Sticks and Stones

[Dewey Torres]

Gallery bound for sure!

[Scott Conners]

Absolutely gorgeous!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

That is simply gorgeous Bob, .........and some nice rock WOW.

[Jim Becker]

That's a sweet little piece, Bob!

[Peter Lamb]

Very excellant!!

[Steve Mawson]

Really nice. Would certainly be interested in a tutorial if you have the time.

[Bob Way]

Thanks, again, for all of your kind comments. This piece is really just a compilation of what I have seen and learned from wood and stone turners who frequent the forums. Certainly, you all were a part of that.

Steve – I do use carbide tools that I made for the stone parts, and my normal high speed steel for the wood elements. It can be done with high-speed steel, but the stone dulls them almost immediately and then begins wearing down the cutting edge. That makes regrinding them for wood turning a major effort. And I’m a lazy guy at heart.

Wyatt – I’m glad you turned the talc. Max Krimmel and Steve “Spike” Finch are two names worth looking up. A couple of masters and great resources. Talc is the softest of the stones being about a 1 – 1.5 on the MOHS scale. Alabaster is a bit harder being about a 2 – 3. There is a slight difference in the feel when turning them similar to what we run into with some of the woods we turn. Both will scratch, and I tend to scratch mine up using calipers to measure wall thickness while it’s on the lathe. The scratches sand out easily, though. To avoid them after the piece is done, a couple of coats of surface finish that dries to a harder film helps. Lacquer and the wipe on polyurethanes work well. That way your finished piece can be handled without too much risk.

Dave – I had heard the dust storm mentioned and it scared me away for some time because I have a basement shop. However, I don’t think it’s all that bad. Stone is heavier than wood, so most of it tends to pile up all over the banjo, the lathe ways, and through the opening onto the surface below. That said, though, I do have a dust collector hose mounted behind the lathe which I position behind the piece when turning and sanding. That collects a lot of it. There is a little that does get airborne and settles on nearby surfaces. By far, the biggest problem I have with it is tracking it around on the bottom of my shoes. I have received more than one rather energetic reminder to change my shoes before coming upstairs.

Thanks, again.

[Jim Kountz]

Whoa nice piece!! That is very interesting and you did a heck of a job with it!!

[Wyatt Holm]

When I turned talc it was OK. I just had to not squeeze to hard with the chuck, or it would crush the tenon. That is why I want to try alabaster.

[Bob Way]

Gotcha. Alabaster would probably crush in the chuck as well. Most of the stone is mounted to a wood block that either fits a faceplate or is turned beforehand to fit the jaws of a chuck. Then just flatten a face of the stone and attach to the block for the faceplate or chuck.

[curtis rosche]

that is an awsome peice. the stone almost looks like a spualted wood or a burl

[Toney Robertson]

Very nice.

I don't know if I have the guts to turn stone.

Well done.

Toney