Stonework Scales - advice needed

[mrgad]

Been working on a pet project for some time, and thought I'd check in with the experts here to see if they've had any experience in working with stone.

Crafting scales out of stone, I'm told, requires a different set of tools (and a different skillset) than other hard organic materials such as ivory, shell or bone. Lapidary equipment, diamond saws and the like.

Have any of you ever attempted scales made from any type of stone? What equipment did you need? Were you satisfied with the thinness, polish, and weight? Did you epoxy into an existing frame, or use other means of adhesion?

Any experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

- M.

 

[Fnord5]

I thought about it, but stone is very inflexible, heavy, and brittle.
Just pinning the razor would be near impossible without using a microfastener type setup.
Folding the blade into the scales would want to force the scales outward, and would likely snap them.
Unless you have a big heavy chopper, the scales would constantly be fighting your blade angle.
I don't mean to discourage you, and would love to see you succeed.

But as for cutting and polishing the stones, I have had much success using a diamond cutting disk on my dremel, as well as regular grinding stones.

Someone here did the wedge in turquoise, which I assume would be much easier to pull off.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=84660&highlight=turquoise

 

[mrgad]

Thanks for sending that link to the turquoise wedge -- very nice work, that.

I promise to keep the B&B posted if I manage any success with this project, or, perhaps, photos of failures as an object lesson if that's how it comes to pass.

- M.

 

[Thebigspendur]

The only way I can see doing it is to make the scales out of something like titanium and using a very thin stone glued or affixed somehow to the titanium kind of like the liner idea. Stone is just too heavy, inflexible and difficult to work with and the scales would have terrible balance. They would have to be so thin they would be very brittle.

However as a show piece...