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Post by pauls on Jan 17, 2014 21:41:15 GMT -5
I pondered for quite a while where to put these photos, specimens, cabs, creations, even wire wrapping. There's a photo of part of the nodule that these cabs were cut from, it was the size of a large grapefruit but still in the basalt matrix and someone had tried getting it out by smashing it with a large hammer, they powdered most of it but I managed to get a few nice pieces out by careful work with cold chisels. As you can see most of the interesting layers are thin and close to the crystals, by slicing the crystals off and then taking another slice parallel I managed to get a couple of very nice cabs. I made the Casper the ghost cab a month or so back and was hunting around for a way to mount it when I sat on my sunglasses and a lens popped out, as I was working the lens back in I had a brainwave, if you can do this with a lens why not a cab. A very minimalist approach, but I think elegant in its simplicity. The other cab I did yesterday when I got sick and tired of hiding inside from the heatwave we are having. Hope you like them.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,673
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Post by Tommy on Jan 17, 2014 23:06:02 GMT -5
Wow those are really beautiful pauls!
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aimeesrockworks
spending too much on rocks
I really do look like my avatar... it kinda freaks me out.
Member since December 2010
Posts: 458
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Post by aimeesrockworks on Jan 18, 2014 0:00:52 GMT -5
So are they pressure set with the bezel or grooved? They're utterly beautiful stones, that's for darn sure.
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
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Post by adrian65 on Jan 18, 2014 0:01:21 GMT -5
Beautiful! What a killer shine on both of the cabs! And the discrete setting is very elegant.
Adrian
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Post by pghram on Jan 18, 2014 0:34:46 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs of great material.
Rich
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Post by roy on Jan 18, 2014 2:17:10 GMT -5
nice cabs and pendant
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Post by roy on Jan 18, 2014 2:17:30 GMT -5
nice cabs and pendant
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Post by pauls on Jan 18, 2014 2:19:29 GMT -5
I thought a few people might be confused by my method. The double sided cab is grooved, then a loop of wire was made a very tight fit and soldered. The bail was soldered on at the same time. Then the loop of wire was eased gently into the groove. The procedure is much the same as fitting a bike tyre, its not big enough to go over the rim in one go but by gradually working it around you can get there. I considered heating the wire and making a shrink fit, but in the end that wasn't required, just easing it in at one end then gradually working it around. It is a very tight fit,there is no slack or movement at all in the finished piece.
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Post by frane on Jan 18, 2014 8:14:33 GMT -5
Beautiful Work!!! Fran
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Post by mohs on Jan 18, 2014 10:05:53 GMT -5
beautiful stone & tight specs! Ed
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Post by DirtCleaner on Jan 18, 2014 12:55:13 GMT -5
I liked your description of how you put it together. Should you do another one I am sure everyone would enjoy a photo tutorial. And, not to let it go unsaid, Beautiful work.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,799
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Post by gemfeller on Jan 18, 2014 15:01:49 GMT -5
Welcome Pauls Very nice material and work. I especially like your solution to orienting the cabs to display the layered effect of the agate. Clever solution to the setting too. I have some double-sided cabs I may try that with.
Rick
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Jan 19, 2014 9:16:18 GMT -5
WOW - awesome. Thanks for sharing setting technique, very cool. Cheers
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 19, 2014 10:30:05 GMT -5
Totally awesome!
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Jan 19, 2014 22:26:39 GMT -5
Beautiful.
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kaldorlon
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2013
Posts: 413
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Post by kaldorlon on Jan 20, 2014 11:30:27 GMT -5
Great cabs!
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