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Can you turn soapstone ?

PhillH

Little Grandad
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Jun 18, 2013
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Solihull - A Tyke in Exile
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Phill
Was wondering about the possibility of making a small soapstone bowl for this shaving kit I did.

Is that feasible or would you suggest using something else ?
 

Grump

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Aug 17, 2013
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Stevenage
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Brian
Yep and yep
Use one of these tungsten tips that are so popular at the moment scrape at it is best as it comes away as dust. Horrible stuff in my opinion but I don't matta init?
Plastic or wood with a good sealant would also do a stunning job, you can turn anything you can mount on the lathe init?
 

Woody

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Jul 12, 2013
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at home
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no
Soap stone / talk are one in the same I have turned a few bits in it and as said it turns to powder talcum powder in fact so you can talk your bum after
Right a small bowl first stick the stone to a sacrificial bit of wood and mount that on your lathe dont try and mount the soap stone direct to the lathe because it isnt that strong and chances are it could split under pressure when finishe part it from the wooden disk don some rubber gloves because you could end up with some sort of skin complaint I did also protect your breathing as this stuff it is suspected can cause cancer
turn using a scrapper is best I have found but most turning tools will cut into it sand and polish the same as you would plastic I have attached some picks

Done it in wood after all that well I dont know still you have it for when you do it LOL bloody plonker Huh
14.JPG11.JPG
 

Jim

Grand Master
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Oct 19, 2011
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Thanks for the images Woody, i have never had the pleasure of turning the stuff, but you made a great job with these my friend ... :bwink:
 

Penpal

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May 26, 2013
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Canberra AUSTRALIA
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Peter
When I was vising my daughter in Turkey we went out east to Capadocia and a guy was using an old pre everything metal lathe producing beautiful objects for sale mention it to support the remarks it is crap to turn, hold and handle, can have glorious colour etc but the warnings given are true it chokes covers everything I think plastic is bad enough for streamers etc this stuff is powder all the way, the novelty is beaut but the pain lingers.

Kind regards Peter.:goesred:
 
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