# Petrified Wood?



## PMisiaszek (Feb 12, 2007)

An acquaintance has a collection of petrified wood, legally obtained, and has asked if a pen could be turned from it.  I've seen pens turned from materials I would have never thought possible, but has anyone seen or heard of petrified wood being turned?


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## Dario (Feb 12, 2007)

It is a stone basically...it will be like turning marble.

Is it possible? Yes.

You will need new tools though. []


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## DCBluesman (Feb 12, 2007)

I doubt seriously that you could turn a pen from petrified wood.  On the MOHS scale of mineral hardness, petrified is a 7 or an 8.  The scale goes from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamonds).


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## wdcav1952 (Feb 12, 2007)

> _Originally posted by DCBluesman_
> <br />I doubt seriously that you could turn a pen from petrified wood.  On the MOHS scale of mineral hardness, petrified is a 7 or an 8.  The scale goes from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamonds).



Lou, since you are a veritable fount of knowledge, where on the MOHS scale does a teenager's head fall? [}][][}]


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## Tuba707 (Feb 12, 2007)

My head was a MOHS 9 just a few years ago....


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## DCBluesman (Feb 12, 2007)

> _Originally posted by wdcav1952_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...



According to my mother, mine was equivalent to my age throughout my teen years. []


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## LEAP (Feb 12, 2007)

Just thinking with the keyboard here but could a diamond wheel dressing tool be used to turn something that hard? I imagine it would be a long slow process but might be worth a try.


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## DCBluesman (Feb 13, 2007)

CAN it be done?  I'm sure.  Large investment in tools, large investment of time.  Probably a few "explosive moments" (forget blowouts).  But why would you?  In the end you will have a pen that is too heavy for a pocket and too heavy to write with.  Now if it's to brag, that's another story all together.  I once made a chewing gum wrapper chain that was 61 feet long. [8D]


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## 1080Wayne (Feb 13, 2007)

Lou   Unless I`ve missed a decimal point somewhere , a BTB Sierra made with petrified wood would weigh 40.7 gm ,compared to 37.3 with box elder .The kit weighs 36 gm . This assumes using the brass tube . Should not affect balance too much , and certainly lighter than some other pens .    Wayne


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## Dario (Feb 13, 2007)

If some people can make a pen out of jade so can you with a petrified wood.  For me it is a question of practicality.  It will also be prone to cracking (especially if dropped).  If it is to be made, I assume it will be a "trophy" piece and in that case it is okay.  Collectors may actually pay a premium for it so maybe worth the trouble.

Again, it is not impossible to make, but a lot tougher.


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## low_48 (Feb 13, 2007)

Here's my idea of turning the petrified; how about a Harbor Freight diamond stone cutoff wheel on a right angle grinder. That would be the "scrapper/skew part of the operation. Then follow that up with diamond sharpening cards for sanding. I suspect after that you would have to go to diamond pasted on a rubber pad to polish. I suspect that there would be something better for stone polishing, ask Mr. Google. Oh yea, I seem to have forgotten about drilling the hole. Now, I don't have any idea where you can get a diamond hole saw that small!![:0][:0]  Anyone else?


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## lwalden (Feb 13, 2007)

> _Originally posted by PMisiaszek_
> <br />An acquaintance has a collection of petrified wood, legally obtained, and has asked if a pen could be turned from it.  I've seen pens turned from materials I would have never thought possible, but has anyone seen or heard of petrified wood being turned?


I love a challenge! Send it to me!


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## GBusardo (Feb 14, 2007)

My first thought was, how the heck is he going to drill the hole?  If you can figure it all out,I bet the pen would look very very nice.


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## low_48 (Feb 14, 2007)

Here's a place for the drill bit. An extension will be needed, but it's a good place to start.
http://www.drillglass.com/index.html


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