First true stone experience

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Haynie

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Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
Holy cow when people said it would dull the tools quick they were not kidding. I started with a scary sharp gouge and a scary shark skew. They were both dull as butter knives before the blank was half rounded. I am using Azurite web. A super sharp drill bit helps too, or the bits from PSI just suck. I was drilling and all of a sudden a quarter inch chip broke off the bottom. Lucky I bought 2 blanks. I ended up turning the blanks on the metal lather with the carbide tools.

On another note always make sure both pages or sides to the instructions are in the package for the Majestic Jr. kits, or caliper the bushings. I was only supplied with the first page so missed the fact that one cap bushing was bigger than the other and over turned. Oh well this was for me any way, a practice before tackling the christmas presents.

Lots of learning today.

Oh Yeah Under Armor is your best friend in a cold shop.
 
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Fibonacci

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Joined
Feb 9, 2011
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823
Location
Ridgecrest, CA
The M3 looks even better, but also dulls them even faster.

My preference is to caliper the actual hardware, rather than the bushings.
 

glycerine

Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
3,462
Location
Fayetteville, NC
Do you have a carbide insert tool? That's what I used on my first trustone and it wasn't bad. It took more time to round it, but the carbide insert held up very well! (And I made my own tool if your wondering, so this isn't an advertisement for anyone else's tool...)
 

ashaw

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Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
1,590
Location
Phila, PA, USA.
Best to use the pen pro. I can do about 45 - 50 pens before changing the insert. That is on M3 and True Stone.
 

Carl Fisher

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Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Messages
2,761
Location
Cape Coral, FL
I agree with the carbide tools for trustone. I'll get it round with a gouge, but do the majority of the removal and shaping with a carbide tool and it cuts like butter for me.
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
Not all Tru-Stone is created equal. I've done 3 Tru-stone pens, and they were all different in degrees of harness. I did a red Dino bone, and I thought I'd never get it done. But then a turquoise blank wasn't much different than PR.
 

renowb

Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
2,241
Yes and Black with Gold Matrix is hard! DAMHIKT!
Not all Tru-Stone is created equal. I've done 3 Tru-stone pens, and they were all different in degrees of harness. I did a red Dino bone, and I thought I'd never get it done. But then a turquoise blank wasn't much different than PR.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
1,798
Location
webberville, mi
My first (and only so far) Trustone was a red jasper. It went well and produced one of the most beautiful pens I've done. I was thrilled and ordered more (different types). Waiting for them now. I've read that (in general terms) the darker the color, the tougher the turn. Wondering if there's merit in that assessment.
 

76winger

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Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
2,784
Location
Lebanon Indiana
I've noticed on Trustone that that darker the color, the harder it is to turn. I've gotten through the whie & red colors using my HSS and Carbon steel skews and gouges. But when I saw how quickly Azurite web dulled them a couple Sundays ago, I made a quick trip to Rockler and got a carbide tipped cutter and it made a world of difference! Caught them on a weekend they were on sale and giving a free cutter away with them, so I came out pretty good and it really made a difference in cutting.

The slightly dull tip didn't work so well on a tough piece of burl I worked on afterwards thought, It caught a little too deep and the lathe sucked it right out my hands! Broke the burl body into about 5 pieces and bent my mandrel as well! Think I'll stick to the skew for those from now on... But it worked great on the Trustone!
 

Haynie

Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
I am using the carbid tool on my letal lathe. I have some inserts on order to make my own carbide tool for the wood lathe but they are not here yet.
 
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