# Weekend Pen Prep



## Diver Temple (May 9, 2019)

So went into the shoparage to drill and prep some pen blanks and got distracted by trying to sort and stack my new to me supply of pen blanks from @Bean_counter*.* Time to find more storage space or build a better method for stacking and separating. 


 

 

 

And once I get a few more pens completed for family, I have these slabs to figure out and make something pretty...

Reactions: Like 6


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## Bean_counter (May 9, 2019)

Love the slabs! You find anything in there you can use?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Diver Temple (May 9, 2019)

Bean_counter said:


> Love the slabs! You find anything in there you can use?


Oh yeah. I am new enough that it all looks good to me. The spalted and a little punky blanks are going to help me figure out how to stabilize and dye, which is useful because I have some punky large blocks. There are a lot of blanks that will help me find some patterns for segmenting, and a lot that will be turned into pens as is. I am curious, what is the blank marked "fish poison?"

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bean_counter (May 9, 2019)

Diver Temple said:


> Oh yeah. I am new enough that it all looks good to me. The spalted and a little punky blanks are going to help me figure out how to stabilize and dye, which is useful because I have some punky large blocks. There are a lot of blanks that will help me find some patterns for segmenting, and a lot that will be turned into pens as is. I am curious, what is the blank marked "fish poison?"



Good to know. 

I honestly couldn’t tell you what it is. It’s likely peanuts given to me when I was buying blanks like crazy. I would assume it’s actually fish poison 

It’s crazy that when I sell pens it’s usualky just normal woods that sell. I was buying up crazy burls and figured stuff and the good people of West Texas just wanted plain Jane woods.

Reactions: Funny 2 | Informative 1


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## Diver Temple (May 9, 2019)

Bean_counter said:


> Good to know.
> 
> I honestly couldn’t tell you what it is. It’s likely peanuts given to me when I was buying blanks like crazy. I would assume it’s actually fish poison
> 
> It’s crazy that when I sell pens it’s usualky just normal woods that sell. I was buying up crazy burls and figured stuff and the good people of West Texas just wanted plain Jane woods.



Maybe I will turn Fish Poison it into a fishing pen to keep on the boat, might help up my game!


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## ripjack13 (May 9, 2019)

I stand the blanks on end in medium flat rate boxes. 


Diver Temple said:


> I am curious, what is the blank marked "fish poison?"


What's it look like?


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## Diver Temple (May 9, 2019)

ripjack13 said:


> I stand the blanks on end in medium flat rate boxes.
> 
> What's it look like?


Hard to tell. It's stabilized and still has a good coat on it. Resin may have been yellow - ish, From what I can see it may be a little curly, but will get a better look once I hit it with a sander. I really just liked the intriguing name, has to be something special under the resin!


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## Karl_TN (May 9, 2019)

_*I found this info below, but I couldn't find any pics of the wood from this tree yet:

Barringtonia asiatica*_ (*fish poison tree*, *putat* or *sea poison tree*) 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barringtonia_asiatica

Harvested for food, medicine and as a source of wood.
Fruit is toxic.
Fresh fruit is used as bait for fish. 
Can find them around the shores of the India and Pacific Oceans from Madagascar, Asia, Australia, and Pacific Islands.
Young fruits are cooked for a long time and then eaten as a vegetable in India-China.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 3


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## Diver Temple (May 10, 2019)

Karl_TN said:


> _*I found this info below, but I couldn't find any pics of the wood from this tree yet:
> 
> Barringtonia asiatica*_ (*fish poison tree*, *putat* or *sea poison tree*)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barringtonia_asiatic


Well that's pretty cool. Now I have to get a look at it this weekend. I didn't even think of searching the name, didn't sound like a tree name. LOL Thanks Karl!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Wildthings (May 10, 2019)

Fish Poison blanks that I have come from Australia

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## Mike Hill (May 10, 2019)

Bean_counter said:


> Good to know.
> 
> It’s crazy that when I sell pens it’s usualky just normal woods that sell. I was buying up crazy burls and figured stuff and the good people of West Texas just wanted plain Jane woods.



I was going to say something about West Texas - probably somewhat derogatory - but I will refrain! I do love the Big Bend Country, Chisos Mountains, Guadalupe Mts, Davis Mts, even Palo Duro Canyon. An area loaded with testosterone inciters that are hard, rocky, and bite, sting, and impale you. You know things that goad you into doing manly things! 

To be closer to all that wilderness, I seriously thought about playing ball for Sul Ross. But didn't.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Diver Temple (May 10, 2019)

Mike Hill said:


> I was going to say something about West Texas - probably somewhat derogatory - but I will refrain! I do love the Big Bend Country, Chisos Mountains, Guadalupe Mts, Davis Mts, even Palo Duro Canyon. An area loaded with testosterone inciters that are hard, rocky, and bite, sting, and impale you. You know things that goad you into doing manly things!
> 
> To be closer to all that wilderness, I seriously thought about playing ball for Sul Ross. But didn't.



Well, you know that TN is just one letter from TX, and it looks like you already have the hat...time to own the TX envy?


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## Mike Hill (May 10, 2019)

Don't need the TX envy. Got my boots, big belt buckles and the white laced tooled leather belt with my name on it too! Even the belts I tooled and laced back when I was 12 yo. Born on the riverwalk in San Antonio. Edumacated at A*T*M. Even have two ancestors that died in the Alamo. And kin to Sam Houston. I got the pedigree - just currently not the address. Alas! All my exes live in Texas - as they say!

Reactions: Like 2


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