did was have some blanks cast with civil war postage stamps. I haven't turned them yet but do have them. I think they will look awesome once I get them together. Good luck

Reactions: Like 1


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## fredito (Apr 5, 2015)

Those sound pretty cool. I would like to see a pic of them. Depending what you do with them I may be interested in some when I get better at turning. Part of the struggle I'm having with this is I'm not confident enough in my skill to get an expensive blank with good historical significance. I think I would cry when I blow out a $50 blank.


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Apr 5, 2015)

fredito said:


> I might be interested in some depending on what you would like for them. I'm not set up to stabilze so I honestly don't know if I would use them or squirrel then away. Are they walnut? Do you have pics? We can talk via pm if you want and move it to the appropriate fourm if we make a deal.
> 
> Also, if anyone had leads on wood from historic areas that would be cool. I don't need something like wood from Lincolns desk or a tree cut down in 1862. But if a 200 year old tree was cut down in the last 10 years in the area of Gettysburg, Bull Run or something like that, that would be cool...I think I'm thinking wood that was a witness to history....I think I might have champagne taste on a beer budget
> 
> Other then they I'm open to ideas other then Buckeye burl


I would be looking at $10 each and $3 on shipping. If you gave me your email (in a pm of course) I could email you before and after pix of the stocks. They are walnut so they will turn nice and if you have done other stabilized or acrylic blanks you should be a-ok.


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## rdabpenman (Apr 6, 2015)

Some wood spokes from the old canon carriers.

Les

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## fredito (Apr 6, 2015)

rdabpenman said:


> Some wood spokes from the old canon carriers.
> 
> Les


That's a neat idea. I will have to look around online and see how if I can find any


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## Final Strut (Apr 6, 2015)

I can't for the life of me remember where but I saw some blanks from the Stonewall Jackson Prayer tree once. I am sure if you dig enough you could come up with a couple blanks from that. It was a huge white oak.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fredito (Apr 6, 2015)

@Final Strut the Stonewall Jackson prayer tree has an interesting history. I'm going to have to do some digging

http://scducks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102044


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