Catlanite for pens

[bitshird]

A friend wants to give me several decent size pieces of Catlanite (Pipe Stone) It can't possibly be any worse than the old formula Tru-Stone, I've carved some years ago, hand files, pieces of sand stone , plain old sand paper even an old pocket knife all work the rock, any body ever make a pen out o0f this stuff before? I guess keep it soaked in CA to avoid the porosity right?

 

[Chasper]

I know quite a bit about what not to do, I've tried, and mostly failed. I'm assuming you are talking about Minnesota Pipestone from the SW corner of the state. Its pinkish, and the hardest of the several stones that are called pipestone, I think some of the others are also called catlanite.

I cut it into blanks with an old handsaw, it will dull a hack saw, bandsaw or anything else you use. I have cut it to shape with a cut off wheel also.

It will drill pretty well, a good carbide bit might do the job but I've been afraid it would destroy it so I've used cheap bits. One bit, two holes then you throw away the bit. You can probably find the right sizes of masonary bits if you look enough, I didn't find them. Adhesive sticks fine on the inside of the hole, but make sure you get all the dust out first.

It is a tool killer, they will be dull in no time. I had some success with a farriers file (like a wide wood rasp) and a chunk of sandstone will get the job done eventually. Expect a dusty mess. I thought about rigging up a water drip and catch pan, but haven't tried it yet.

Lots of CA is a good idea, I don't think I used enough. After all that the pen I made crumbled around the nib after not much handling. I think that on the next one I make I'm going to segment in a small piece of wood on each end.

 

[Skye]

I guess I'll ask: Why?

Isn't it more or less plain brown stone? Seems an acrylic blank would be about the same, so long as the colors matched, and a whole lot less work.

 

[marcruby]

Does anyone ever worry about creating a lot of abrasive dust in a shop full or rotary equipment? This occurred to me when I was wathing a thread about turning sandstone and I never got around to asking. There's something that scares me about throwing quantities of silicon into the air inches from my headstock...

 

[bitshird]

I know quite a bit about what not to do, I've tried, and mostly failed. I'm assuming you are talking about Minnesota Pipestone from the SW corner of the state. Its pinkish, and the hardest of the several stones that are called pipestone, I think some of the others are also called catlanite.

I cut it into blanks with an old handsaw, it will dull a hack saw, bandsaw or anything else you use. I have cut it to shape with a cut off wheel also.

It will drill pretty well, a good carbide bit might do the job but I've been afraid it would destroy it so I've used cheap bits. One bit, two holes then you throw away the bit. You can probably find the right sizes of masonary bits if you look enough, I didn't find them. Adhesive sticks fine on the inside of the hole, but make sure you get all the dust out first.

It is a tool killer, they will be dull in no time. I had some success with a farriers file (like a wide wood rasp) and a chunk of sandstone will get the job done eventually. Expect a dusty mess. I thought about rigging up a water drip and catch pan, but haven't tried it yet.

Lots of CA is a good idea, I don't think I used enough. After all that the pen I made crumbled around the nib after not much handling. I think that on the next one I make I'm going to segment in a small piece of wood on each end.

Thanks that's exactly the same material, I've carved small statues and animal fetishes (southwestern jewelery) from it I have a couple of Diamond saws so not a problem, the porosity was my main concern, along with breakage.

I guess I'll ask: Why?

Isn't it more or less plain brown stone? Seems an acrylic blank would be about the same, so long as the colors matched, and a whole lot less work.

Skye, I thought that it's a fool who asks why? and wise man that asks WHY NOT! actually how many pens made from Catlanite have you seen??
I kind of like to stretch the boundaries of things, Otherwise I'd just turn boring B2B slim lines and live in ignorant bliss, not realizing I could be creating something new and exciting, Why do people make pens out of Mother Of Pearl or Abalone shell or Tru-Stone, why not real stone?? why does Mont Blanc make pens that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars??
also to me there's not a lot of difference between Acrylics and Tru-Stone, I can pour far more exciting colors than Minnesota Pipe Stone, but it wouldn't be any thing but 75 cents worth of cheap plastic resin. JMHO

Does anyone ever worry about creating a lot of abrasive dust in a shop full or rotary equipment? This occurred to me when I was wathing a thread about turning sandstone and I never got around to asking. There's something that scares me about throwing quantities of silicon into the air inches from my headstock...

Marc, I'd use the same precaution that I use for tool post grinding, also I'd grind the blanks close to round on a lapidary grinder and finish turning with carbide lathe bits, I ain't about to put that near the headstock of my new wood lathe, that's why inventors made metal lathes.

 

[Skye]

Why do people make pens out of Mother Of Pearl or Abalone shell or Tru-Stone, why not real stone??

Well, that's kind of a two part question, first part being the important:

Because MOP, Abalone and tru-stone are all very nice looking. The multiple shimmering colors in the shells are awesome. Catlanite is just...... brown. I dunno man, I can defiantly appreciate the idea, I just don't see the final product being worth the effort.