# How do you turn hard Tru-stone blanks????



## randyrls (Nov 24, 2008)

I am turning a few tru-stone blanks that are hard as nails.  

So far I have tried both skews and gouges on the tool rest.  My preferred tool is usually a 1" Sorby oval skew, but even that won't make a dent on these blanks.  Just to check, I made a Cambridge Kingwood.  No problems and tools worked like a charm. 

I even put a tool in the metal turning lathe and tried that, but split a blank.

So what do you use to turn hard tru-stone?????    Is there a different technique I need to use for these hard blanks?  

I have made the "webbed" tru-stone and my skew pealed off ribbons that clogged up me dust collector.

Signed:  Frazzled to distraction!


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## randbcrafts (Nov 24, 2008)

Hey Randy, Which color blanks are you turning? I use a large gouge for all of my tru-stone blanks.


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## GoodTurns (Nov 24, 2008)

I usually take them to the grinder to take off the corners, then use a sorby 3/4 gouge to rough, finish with a 1" skew.  Some of the blanks are literally harder than a brick, so you may need to sharpen during turning, but the standard tools have always done the trick for me.


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## Jerryconn (Nov 24, 2008)

I have found that the blue lapis is very hard but the others that I have turned are pretty easy.  On the lapis I would make 3 or 4 passes and then sharpen again. Took forever,  I just haven't taken the time to turn another blue lapis.


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## Larry Gottlieb (Nov 24, 2008)

I use a carbide router bit held in a 1/4" drill bit extender to rough the blank down to approximate size and then use a gouge to finish.

Larry


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## Russianwolf (Nov 24, 2008)

I chipped one that Jon sent me while drilling. I glued it back together and got is mostly roughed out but then I lost the chip again. I might find it, so it's sitting on my bench.

I've got a second one from Jon also, but haven't touched it yet.


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## randyrls (Nov 24, 2008)

randbcrafts said:


> Hey Randy, Which color blanks are you turning? I use a large gouge for all of my tru-stone blanks.



I am trying an Imperial Jade.  I finally finished the pen, but I'm ashamed to say it involved sandpaper......    :frown:


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## wdcav1952 (Nov 24, 2008)

randyrls said:


> I am trying an Imperial Jade.  I finally finished the pen, but I'm ashamed to say it involved sandpaper......    :frown:




Ah, the famous 80 grit gouge, huh?!?!?!?! :biggrin:


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## Rudy Vey (Nov 24, 2008)

I use a freshly sharpened gouge, then a skew to finish turn.


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## wood-of-1kind (Nov 24, 2008)

Any SKOGGER owners out there, try tru-stone yet?


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## stolicky (Nov 24, 2008)

TNT works.  Oh wait, you want a little left afterwords, huh?

I typically a 1" roughing gouge and then my 1/2" oval skew.  Keeping sharping as much as needed, and then some.


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## Jim Smith (Nov 24, 2008)

Based on a recommendation from another IAP member, I picked up one of the Carbide Woodturning Wood Lathe chisel on Ebay.  They're offered by a seller called joebill1.  They look very similar to the Skogger referred to here on IAP.  I purchased the 5/8inch square blade version and it has worked very well for me.  I recently turned one of the rather hard blue TruStone blanks.  I'm fairly new to turning and it took me about 30 minutes from start to finish for the blank.  They are tough to turn but they make such a beautiful pen that I purchased more of them.  The turning tool I'm referring to is about 27 inch long and built about as strong as a crowbar.  I've only had to rotate the blade one time for several TruStone blanks.  I will probably ask Santa for a diamond stone to sharpen the cutting blade myself.   

Jim Smith


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## babyblues (Nov 24, 2008)

I just turned a blue lapiz jr emperor and found that the techniques that Ed Davidson (Yo Yo Spin) uses to turn PR work very well.  He uses the toe and the heel of his skew to take small ribbons off at a time.  I would recommend watching his videos in the library on turning PR bottle stoppers.  He demonstrates his technique very well in those videos.  

You just need to be careful not to push too hard.  Your tools need to be as sharp as you can get them so that you don't have to use too much pressure.  Start from either end and work your way to the middle.  I turn the blank round this way with a skew then turn the profile of the barrel the same way.  Don't try to take too much off at a time and you'll be fine.


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## Firefyter-emt (Nov 24, 2008)

I had one like that, a blue lapis... I did knock it down on a metal lathe at about 750 rpm and it worked very nice! I brought it down enough to sand and taper where needed and it saved a LOT of time.


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## el_d (Nov 24, 2008)

My wife was looking over my shoulder and said " I want one of those" pointing at a the Blue Lapis. 
 OK I get it from Richard and start drilling took me forever but figured it would go faster on the lathe. I had turned the turqoise and the jade web. Not too diffucult so didnt expect much of a problem from this one, that lapis is some hard stuff. use my large rouhing gouge as much as possible then went to the skew.
 Turn, cuss, Kick, throw, sharpen. Turn, cuss, kick,throw, sharpen. Kept at it untill it was finished. Turned out very nice.  Glad it was a sierra...:wink:


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## randyrls (Nov 24, 2008)

Jim Smith said:


> Based on a recommendation from another IAP member, I picked up one of the Carbide Woodturning Wood Lathe chisel on Ebay.  They're offered by a seller called joebill1.  They look very similar to the Skogger referred to here on IAP.  I purchased the 5/8inch square blade version and it has worked very well for me.  I recently turned one of the rather hard blue TruStone blanks.  I'm fairly new to turning and it took me about 30 minutes from start to finish for the blank.  They are tough to turn but they make such a beautiful pen that I purchased more of them.  The turning tool I'm referring to is about 27 inch long and built about as strong as a crowbar.  I've only had to rotate the blade one time for several TruStone blanks.  I will probably ask Santa for a diamond stone to sharpen the cutting blade myself.
> 
> Jim Smith



Jim;   I have a set of the credit cards sized diamond hones.  These work well for pen mills, HSS tools, and carbide.  Try to use a lube oil when sharpening carbide.


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## NewLondon88 (Nov 24, 2008)

I've turned a few of the dark lapis and went back to buy more. Beautiful
stuff. It is hard, but not terrible.

I tried the roughing gouge on the first one and it took some time. So I used
a scraper (dovetail?) and went in from the edges instead of trying to cut or
peel the surface. This worked well. I could go the length of the blank in one
long cut.. pretty much what you'd see if you watched someone using a
metal lathe. (only by hand)

But keep the sharpening tools handy.. you'll need them.


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## Roy99664 (Nov 25, 2008)

I turn a few Lapis pens and I've found my 1/4" thick parting tool makes quick work of roughing down to near finished size. Take an 1/8" cut and go all the way down to near the bushing move over and take another 1/8" or so. I can do half a pen without resharpening. Easy to sharpen when needed. Finish up with a skew using  YoYo's technique. Best to take the corners off first with a band saw or sander.


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## Uncle Mikey (Nov 25, 2008)

Another carbide user here: Hunter #4 hollowing tool. Tried first with gouges (my usual with wood) and got very frustrated with tools getting dull quickly and I muttered at least several bad words. The last hard lapis I turned took about 5 minutes to get down to size taking very light cuts. I think it took longer to drill the blank. (And no sharpening!) 

- Michael


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## randyrls (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks Everyone.   I think I will have to try a carbide tool!

The 60 grit gouge worked well, but very slow....


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