The toughest pen blank I ever turned.

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PenPal

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Nov 29, 2006
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Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
Fossil Wooly Mammoth Molar.Keep looking around for the Tooth Fairy.

From advice given I did all the drilling and turning dry as fossil rock does not like water.

I joined with my wife The Canberra Lapidary Society to get the use of their diamond saws etc Not needed I used a small bandsaw that cut my blank in half ,glad I did sweet cut it made slowly. I checked in finally at the Mineshaft here in town run by a miner of Opal and all things Gem and Rock. He has 6 employees in Thailand and Bali who work all his fossil rock etc all using wood lathes,dry cutting.

I finished this pen last night late after turning for some hrs using an Easy tool and 4 way Carbide cutter, yes only one. Every hr after using the four faces I placed them face down muttered abra cadabra on a fine diamond file.Such sensitive a lovely material demands great care. I saved the powder generated in case of chips etc. No need. The Sirroco kit has tight design and demands a thinnish thickness of material at either end of the blank I kept it as thick as I could,the thought of press splits increasing the sphinctor factor.

I finish sealed it with two coats of CA, sigh of relief and tumbled into bed at midnight. Twenty thousand yrs demand respect IMHO.

Peter.
 

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OZturner

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Aug 5, 2013
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Sydney. NSW. Australia
Glorious Pen Peter.
Magnificent Fossil'd Woolly Mammoth Molar.
The photograph shows an excellently drilled Hole.
How did you control the heat of drilling, while maintaining sufficient pressure on the Dry Masonry drill?
Beautifully and Carefully Turned, Excellent Fit and Superb Finish.
Great Craftsmanship.
Congratulations,
Brian.
 
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PenPal

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Joined
Nov 29, 2006
Messages
2,708
Location
Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
Glorious Pen Peter.
Magnificent Fossil'd Woolly Mammoth Molar.
The photograph shows an excellently drilled Hole.
How did you control the heat of drilling, while maintaining sufficient pressure on the Dry Masonry drill?
Beautifully and Carefully Turned, Excellent Fit and Superb Finish.
Great Craftsmanship.
Congratulations,
Brian.

Brian the heat was controlled you can see by the actual drill I used then a 27/64 to bring it up to size (normal drill). It never got beyond very warm. These drills will take over red hot. The patience taking was the few hours of turning being absolutely careful never to overheat the tooth. There was a tiny tear out but the extra length took care of that as well. I tried facing the blank this took ages so I waited until near the finis to bring it to the right length (good move too). The problem in turning is the bands of Silica.

I have a Vicmarc two jaw chuck the blank just fitted in creating controlled accuracy then turning past the square was scary by hand.

Peter.
 

randyrls

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Feb 2, 2006
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Location
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Peter; Very Nice!

The Sirroco kit has tight design and demands a thinnish thickness of material at either end of the blank I kept it as thick as I could,the thought of press splits increasing the sphinctor factor.

Peter; Added later; If I have any suspicions that the blank may split, I expand the end of the brass tube with a transfer punch, then glue the fittings into the brass tube. I've done this with corian and solid surface materials that tend to be brittle.
 
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Darley

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Sep 3, 2004
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Location
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Very nice I think you where more scare to break the blank than turning it but I do understand who will not at the price of the blank got some blank too , but I'm short of time workshop wise just finished a Mammoth Tusk who was on the lathe since December and finished yesterday for my Son Birthday next month

Nice looking pen you done well
 
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