turning whiskey stones?

[curtis rosche]

for those of you who dont know what they are http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/ba37/

think it would work to turn some?

[Bruce Pratt]

If it is high quality soapstone, probably ok. If it has inclusions, it will be alot tougher on the tool edges. Suggest you try alabaster instead. There have been some threads here on turning it.

[Chuck Stone]

I've turned soapstone (and I make/sell whiskey stones) and one thing I can tell
you is that it is tough on tools. (and blades) I do 99% of the turning with a rasp.
The higher the talc content, the softer the stone. and architectural soapstone is
different than the artist's stone. And soapstones from other countries have some
rather interesting characteristics and looks to them.
They don't bring much money the way I do them.. the box is worth more
than the stones. But I can't imagine turning them without bumping up
the price a bit. As it is, people balk at $30/doz with a customized box. But
they'll do $20 for 9 stones in a little cloth bag. Maybe that's a magic number

[curtis rosche]

maybe a whiskey glass made from soapstone and used the same way? i wonder if i can find a peice of stone big enough to make myself one :rolleyes:

[Chuck Stone]

if you want to pay shipping, I'll send you a piece. You'll want a good diamond saw
blade.. like a hole cutting saw, only with diamond chips in the edge. That's the
best way to hollow it out. But I'm not sure how you'd handle the bottom of the
inside. I've made shot glasses with it, but the hole is small enough that I can
snap off the plug and get away with it.

[curtis rosche]

think the carbide on the easy rougher is hard enough? i also have a set of diamond cutters, on a custom tool, doesnt work well on wood, but does good on other materials

[Jamie Buxton]

Why not go to the garden center, and buy river pebbles? They're ovoid, and naturally smooth. They have nearly the same density as soapstone, so they'd have the same effect on whiskey. About 50 cents per pound, and no turning is required.

[Jim Underwood]

Jamie, Jamie, Jamie..

"...no turning required." You make it sound like a chore. Where's the fun in that? :D

[Chuck Stone]

LOL@Jim

Jamie.. soapstone has some properties that other stone doesn't.. the main one being
that it can hold temperatures for a longer period of time. That's why stoves are made
of soapstone. It will hold the heat well and release it slowly. The same for cold. Also, the
soapstone isn't porous, so it doesn't hold flavors or aromas. Your drink doesn't taste
like rocks.

Curtis.. I think the carbide might be good for cleanup and smoothing. But you'll need to
hog away a lot of material and there are other tools to do it faster and more economical.
(it's no bargain if you grind away 1/4" of your chisels every time you make one glass!)

[curtis rosche]

Why not go to the garden center, and buy river pebbles? They're ovoid, and naturally smooth. They have nearly the same density as soapstone, so they'd have the same effect on whiskey. About 50 cents per pound, and no turning is required.

plus, then i cant tell them not to touch my glass cause i made it