The Pen Makers Boat: #929 Now Sold

Red Acrylic and Burr Wood Premium Twist Pen

Price ~ £40

This is a hybrid pen, which has been made using both elm burr wood and acrylic. The burr wood was placed in a mould and the resin poured in around it and then left to set.

BURR
A burr (American burl) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds.

A burr results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burr grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burrs sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burr wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mould infestation are the most common causes of this condition.

Burr yields a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers (mainly used as veneers, artists, and wood sculptors.

Turning the two different materials is a tricky job as they both react in their own way to the chisels used. This makes the process longer and increases the concentration required.

Acrylic turning is messy, I really try to clear every last scrap of it up; it can also be smelly; the sharp little chips get everywhere and it can blunt the turning chisels really quickly.

Then the final grades of sanding and polishing start to reveal something special and I really like acrylic again... until the next time.

Pen #929 was turned on 22nd March 2018 near Braunston on the Oxford Canal.