# Cutting and Turning Marble



## hewunch (Sep 8, 2010)

Ok, so someone emails me and says they have 2 slabs of marble, would I want them for pens. I haven't tried to turn or cut stone so I am wondering if anyone has turned marble? What did you cut it with? What did you turn it with etc.
Thanks in advance!


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## Mickey (Sep 8, 2010)

I can't image you could turn marble with ordinary pen-turning tools. Maybe a metal lathe. I can't remember ever seeing a pens made from marble.


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## ThomJ (Sep 8, 2010)

I know watching them machine marble at the sheds in Barre that they use lots of water, and everything is either diamond coated or carbide


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## workinforwood (Sep 8, 2010)

I would first start my worries with how the heck you going to drill it???  Diamond drills are expensive and the sizes you want are less common and up goes the price, not only because of the diameters  you need, but also the depth of drilling.  You might be able to drill it with a concrete bit and real slow speed and your lathe at the bottom of lake Michigan. :biggrin:

Nothing is impossible, and it's all been done before.  It's more a matter of how much do you want to spend and how much time will you sacrifice.  If you buy a robotic water jet...well, now you are in business...you only have to sell a million or so pens to break even.


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## BigguyZ (Sep 8, 2010)

The only "Marble" you could turn would be Trustone.  I'd offer to use that product instead.  It would be cheaper than using solid marble, given the tooling requirements.


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## hewunch (Sep 8, 2010)

Jeff do you think just 4 ft into Lake Michigan would work? :biggrin:
Point taken. Thanks for your input. I do appreciate it.


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## DCBluesman (Sep 8, 2010)

Here is an excellent resource on sculpting marble, which is what you will be doing.  A good friend wrote most of the copy.


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## Red Coin (Sep 8, 2010)

DCBluesman said:


> Here is an excellent resource on sculpting marble, which is what you will be doing.  A good friend wrote most of the copy.



I have used a marble pen, but I don't know how it was made. I can tell you it was heavy, felt more like a proper tool and cool to the touch which is nice for arthritic cramps. 

Not to post off topic, but does your inversion read "Lou Metcalf"? 

Now back to my reading of hundreds of posts. Thanks for a great forum!

cheers from a newbie, dee


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## redfishsc (Sep 8, 2010)

Drop that pen once on a tile floor, and weep. 

The material thickness on most of our pens would be very unfriendly toward a brittle item like marble. 


You'd definitely need a lathe with water as a coolant, diamond (possibly carbide but likely diamond) cutting tools, and like Jeff said, drilling? 


I have a PILE of Corian if you need some marble looking stuff. PM me here or FB and I'll let you know what I have.


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## workinforwood (Sep 9, 2010)

Somewhere some time ago I saw some pictures of someone making items on a lathe using marble, granite and some other tough stones.  They were using a metal lathe and a cheap dremel tool.  The lathe was put outside with a garden hose running constantly on it, the dremel was mounted in the cross slide with a diamond bit, and the dremel was covered with plastic to try and make the dremel live longer.  Very very light passes over and over again for a very long period of time and then a ton of wet sanding and polishing to complete the jewelery type peices.

4 foot deep into Lake Michigan would be good as long as the lake is not angry that day.:wink:


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## hewunch (Sep 9, 2010)

Point taken. I am always on the look out for new or free materials. This was new AND free so I thought I would ask. Thanks again!


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## DCBluesman (Sep 9, 2010)

Red Coin said:


> Not to post off topic, but does your inversion read "Lou Metcalf"?


Yes, it does!


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## DesignerPens.com (Sep 12, 2010)

Pretty cool solid granite pens here:
http://www.penwa.com/granite/


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## BigguyZ (Sep 13, 2010)

DesignerPens.com said:


> Pretty cool solid granite pens here:
> http://www.penwa.com/granite/



OT, but that site has cigar pens for $100!  Not bad, if he gets that.  And Patriot pens for $50.  Better than I can get, that's for sure.


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