# Finally got a celtic knot done



## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Finally, after two failed attempts. I attended an IAP meeting where a talk on celtic knot making was presented and got a few new ideas to try. I cut the slots and glued the inserts in with tightbond wood glue instead of CA. Then when putting the tube in I swabbed the inside if the blank with CA as well as on the tube and this time no blowouts.
The blank is white oak and the inserts are red oak, several layers of CA on top of it.


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## Dvoigt (Dec 6, 2007)

Looks very nice... great fit and finish. That is on my to-do list too!


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Gary, looks good. I haven't tried one yet. What kind of problems were you having previously with it?

John


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## slatron25 (Dec 18, 2007)

That looks great Gary. Glad you finally won.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

jdixon said:


> Gary, looks good. I haven't tried one yet. What kind of problems were you having previously with it?
> 
> John


My two previous attempts ended with the knot blowing out in pieces as soon as I got it close to the finished thickness. Part was not bonding well to itself and part not bonding well to the tube.
Be sure the insert is sized accurately so it's an easy fit. If you notice the loops of my knot are uneven because of a little offcenteredness. I think that may have been from a too tight fit warping the blank just a little. It was bored on the lathe and should have been dead on.


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## Jeff4woodturning (Feb 1, 2009)

Nice job, i might have to give it a try. really sets off your pen.


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## Chad (May 10, 2009)

Awesome pen! I know nothing about turning, how long does it take to make a pen?


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## toolman Steve (Jun 11, 2009)

That looks very nice . the first time I did one I made 6 blanks , I ended up with 4 pens the same problem , blow outs . I used thick CA glue I learned to go slower and stop to let it cool , I waited over night to finish them. I did a thread about them, its out there some where . Again very nice work.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Chad said:


> Awesome pen! I know nothing about turning, how long does it take to make a pen?


It took me most of the afternoon to make the blank, letting the inserts dry and all. I made the pen itself in less than an hour. Sometimes I can turn one in 20 minutes.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

I'm on a roll now, latest two. The sierra is white oak with padouk, the comfort pen is, I think, Brazilian cherry with white oak and padouk inserts.


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## mranum (Mar 27, 2008)

Oh I like these. How thick is the insert? I haven't tried this in a pen yet. I only dabbled with trying a celtic knot once and that was in turning a cane shaft. On that I couldn't get an insert to fit the slot right so I cut all the way through and used some 1/4" material I had laying around. My glue up got off a little as my lines didn't line up correctly in one spot. Never finished a handle for it yet.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Slots are .050 and the inserts are a bit slimmer. The titebond fills the gaps pretty good. Next time sand the insert down to get a good fit.


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Nice job Gary! I really like that Sierra. I think the knots on these two look better in my eyes than your earlier one. First one was nice too I just think the thinner lines really set it off.

John


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Tried another pattern, this time stepping each insert 3/8th inch down, resulting in each loop just bumping the other instead of interlocking.
Walnut blank with purpleheart, padouk, red oak, yellow poplar inserts.


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