Agate Blank / Agate Inlay Questions

[Yellow River Woodturning]

Graduation is coming up, and I would like to make a pen for one of my buddies who is an avid Lake Superior Agate hunter. I have tons of smaller agates that I'd be willing to crush up and make into a powdered inlay, but I also have some larger pieces that could be used as parts of a segmented blank. Does anyone have any experience with turning agate or stones of a similar hardness? I don't have any carbide chisels but if anyone has a concrete way of turning agate I'd happily buy whatever tools are required. As far as an inlay, would it be similar in difficulty to an opal inlay? Also, are there any good YouTube video tutorials or forum posts on how to do inlays like this?

 

[Mach4]

I "turn" gemstones for pens, including agate. To do so, forget everything you ever learned about turning wood or plastics. Working with stone is lapidary and you need lapidary equipment. Everything is diamond - diamond blades, diamond drills, diamond grinders, diamond polishing….you don't "cut" anything - you grind. I made my own lapidary lathe, my own drills and other tools needed e.g. water cooling equipment. It's a lot of fun, but be prepared to make almost everything you'll need and spend lots of money along the way.