jeff u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks rock, man!
Member since March 2009
Posts: 143
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Post by jeff u on Mar 20, 2009 11:20:13 GMT -5
Got an interesting question..I have been admiring the pictures of the cabs in the various threads. ONe thing I notice is the edges. When I was taught to cut back in 1995 or so, I was taught to cut with a defined "girdle" on the side of the stone. I notice most of the cabs posted all have a very soft rounded edge, without a defined "girdle". How does this effect the setting of the stone? Was I taught one way and have not caught up with the newer techniques?
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Post by Titania on Mar 20, 2009 11:49:51 GMT -5
Hi Jeffu, welcome to the board! I think the presence of a defined girdle is a personal preference sort of thing. I prefer to have a defined girdle on my stones rather than have them rounded all the way to the base. I don't happen to have many photos of the sides of my cabs, but here's one. This is a double-domed Brazilian cab. As far as setting...I don't think that girdles are anywhere near as important if one is doing wire wrapping than it is for bezel-setting.
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jeff u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks rock, man!
Member since March 2009
Posts: 143
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Post by jeff u on Mar 20, 2009 11:56:25 GMT -5
Hi Titania..Nice to see a fellow New Englander! I am a transplanted Bostonian in Florida now (worst place for a rockhound!). I agree about the wire wrapping VS bezel setting, but my daughter who is a great wire wrapper would disagree. She likes having the girdle when she wire wraps to "grab onot" when she is working...
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Post by Titania on Mar 20, 2009 12:08:07 GMT -5
Ha! Yeah, if there were some place WORSE than New England for rocks, it would probably be Florida. Although you should see some of the petrified Tampa Bay Coral that rockmanken has been cabbing! You should be able to find those threads on the first two pages.
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Post by Bejewelme on Mar 20, 2009 12:11:56 GMT -5
Hi Jeff: Welcome to the board!!! Another Noreaster transplanted somewhere warm though, lucky you!!!! I always cut a girdle, I have only been cabbing a few months. I was taught by my boyfriend another member on here, so that is the only way I know. I think the photos do not always allow a view of it! I find the photogrpahy to be just as frustrating as the cabbing! It sounds like you have been doing this a number of years, so as a newbie I will look forward to your advice and seeing your work! Amber
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jeff u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks rock, man!
Member since March 2009
Posts: 143
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Post by jeff u on Mar 20, 2009 12:26:25 GMT -5
I have cut some nice cabs from Tampa Bay coral. I wear one as a necklace wrapped in copper. I will post a pic of it. Is there somewhere on the boards here where we can just post pics so everyone can ooh and ahh over our cabs? Jeff
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Post by akansan on Mar 20, 2009 12:28:10 GMT -5
As a wire-wrapper, I'd have to agree with your daughter - it's easier for me to wrap something with a girdle!
I think a lot of the soft edges you're seeing are tricks of photography. I know there are a couple here who do slope the entire way down, but many of us do a very defined girdle as well. I was also told by someone that any good metalsmith can set a stone, no matter what the girdle is like. But the preference is definitely a slanted, defined girdle...
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 20, 2009 13:15:28 GMT -5
I was taught to bevel the bottom edge slightly to avoid chipping, a girdle, and a dome (or not in the case of a flat cab).
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Post by rockmanken on Mar 20, 2009 14:27:10 GMT -5
I was taught in the 60's to mark a bevel around the stone and slightly bevel it and cut a dome. Mostly high domes. Very seldom do I do a high dome now because of wirewrapping and I never mark the girdle anymore. Depending on how many wires I want to use, determines the height of the girdle. If I use a calibrated setting(very seldom anymore) or silversmith, I mark the girdle. I hardly ever use a template anymore. My 2 cents worth, Ken
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Post by Tonyterner on Mar 20, 2009 14:52:52 GMT -5
All my cabs have a well defined girdle on them. You just can't see it because the photos are always straight on.
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Post by bobby1 on Mar 20, 2009 16:09:01 GMT -5
I do mine with a girdle. It is usually about 1/8" high (slightly tapered inward) and above that it slopes to the doming part. I like to keep a taper inward for bezel setting. The dome height depends upon the slab thickness, but I always dome even on thin slabs. At times it is a struggle on thin slabs, though. Bob
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jeff u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks rock, man!
Member since March 2009
Posts: 143
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Post by jeff u on Mar 21, 2009 8:03:07 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for the replies. I am glad girdles ahve not gone out..I think to seeing some of the commercially made stuff that they tumble to polish and all I see is rounded girdles...Now that it is pointed out, I agree about the lack of girfles in pictured being the photography. I went and looked at my pics and don't see a single girdle! Great group of people here..as soon as I figure out the picture posting, I will share some. Cut a nice dozen last night that I am going to go polish now! Jeff
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 21, 2009 9:44:49 GMT -5
By the way, you asked where to post your work. There is a page for creations and one for cabs. Aso wire wraps. Lots of choices.
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Post by stoner on Mar 21, 2009 15:44:13 GMT -5
Cutting a girdle is a must for both bezel setting and wrapping. But more important, is the slight bevel of the girdle and the rounding of the back edge for bezel setting, something I do on all my cabs now.
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free4rms
freely admits to licking rocks
My little pet walrus
Member since January 2007
Posts: 839
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Post by free4rms on Mar 21, 2009 18:33:07 GMT -5
I have a question about girdles (now that is one statement a guy should make only when talking with lapidaries). I have seen the traditional way of making a girdle around a cab, marking a line all the way around the edge and then grinding the face down to the line only. But, does anyone make a girdle *after* the face and back are done? I was wondering if it would be possible to hold the edge of the cab against a hard wheel (and subsequent polishing wheels) at a slight angle to create the girdle after the back and face were already completed? Would this be too difficult to try to make an accurate girdle, as far as a uniform width and bevel? Of course, you would have to avoid chipping on the edge, too. Has anyone ever tried to make a girdle in this backwards fashion?
Vance
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jeff u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks rock, man!
Member since March 2009
Posts: 143
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Post by jeff u on Mar 21, 2009 19:44:33 GMT -5
If you were making a freeform cab, I don't see where making the girdle after the fact woiuld be an issue. I know there have been a few cases where in making freeforms I have made the mistake of cutting past the girdle line. When the cab was close to done, I would just grind the girdle back to the right height. But if you are doing a 30x40 or some other precise shape, I would think it would be tough to maintain the shape doing the girdle last....
Jeff
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