# possible to make a pen from a core sample?



## arw01 (Oct 27, 2011)

The subject says it all.  Could a core sample from a few thousand feet below ground be turned into a pen in some fashion we can do ourselves, our am I going  to need to find a laser lathe or something?


----------



## Ruby pen turning (Oct 27, 2011)

haha as in rock? I would imagine that you would need some kind of diamond grinder or something. I don`t think your gouge and skew are going to cut it.


----------



## StephenM (Oct 27, 2011)

Find someone with lapidary stuff and they should be able to do it for you.  I would think that you'd want to do it backwards though - shape it and then drill the hole(s) and then polish - maybe polish before drilling(?).  

I'd look more towards a sawn pen rather than turned.  Octagonal or something along those lines.  Otherwise you're getting into really specialized equipment.


----------



## mredburn (Oct 27, 2011)

go to ebay and type in diamond drills. If the chineese dont already make a core drill with diamonds on it they will. also you can buy a 10 inch diamond file for $10.000 and shipping.


----------



## Russianwolf (Oct 27, 2011)

depends on what the sample is. Could be hard stone or soft, or mostly sand.


----------



## arw01 (Oct 28, 2011)

Since I can choose the core, let's go with stone.

There is a lapidary shop not too many miles from home, might have to go visit during normal working hours.


----------



## studioso (Oct 28, 2011)

It's not molten lava, is it?


----------



## robutacion (Oct 28, 2011)

arw01 said:


> The subject says it all.  Could a core sample from a few thousand feet below ground be turned into a pen in some fashion we can do ourselves, our am I going  to need to find a laser lathe or something?



Well, a little imagination can go a long way and I can't see why you couldn't do a pen out of a rock sample using most of the traditional pen making tools, there is, is perfectly possible to cut the core and drill it to great precision and ease, simply using a diamond disc on a 4" grinder and a masonry drill bit one on many types available to everyone, here is a good example of simple tools you can use with that type of materials...!

Putting the drilled and tubed piece on a normal mandrel, using the 4" diamond grinding disc to get it to size and shape and then using the "Flap" stone (blue) discs on the same 4" grinder, you can "easily" turn your core sample to the pen type and shape you desire.

Polishing stone is not much difference than a normal friction polish and nothing will stop you to finish it with the CA method...!

No need for sophisticated equipment, just some "inexpensive" diamond tools/finishers, a good dusk musk, some clean water and lots of patience, will produce very good results, after all, is there any material in existence that hasn't been used to pen making with great success, the one way or the other...??? I think not...!

Good luck...!

Cheers
George


----------



## David M (Oct 28, 2011)

you could brake some of it up into small peaces. cast it and turn that .  I do coal that way . 
David


----------



## LEAP (Oct 28, 2011)

I turned a couple pens from Vermont soap stone. (Thanks again Charlie). I always thought of soap stone as soft, well this stuff was HARD. Using HSS tools it was slow and tedious. Using carbide tools it was a little faster, both required a lot of sharpening. Use carbide scraper style bits not the little cups The stone destroyed one of those in seconds. I did not think of it at the time but my diamond dresser for the grinder might have worked better. The stone ate sandpaper fast. Wet or dry worked best with a lot or water.  So my answer is yes you can probably turn the core sample it won't be quick and it will be messy. but the result can be quite nice.


----------



## DurocShark (Nov 16, 2011)

I was thinking along the same lines as George. I've been asked for true marble and granite pens, and the only solution I can come up with (without a wet lathe and cutter) was grinding wheel on an angle grinder.


----------



## PenMan1 (Nov 16, 2011)

5000 PSI concrete cores can be easily drilled with a masonry bit and turned using a diamond file or wrasp.

When its finished it still looks like concrete and isn't very attractive, BUT it can be done. DAMHIKT


----------



## maxwell_smart007 (Nov 16, 2011)

core sample of what?  Granite is 7 on the moh's scale (good percentage of quartz - I think also feldspar in my area).  

Iron is only around 4 for hardness, and a hardened piece of steel is still below 7 (if my Geology university courses haven't COMPETELY failed me - I might be way off the mark) so I don't know what tools you'd use to turn it.

But well below the earth you're likely in metamorphic rock, not igneous or sedimentary...any idea what the mineral composition of the core would contain?


----------

