Petrified Wood?

[PMisiaszek]

An acquaintance has a collection of petrified wood, legally obtained, and has asked if a pen could be turned from it. I've seen pens turned from materials I would have never thought possible, but has anyone seen or heard of petrified wood being turned?

 

[Dario]

It is a stone basically...it will be like turning marble.

Is it possible? Yes.

You will need new tools though. []

 

[DCBluesman]

I doubt seriously that you could turn a pen from petrified wood. On the MOHS scale of mineral hardness, petrified is a 7 or an 8. The scale goes from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamonds).

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />I doubt seriously that you could turn a pen from petrified wood. On the MOHS scale of mineral hardness, petrified is a 7 or an 8. The scale goes from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamonds).

Lou, since you are a veritable fount of knowledge, where on the MOHS scale does a teenager's head fall? [}][][}]

 

[Tuba707]

My head was a MOHS 9 just a few years ago....

 

[DCBluesman]

Originally posted by wdcav1952
<br />

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />I doubt seriously that you could turn a pen from petrified wood. On the MOHS scale of mineral hardness, petrified is a 7 or an 8. The scale goes from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamonds).

Lou, since you are a veritable fount of knowledge, where on the MOHS scale does a teenager's head fall? [}][][}]

According to my mother, mine was equivalent to my age throughout my teen years. []

 

[LEAP]

Just thinking with the keyboard here but could a diamond wheel dressing tool be used to turn something that hard? I imagine it would be a long slow process but might be worth a try.

 

[DCBluesman]

CAN it be done? I'm sure. Large investment in tools, large investment of time. Probably a few "explosive moments" (forget blowouts). But why would you? In the end you will have a pen that is too heavy for a pocket and too heavy to write with. Now if it's to brag, that's another story all together. I once made a chewing gum wrapper chain that was 61 feet long. [8D]

 

[1080Wayne]

Lou Unless I`ve missed a decimal point somewhere , a BTB Sierra made with petrified wood would weigh 40.7 gm ,compared to 37.3 with box elder .The kit weighs 36 gm . This assumes using the brass tube . Should not affect balance too much , and certainly lighter than some other pens . Wayne

 

[Dario]

If some people can make a pen out of jade so can you with a petrified wood. For me it is a question of practicality. It will also be prone to cracking (especially if dropped). If it is to be made, I assume it will be a "trophy" piece and in that case it is okay. Collectors may actually pay a premium for it so maybe worth the trouble.

Again, it is not impossible to make, but a lot tougher.

 

[low_48]

Here's my idea of turning the petrified; how about a Harbor Freight diamond stone cutoff wheel on a right angle grinder. That would be the "scrapper/skew part of the operation. Then follow that up with diamond sharpening cards for sanding. I suspect after that you would have to go to diamond pasted on a rubber pad to polish. I suspect that there would be something better for stone polishing, ask Mr. Google. Oh yea, I seem to have forgotten about drilling the hole. Now, I don't have any idea where you can get a diamond hole saw that small!![:0][:0] Anyone else?

 

[lwalden]

Originally posted by PMisiaszek
<br />An acquaintance has a collection of petrified wood, legally obtained, and has asked if a pen could be turned from it. I've seen pens turned from materials I would have never thought possible, but has anyone seen or heard of petrified wood being turned?

I love a challenge! Send it to me!

 

[GBusardo]

My first thought was, how the heck is he going to drill the hole? If you can figure it all out,I bet the pen would look very very nice.

 

[low_48]

Here's a place for the drill bit. An extension will be needed, but it's a good place to start.
http://www.drillglass.com/index.html