Thread: sopastone, steartite, or jadestone

Soapstone is steartite is talc. Most of whats mined gets ground up & put on babies bums

You can get some blocks from Art Supply shops - they sell it for carving, but it will be pricey.

The stuff is mined in NSW, but I'm not sure just where these days. The photos I've sen of a mining operation suggest that as its going to be ground up, they just blast it & scoop the rubble onto conveyors - there is no attempt to produce large or regular pieces. If you can find out where it is being mined, your best bet would be to call in at the mine & see if you can get the foreman on side to score a few blocks - if you try writing most compaines will just say 'NO' as that is the easiest for them.

Oh, and I don't think it is very suitable for turning on a power lathe - most of the nice stuff I've seen is hand carved, the only turned stuff I've seen seems to have be made in Asia on hand turned lathes. Too much chance of the piece disintergrating if its spun too fast.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

Oh, and I don't think it is very suitable for turning on a power lathe - most of the nice stuff I've seen is hand carved, the only turned stuff I've seen seems to have be made in Asia on hand turned lathes. Too much chance of the piece disintergrating if its spun too fast.

Certainly true that it can come apart on you, it seems to have sometimes hidden fault lines. However, I have made some slimline pens with it by turning slowly and using primarily a scraper to form it. Very a
easy to do, but makes lots of stone dust. Sorry, I don't have photos.
Doc Ron

Be extremely careful with the dust, not good for your lungs, and depending on the origin, can contain asbestos. I warn sculpture students against using it despite being pleasant to carve.
Recently helped an engineering student out with some talc powder, and was reading the MSDS, again warnings about exposure to lungs!! Be careful.

Regards,

Soapstone prefers to be turned much slower than timber and you will most definitely need breathing protection. It scrapes better than it cuts, and sands beautifully. Work down through the grades, using wet and dry papers, wet, and finally buff with something like EEE. Even rubbing a wax polish will give a good finish. Again, please, don't forget breathing protection and a dust extractor or fan, will help because the turning generates HEAPS of very fine dust. Thi is why the sanding is done wet.
The bowl, (one of five) in the photo is 125mm diameter x 75mm deep
Jim

Powderpost.
That's a beauty!

Powder, Thats a great bowl, terrific job.

Yet another thing to try!

Just a quick question - how do you mount it to the chuck or face plate to start the turning?? Does it take screws??

Wayne, it was glued to a waste block with 5 minute araldite ans cut from the block with a handsaw.
Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

Wayne, it was glued to a waste block with 5 minute araldite ans cut from the block with a handsaw.
Jim

Thanks Powder, I always seem to look for the most difficult solution to a simple problem. Probably wouldn't have thought of that .