A new handle material?

[pso]

I saw this interesting article on Yahoo News though it will probably be a while before anyone can buy this stuff, if ever. I wonder if they could do this to other organic materials like bone.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...53&e=5&u=/ap/20050125/ap_on_sc/petrified_wood

Just shape your handle then send it out to be petrified...

Phil

 

[Hesparus]

That's real interesting. At this point I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive to have them petrify your handles for you but once they get better at doing it I bet it would be commercially available. It would be very cool to have petrified wood handles, though.

- Chris

 

[Mike Hull]

Around 1986-88, scientists had done something similar, using potato's soaked in acid, rinsed, and baked to make an extremely strong artificial ivory like substance.

Several years ago on this forum, I asked if anybody here had heard of that, or had any further news of it, and the general consensus was, that I was BS'ing.

I actually had to send copies of the clipping I had to two people, and I never heard back from them.

I'd imagine that the petrified rock thing will likewise disappear into some scientists vault.

 

[Steve Hayden]

Petrified wood can consist of one of several minerals, usually micro-crystalline quaretz, e.g. agate. It is not silicon carbide, however, and is not usually porous. The quartz bearing solution fills the voids as it mineralizes.

While this product is a conversion to a manmade mineral product, it is not petrified wood.

 

[mete]

I'm glad you straightened that out ..And we don't want porous handles anyway.

 

[Sweany]

the potatoe thing was sulphuric acid wasn't it? I remeber picking that tidbit uop on the web some where.

 

[pso]

This morning I was trying to stave off boredom while sitting in the lab, babysitting a test and waiting for temperatures to stabilize.

I seem to remember that some of you guys have used various forms of fosils for handle materials, including coprolytes. I also remember some threads about some of the crappy customers that some of you have had. I ended up putting those two thoughts together with the possibility that you can send some organic material out and have it "fosilized". It seems that you may then have a sly way to get back at some of those crappy customers. You can even make it kind of personal What do you guys think? I don't think that those participating in the current KITH have much to worry about, but in the future...

Phil