Spalted pen blank question

[PChristy]

I have several boards that are spalted - I think that it is Maple but the guy I got it from says it is Poplar:dontknow: Anyway I have been letting it air dry for almost a year now and I have been thinking about cutting most of them into pen blanks and offering them up for sale -?1-Is this a good idea? - ?2- Has the air dry time limit been long enough?- ?3-Should the blanks be stabalized or let them go as is with sealer on the ends? - I am just wondering what to do with all of this spalted wood - I have this stack plus another bigger stack that I just got a few weeks ago - Any thoughts

 

[FredP]

phillip. although it may be possible to sell them I dont know how well they may be received. :dontknow: The main thing I look for in a pen blank is really fine tight grain. wide grained boards don't make exceptional pen blanks because by the time they are turned small enough to be a pen they loose their character. The spalting may help but without the fine grain lines IMO they turn out sorta bland. look the boards over carefully. there may be some that will make great pens. the ones with large wide grain would make better boxes or scroll saw pieces.:icon_thum

 

[PChristy]

Thanks Fred, I would try the box making but I am no good at case work - I have a few things in mind for the scroll saw but it will be Intarsia - and very limited - I could stack glue some of it to see what kind of bowl I would get out of it on the lathe I guess - just trying to figure out what to do with it :dontknow: