Tru-Stone?

[darthintel]

I picked up this blank from Woodcraft - pink coral tru-stone. They warned me of turning tru-stone several times, so I was up for the challenge.

Cutting on the band saw was very easy. Next drilling on the lathe - drilled just like acrylics as well as squaring up the blank.

Next onto the lathe....turned as easy as a bar of soap would turn. Shavings came off initially like soap shavings, then ribbons like acrylics. This was so soft ...needed a very light touch turning. Wet sanding created a great slurry very easily.
I have turned acrylics that were harder, as well as Ebony and deer antler.
So I question if this was really tru-stone?

 

[Andrew_K99]

There are different hardnesses of trustone, some rather soft. The ones I've turned did so like you described, well maybe not like soap, but I've had a harder time with some acrylics.

AK

 

[76winger]

Not always, but generally the lighter colors seem to be easier to turn. If you start getting into the dark blues, purples and black, you'll see a big difference. One purple one I did dull my fresh sharpened HSS skew in about 30 seconds and prompted me to get my first carbide cutter.

 

[thewishman]

The coral is great. Turquoise, malachite, larimar (blue and pink) are all very soft and easy and beautiful.