Last night, I was showing a friend some small pieces of pipestone that I had just cut from a slab. I explained how I had noticed a dovetail pull saw (cuts on the pull stroke) in my shop, and thought I'd try it to cut the stone.

Turns out, it works WAY better than a hacksaw. It also leaves a very smooth cut edge.

She asked about drilling the holes. How is it done? I told her the process of flattening a couple sides and edges, clamping and lining up for drilling on the drill press. And, what a pita it usually is.

Within my reach, was my cordless drill. It had a short bit already installed.

"What do you suppose the odds are, of getting the holes to go straight, and meet where they are supposed to?", I asked, holding the drill in my right hand and a piece of stone in the other.

"Can't see it happening", she said.

We talked, while I aimed the bit, started drilling, stopped, re-aimed, resumed drilling, etc.

I drilled the first and usually the longest hole. The bit was only about an inch and a half long, so it didn't go as deep as I would have liked. But, it looked to be fairly straight and in the center of the piece.

I marked a starting point for the smoke hole, on the top. To have a chance of meeting the first hole, the smoke hole would have to be angled, because of the short bit. The smoke hole will have to be canted, but, that's just fine.

I aimed, started drilling, etc.

When the bit was as deep as it would go, I had to stop.

We were laughing, that I would even try such a thing. I raised the drilled piece of stone to my mouth and blew into one of the holes to clear the dust. Dust came out of the other hole.

The two holes came together, perfectly centered. If I hadn't been sitting, I would have fallen down. It was absolutely, amazing.

Sometime today, I am going to try it again. I can't imagine it happening twice.

__________________
Charlie

Straight shooting, good job

__________________
I have trouble telling the difference between reality and fantasy and for sure nothing I have to say here has anything to do with reality. I couldn’t afford World of War Craft so this is much cheaper entertainment.

you have a skill there, my friend!

"i do not shoot with my hand...he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father...i shoot with my mind"

__________________

Are you talking about Catlinite Charlie?

-the Corsican.

Yes, catlinite. From Pipestone Minnesota.

__________________
Charlie

That's pretty cool.

I have a few Lakota buddies and they gave me a nice hunk of pipe stone that I carved up a few years back. I still haven't given it a final polish in all these years though. I made an elbow shaped pipe or what the Lakota call a "moon" pipe. I'm thinking about putting a whirlwind design on the top half of the pipe but I'm not sure at this point.

How did you wind up getting into fooling around with pipe stone? Did some Indians introduce you to it or is it just well known in Minnesota?

-the Corsican.

__________________
My grow journal: http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/cors...st-grow-15533/

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

"If at first you don't succeed, it wont hurt to smoke a little weed!"

The place where it is quarried is in Pipestone National Monument. It's about an hours drive, from where I grew up. The first time I was there was probably with my 4th or 5th grade class, on a field trip.

Whenever we get back to that area, we try to visit. I have a couple friends whose families have been quarrying the same spot since the '20's. I buy stone from them.

__________________
Charlie

No doubt, that's pretty cool. How much does pipe stone generally cost?

I was lucky enough to know some Indians so I got a chunk for free. It wasn't a massive piece though but good enough to make a pipe out of. You should post a pick of your pipe when you're finished carving it.

-the Corsican.

__________________
My grow journal: http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/cors...st-grow-15533/

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

"If at first you don't succeed, it wont hurt to smoke a little weed!"