Question: has anyone made treenails (trunnels) using hornbeam (black hornbeam specifically)? If you have accomplished this using a draw plate how small of a diameter could you create?
Thanks much!
Thanks much!
Your response is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for. I want to create black trunnels for black wales (which will be in ebony veneer) and I don't want to mess with ebony dust making trunnels. If the grain of hornbeam doesn't run straight I think I will struggle making drawn trunnels...It's a fascinating question and I'm intrigued to know why you're thinking of it. The post caught my eye because I used European Hornbeam on one occasion many years ago, and what stuck in my mind was how tough it's interlocking grain was to work. I personally wouldn't have thought it was the ideal choice for trennels but I've not used it for such small work.
Drifter
Thanks Olivier! That will certainly be my back-up plan. Bamboo has a tubular structure that doesn't stand up to close imaging but works beautifully at normal viewing distance. I'm pretty sure I'll end up where you suggest but exploring options until then.I may be off base here but I’ve used bamboo for drawing out trunnels and dipped them in India Ink to “ebonize” them.
India ink works well and so does black permanent markerThanks Olivier! That will certainly be my back-up plan. Bamboo has a tubular structure that doesn't stand up to close imaging but works beautifully at normal viewing distance. I'm pretty sure I'll end up where you suggest but exploring options until then.
That's sacrilege! It's like putting a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in a boat, or even worse a car...the black keys of a piano
Let @Maarten show you what he does with black piano keys, and we'll talk again! I'm South African - nothing is sacrilegious (except maybe rugby)!That's sacrilege! It's like putting a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in a boat, or even worse a car...
Read up on the history of the famous hydroplane of all times, U76 Miss Madison in the 1971 Gold Cup. They did put Rolls Royce Merlin engines in these boats except that Miss Madison won, running an old Allison. The Allison legacy continues today as the only boat (U3 I think) that is not jet-powered, is still running an Allison.That's sacrilege! It's like putting a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in a boat, or even worse a car...
I may just do that Dave (I have seen that species before and some of the pieces were truly black). I'm working on my order of spare boxwood for construction right now, so I'll circle back when I get my head around more of the build details. Much appreciated.i have used Africian blackwood which is in the rosewood family it is in the top 10 woods for hardness.
i have used it for turning cannons and deadeyes and turned it down to a small point.
i do have a few 1 x 1 x 6 inch pieces if your interested in trying it.