alabaster pen

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Neodon1

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
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115
Location
Willow Grove, PA, USA.
Hi All,

I just purchased a nice piece of alabaster.
Yes, I want to turn it and make a pen. The
question in my mind, If I cast the blanks
under around 60+ PSI pressure in Alumilite
will that stabilize the alabaster so it is
less apt to crack apart when drilling and turning?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Neodon1[?]
 
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I may be wrong but you cant cast alabaster ...it's a rock and too dense for the alumilite to penetrate very deep if at all .
I've turned some and it turns very well , it is brittle but if you use very light cuts with a very sharp skew you should not have any problems the only complaint I had with it is thats it's very messy...white powder everywhere...use a dust collector or shop vac to keep it a little cleaner
 
I've turned several and I stabilize with thin CA as I go. It all gets sanded off in the end and I just buff the bare rock. It polishes well and I think it needs no finish. It's rock and people need to feel it. That's the main selling point.
 
If it were able to be stabilized by pressure....which I doubt it can be because its rock, like everyone else is saying.....I would try to stabilize it with something tht is much less britle, like PR. But, whereas it probably can't be stabilized by pressure....then I agree that the thin CA would work because the thin CA is less britle than the rock.
 
Originally posted by kghinsr

Rick
Do you have A picture of an alabaster pen?
ken
Click to expand...
Now that you mention it, no, I don't. Contact Richard (randbcrafts), he's the one that I buy it from, he'll probably have one. If you decide you like it enough to buy some he's an excellent supplier.
 
I have only "turned" one alabaster pen so far and my wife stole it before I could get a picture. If you are worried about blowing it up, you might try a heavy grit sandpaper before that sharp skew...might just work;) DAMHIKT!

Definitely DO use a dust collector! Lots o' powder[xx(]!

Look for the TRUSTONE ad in Business classifieds, there are a couple of alabaster pens in the photo.
 
I have turned a lot of Alabaster pens. The things to worry about are drilling your hole. Usually if there are any flaws they will crack then. Drill very slow and use a lubricant like BLO or even Pam. Don't let any heat build up. Color the brass tubes so they don't show through any translucent parts of the stone. Wear a good mask and use a dust collector. It is like turning in a talcum power blizzard. Dust will get into lathe bearings and needs to be blown out afterwards. And always use sharp tools and a light touch. Resharpen frequently. I have not found it necessary to stabilize with CA as it doesn't penetrate the stone but just sits on the surface and gets sanded off. SLOW AND SHARP are the keys. This makes a heavy pen but they are classy and sell great.
 
You can't stabilize alabaster, it is permeable, but not pourus like wood. I've turned a few pens out of alabaster, it is messy but it works fine. You will need to have a light touch. I coat it heavily with CA after I finish turning because I'm concerned about chipping. Alabaster is a form of gypsum, it is a 2 on the Mohs scale, you can scratch it with your fingernails. The CA will make it hard so it does not scratch, and it will help but not totally prevent it from chipping if dropped.

I've been using it on Sierras because they seem a little more protected from direct contact when dropped short distances. When I sold one I gave the customer serious warning that it is a desk pen, not a pocket pen. If you put one in your pants pocket with another pen, some change and a couple wrenches you will probably find yourself with a pocket full of white powder. (gypsum dust white powder, nothing illegal)
 
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