rxscram
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 484
|
Post by rxscram on Aug 3, 2012 1:10:59 GMT -5
So, I was working on my very first cabochon today... I had it up to 1200 (although probably shouldn't have been above 600 yet), everything was going beautifully, then I notice a tiny pit from somewhere. I think it was just a soft part of the stone that had chipped out, but that's beside the point. I want this to be perfect, so I go back to 280 soft to get rid of the scratch. This is going fine, the scratch is just about gone, great, I can move on. I stop paying attention for a split second to move my chair over to give the guy next to me more room, and my cab smacks right into the edge of the 220 rigid wheel. Deep gouges right in the best part of the cab. I try to play with it some more, but then an even bigger pit occurs smack dab in the middle. Darn. It was an interesting slab I had gotten from an estate sale, but I had started with it because I planned on this being essentially a throw-away piece while I learned what I was doing. It was turning out beautifully though, so I thought I had a winner... then this happened. Moral of the story... leave good enough alone, especially with unknown quality stones! Here are pictures of the pits and scratches
|
|
|
Post by kk on Aug 3, 2012 6:15:55 GMT -5
Nothing really wrong. That pit fits right in. I don't think it detracts from the overall appearance.
You should have seen my "First one" LOL That is a world-class cab in comparison. LOL
Way to go,...... lets see more.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Aug 3, 2012 6:41:02 GMT -5
Bummer, not a show stopper though I would still polish it as a keeper.
When I took my cabachon class they had everyone start with a slab of brazillian agate. Something that is all one hardness throughout and very solid (no pits). Plus with a real hard agate like that you dont have to be so careful when grinding like on softer materials where you can go too far too quick.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Aug 3, 2012 6:59:31 GMT -5
I know the feeling - it almost hurts your feelings, lol - but that's honestly the best way to learn. Two or three of those and you automagically become trained to know when to get your stone the heck out of harm's way. As for the pit - you did the right thing - almost - should have gone back to 600 and not all the way (caveate - I'm saying that having not seen the rock in person and could be wrong, but I'm giving the general rule of thumb progression/digression). Still, having gone back to where you did was fine - you just end up grinding more stone than necessary if you make that your auto-default on regrind. As for the stone - that looks like crazy-lace or something similar with some kind of sprays in it - sagenite maybe. Whatever the case, when working these types of stones (mosses, laces, sprays, tubes et al) it's not uncommon to run into tiny (or even large) vugs - they're often just part of the structure's you're seeing visually that are so attractive. In some cases you're not even hitting a vug but rather just a softer area such as a clump of moss material or certain color of banding in lace. You'll learn from doing when to look for this, when it's a bad thing, when it's normal and so on, as well as how to access the situation before-hand. But you're only going to learn by doing. So don't look at it as a failure - look at it as a discovery; you learned something about these types of rocks. And the fact that you hit more after the wheel gouged it taught you that it was more than just a tiny pit. You can try and save it many ways. Work it as a flat top - flip it over and work the back as the front - grind it flat and epoxy some optical quartz over it and regrind (I don't recommend this one - your frustration level may be too much to bear and you'll be throwing rocks Or you can toss it in a 'save for something later' bucket and plug on undaunted with another rock. Your shaping and form are superb - you absolutely have what it takes to create some wonderful cabs, I can tell that just by seeing what you're showing. And NEVER SETTLE - if you've got a pit that bugs you, grind it back if you can - just as you were doing. Settling and perfecting are what separate rock hacks from artists. You've got what it takes to be an artist. Good luck and don't be too upset - just enough to train that hand to be more wary of the wheel's nasty edge.
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on Aug 3, 2012 7:24:39 GMT -5
I say fill the hole with super glue. It becomes part of the stone. Helps if you put the stone in the sun first and get it warm before using the super glue. Then go back a few steps and fix it. Nice stone and really, really good first work! Jo
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2012 7:43:47 GMT -5
Like 3rd said, it looks like you have the eye and hand for it so do not sweat the small stuff. There will be a lot more of the same. It comes with the hobby and rocks. I would put it up on a shelf as a reminder of where you started. I was lucky because my first was a very even and stable rock. It ended up to be about an inch across and one half inch tall. Kind of like half of a ball. I did not have RTH at the time and was kind of copying a guy on the net that was making cabs in Australia out of some kind of opal. I still have the stone sitting on the shelf in front of my work station and I chuckle every time I spot it. I see some great things coming in your future. Be happy with what you made and move on. Jim
|
|
rxscram
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 484
|
Post by rxscram on Aug 3, 2012 9:56:49 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words everybody! I'll be keeping this one as-is, and putting it in my "History of Jeff's Cabbing" box. On Saturday I'm going to do a piece of Montana Agate to rebuild my confidence. :-)
|
|
hubrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2011
Posts: 1,563
|
Post by hubrocks on Aug 3, 2012 18:25:22 GMT -5
Yep, those little white crystals in a stone can be a real bummer sometimes, but I agree with you to try and get it right, nothing wrong with that!! Then you can always try alternitive solutions...........Hub... p.s. a few hundred cabs down the road and it won't matter anyway.lol
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Aug 3, 2012 20:20:38 GMT -5
I say- super awesome that you tried to work it out with reason. It's a learning process. If you hadn't tried, you wouldn't have learned. I think the cab looks really good- quite nice. And, yeah, I'd fill that hole with super glue, too. Glue is your friend- mmmkay?
|
|
|
Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Aug 3, 2012 21:57:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words everybody! I'll be keeping this one as-is, and putting it in my "History of Jeff's Cabbing" box. On Saturday I'm going to do a piece of Montana Agate to rebuild my confidence. :-) Good choice! Montana is very forgiving (as are a great many agates) and are easy to polish to a super shine!
|
|
QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
|
Post by QuailRiver on Aug 3, 2012 23:26:08 GMT -5
Don't feel bad. We have all done the same thing and will again! By the way, welcome to the hobby!
|
|
bgast1
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2010
Posts: 1,076
|
Post by bgast1 on Aug 4, 2012 0:57:54 GMT -5
Looks pretty good to me. Looks to me like another cab down the road and it will be perfect as long as you pay attention to what you are doing instead of the other guy. LOL! I was up at the Gem Shop and one of the ladies there told me that cutting the stone intentionally with the vug in it is sometimes a good thing. I have some Agua Nueva that I am going to try this with.
|
|