Trustone Make

[watch_art]

So tried something different to make this pen from trustone.
Persian turquoise I think it is.
Turned the blank round. I turned a lot of blanks round last night. That was fun. Just turning and admiring all the pretty plastics and stuff. Some of them I wasn't aware were PR.

So turned round, drilled them through, one half at a time, and made some plastic inserts.
Epoxy to hold them together - except for what will be the cap finial of course.

Stuck back between centers and turning to shape. Customer wants a straighter shape so I will be turning it down some more.

Stuck between centers and turning it down. When I'm ready to thread I'll throw it in the collet chuck.

I think the invisible man blue marble would be a good (more affordable) and just as pretty alternative to this stuff.
Marbles - Invisible Blanks
And I could thread it too.

But this trustone turned so much easier than I thought it would. I haven't had any Oh S--- moments at all and would not hesitate to turn this stuff or make a pen from it again.

 

[LL Woodworks]

Nice - wondering why the inserts? Will the tru-stone thread, or did the customer want two colors?

 

[watch_art]

All I've read about trustone on here says that it can be threaded but that it doesn't hold and won't last - so I'd rather do inserts than risk threads crumbling to dust.

 

[glycerine]

Good work so far. You're the man if you pull that off!

 

[LL Woodworks]

Thanks - that is good to know. I may thread a piece of tru-stone with 1/2-28 and work it for a few month to see what happens.