The 12 Cabs of Newbmas (Long and pic heavy)
Feb 12, 2019 22:37:27 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, Pat, and 14 more like this
Post by jasperfanatic on Feb 12, 2019 22:37:27 GMT -5
I think it's going to take me a while to put together something and then figure out how to take good pictures of cabs. Every cab I tried to take a good picture of presented some challenge or another, mostly around lighting and reflections and associated issues with losing color or being able to see features. So, I give up for now and am posting these first 12 cabs I've made since the holidays, and share what I think I've learned from each in the hopes those with experience will correct me, offer tips or critique, and possibly it might help others like me who are just learning - maybe they can avoid some of the things I've bumped in to so far as I'm learning...time to search for threads on photographing cabs!
I'm glad I've been taking pictures as I go along, and I think I'm progressing when I look at them. I do wish I'd done a better job of taking before pictures though. Anyway, here they are:
1. Kaleidoscope Jasper
Photographed: dry
This was a crazy mess for my first shot at a cab. The slab was about as stable as riding a unicycle across a pool of jello. In the end, we just couldn't get along. I wanted it to become something beautiful and it wanted to become gravel. The next lesson from this rock was that occasionally, some areas on a stone are softer than others. I don't know what the red stuff is, but it isn't Jasper. It almost has a layer of hematite and then it just disintegrates into a red powder. The original cut shape was easily three times bigger than this end result, but it kept crumbling or the red stuff would leave a pit that had to be dealt with. I finally threw in the towel and this is where it ended up...days away from being pitched into the green space behind me where the kids playing might find it.
1 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
2. Laguna Lace Agate
Photographed: dry
I had an easier time with this one until I ran into the dreaded flat spot with scratches in the center. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on this one trying to get those scratches out. I also learned that the patterns and translucency on the edges can really mess with your sense of perception and I likely ground WAY more off than needed because it looked crooked somehow, when it was really just the light. The crazy patterns made it difficult to see all the scratches as well, so spent extra time just staring at the damn rock looking for those. Between the optical illusions and struggles with scratches, this finished up pretty thin. Was going to pitch it into the green space, but somebody actually wanted it...go figure.
2 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
3. Double Flow Obsidian
Photographed: dry
There was nothing planned about this one, but I really like the way it turned out. The only struggles this one gave me were some bubbles that opened a couple small pits, and then the stupid flat spot and scratches on the top again. Nearly impossible to get a good picture of, I just couldn't figure out how to capture it. What you can't see well are some cool areas of translucency, the orange and orange/yellow gold flow almost look like plumes, and the yellow/orange spots have the reflective gold sheen (like fire without the color). The polish was perfect glass. It's like trying to hold a wet bar of soap, a slippery sucker. What looks like pits/scratches in the lower portion are actually bubbles I think, in uniform swirling patterns...like an asteroid belt inside of there. If you rock it just slightly from side to side, it looks like all that swirly stuff is moving. For an accident, this one turned out super neat...have no idea what to do with it now though.
3 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
4. Sage Amethyst Agate
Photographed: wet
I really liked this one, but the flat spot/scratches were killing me. It had a super cool scene inside of it which I was beginning to lose as I sanded everything away, so I gave up on it. Was going to pitch this one for the kids to find, but was again surprised when someone asked for it. It was pretty hard as well, so everything took much longer. Aside from the flat spot, it had an amazing glassy polish...but that damn flat spot!
4 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
5. Mexican Crazy Lace
Photographed: dry
A rerun of the other lace agate, though I didn't lose as much this time, it did get a bit thin and began to lose some color before I could get the flat spot dealt with. Some bad words were said aloud, directed at the flat spot...several times.
5 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
6. Variegated Tigers Eye
Photographed: wet
This was hands down my favorite up to this point, but I slowly murdered it. The picture doesn't do it justice. Both blue and yellow chatoyance all over the place, it was really an amazing piece...then the flat spot. Many, many bad words...even made a few new ones up. By the time the dust settled, it had lost most of its brilliance and color, and was pretty thin...so I returned it to nature.
6 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
7. Mexican Crazy Lace Agate
Photographed: dry
I had cut a few slabs of this stuff and was dying to work with it more after the first one, but didn't want to waste any more while I was still early in learning. Finally, I couldn't resist any longer and cut this one out. This is the cab where I finally figured out how to deal with that stupid flat spot and everything worked out. I did shrink it some because of some optical illusions on the edge, but not too much. Like the others, it ended with a great high glassy shine, especially in the translucent areas. Oddly, the lines in the lace came through raised up and at first had me polishing extra because the looked like scratches. Not sure what those are made of, but it's kind of cool how the layers show through like that. It was so shiny I had a hell of a time getting a picture of it, having my hand in there helped but still fought the autofocus on my phone.
7 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
8. Bruneau Jasper
Photographed: dry
I rescued this little chunk of unremarkable Bruneau as it was almost completely encased in host rock. There wasn't much going on with it, but the creamy caramel color still makes my sweet tooth kick in, the picture doesn't show the color well. This stuff was really hard...really hard. Just a hint of the flat top curse, but it was the hardness that really made it take much longer to get a good polish on it. Totally worth it when it was done. It looks like someone dipped it in liquid glass.
8 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
9. Gary Green
Photographed: dry
I slabbed a bunch of this stuff and the colors are amazing. Did some caldera paint jasper as well. I don't know if this is technically pet wood or wood replacement, but it sure acted like petrified wood. It didn't tolerate newb scratch hunting well at all. Seems like just as I would get close to eliminating all the scratches, some new flaw would show up...a pit, a fissure, some vuggy spot. It began losing color, and with two newly discovered flaws, I called it quits where it's at. I have started another cab of this stuff and am having a little better luck with quality, but have already had to work around some exposed flaws on the new piece. Seems to be common among a lot of petrified wood stuff, from what I've read. Frustrating when the colors are so amazing!
9 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
10. Picasso Jasper/Marble
Photographed: dry
I really like this stuff, the patterns and colors are awesome. While it was nice to work with, the softness left the shine feeling disappointing. I wanted it to be glassy like some marbles can be, and certainly like the good jaspers are, but I couldn't get it there. I think it's just as polished as it can be given the hardness, but I could be wrong for sure.
10 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
11. Blue Goldstone
Photographed: dry
This stuff is awesome...and impossible to photograph. I know it's man-made, but with the right lighting...WOW! Alot like working with the obsidian (go figure), and the shine...Even outside of the picture it can look pretty dark, but when the light hits just right it explodes with blue and gold sparkles. It's just cool stuff.
11 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
12. Royal Sahara Jasper
Photographed: dry
This stuff is just amazing. A real pain to slab from those nodules, but some of the coolest scenic stuff I've seen. Also, this has been the hardest stuff I've worked with up to this point. Noticeably harder than anything I've played with up to this point, but when I finally got the last polish on it I was stunned. It looks like it is encased in a deep layer of glass. Had all kinds of trouble getting a photo of it, and almost hate to post the photo because it doesn't do the stone justice. I really like this stuff a lot, but it is a bit of time investment for me at my skill level. I've dobbed up a couple of others that I'll touch on here and there to switch things up - I think I'm too ADD to sit through one all at once. Tips on becoming more efficient with the harder material would be appreciated for sure!
12 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
I'm glad I've been taking pictures as I go along, and I think I'm progressing when I look at them. I do wish I'd done a better job of taking before pictures though. Anyway, here they are:
1. Kaleidoscope Jasper
Photographed: dry
This was a crazy mess for my first shot at a cab. The slab was about as stable as riding a unicycle across a pool of jello. In the end, we just couldn't get along. I wanted it to become something beautiful and it wanted to become gravel. The next lesson from this rock was that occasionally, some areas on a stone are softer than others. I don't know what the red stuff is, but it isn't Jasper. It almost has a layer of hematite and then it just disintegrates into a red powder. The original cut shape was easily three times bigger than this end result, but it kept crumbling or the red stuff would leave a pit that had to be dealt with. I finally threw in the towel and this is where it ended up...days away from being pitched into the green space behind me where the kids playing might find it.
1 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
2. Laguna Lace Agate
Photographed: dry
I had an easier time with this one until I ran into the dreaded flat spot with scratches in the center. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on this one trying to get those scratches out. I also learned that the patterns and translucency on the edges can really mess with your sense of perception and I likely ground WAY more off than needed because it looked crooked somehow, when it was really just the light. The crazy patterns made it difficult to see all the scratches as well, so spent extra time just staring at the damn rock looking for those. Between the optical illusions and struggles with scratches, this finished up pretty thin. Was going to pitch it into the green space, but somebody actually wanted it...go figure.
2 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
3. Double Flow Obsidian
Photographed: dry
There was nothing planned about this one, but I really like the way it turned out. The only struggles this one gave me were some bubbles that opened a couple small pits, and then the stupid flat spot and scratches on the top again. Nearly impossible to get a good picture of, I just couldn't figure out how to capture it. What you can't see well are some cool areas of translucency, the orange and orange/yellow gold flow almost look like plumes, and the yellow/orange spots have the reflective gold sheen (like fire without the color). The polish was perfect glass. It's like trying to hold a wet bar of soap, a slippery sucker. What looks like pits/scratches in the lower portion are actually bubbles I think, in uniform swirling patterns...like an asteroid belt inside of there. If you rock it just slightly from side to side, it looks like all that swirly stuff is moving. For an accident, this one turned out super neat...have no idea what to do with it now though.
3 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
4. Sage Amethyst Agate
Photographed: wet
I really liked this one, but the flat spot/scratches were killing me. It had a super cool scene inside of it which I was beginning to lose as I sanded everything away, so I gave up on it. Was going to pitch this one for the kids to find, but was again surprised when someone asked for it. It was pretty hard as well, so everything took much longer. Aside from the flat spot, it had an amazing glassy polish...but that damn flat spot!
4 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
5. Mexican Crazy Lace
Photographed: dry
A rerun of the other lace agate, though I didn't lose as much this time, it did get a bit thin and began to lose some color before I could get the flat spot dealt with. Some bad words were said aloud, directed at the flat spot...several times.
5 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
6. Variegated Tigers Eye
Photographed: wet
This was hands down my favorite up to this point, but I slowly murdered it. The picture doesn't do it justice. Both blue and yellow chatoyance all over the place, it was really an amazing piece...then the flat spot. Many, many bad words...even made a few new ones up. By the time the dust settled, it had lost most of its brilliance and color, and was pretty thin...so I returned it to nature.
6 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
7. Mexican Crazy Lace Agate
Photographed: dry
I had cut a few slabs of this stuff and was dying to work with it more after the first one, but didn't want to waste any more while I was still early in learning. Finally, I couldn't resist any longer and cut this one out. This is the cab where I finally figured out how to deal with that stupid flat spot and everything worked out. I did shrink it some because of some optical illusions on the edge, but not too much. Like the others, it ended with a great high glassy shine, especially in the translucent areas. Oddly, the lines in the lace came through raised up and at first had me polishing extra because the looked like scratches. Not sure what those are made of, but it's kind of cool how the layers show through like that. It was so shiny I had a hell of a time getting a picture of it, having my hand in there helped but still fought the autofocus on my phone.
7 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
8. Bruneau Jasper
Photographed: dry
I rescued this little chunk of unremarkable Bruneau as it was almost completely encased in host rock. There wasn't much going on with it, but the creamy caramel color still makes my sweet tooth kick in, the picture doesn't show the color well. This stuff was really hard...really hard. Just a hint of the flat top curse, but it was the hardness that really made it take much longer to get a good polish on it. Totally worth it when it was done. It looks like someone dipped it in liquid glass.
8 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
9. Gary Green
Photographed: dry
I slabbed a bunch of this stuff and the colors are amazing. Did some caldera paint jasper as well. I don't know if this is technically pet wood or wood replacement, but it sure acted like petrified wood. It didn't tolerate newb scratch hunting well at all. Seems like just as I would get close to eliminating all the scratches, some new flaw would show up...a pit, a fissure, some vuggy spot. It began losing color, and with two newly discovered flaws, I called it quits where it's at. I have started another cab of this stuff and am having a little better luck with quality, but have already had to work around some exposed flaws on the new piece. Seems to be common among a lot of petrified wood stuff, from what I've read. Frustrating when the colors are so amazing!
9 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
10. Picasso Jasper/Marble
Photographed: dry
I really like this stuff, the patterns and colors are awesome. While it was nice to work with, the softness left the shine feeling disappointing. I wanted it to be glassy like some marbles can be, and certainly like the good jaspers are, but I couldn't get it there. I think it's just as polished as it can be given the hardness, but I could be wrong for sure.
10 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
11. Blue Goldstone
Photographed: dry
This stuff is awesome...and impossible to photograph. I know it's man-made, but with the right lighting...WOW! Alot like working with the obsidian (go figure), and the shine...Even outside of the picture it can look pretty dark, but when the light hits just right it explodes with blue and gold sparkles. It's just cool stuff.
11 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr
12. Royal Sahara Jasper
Photographed: dry
This stuff is just amazing. A real pain to slab from those nodules, but some of the coolest scenic stuff I've seen. Also, this has been the hardest stuff I've worked with up to this point. Noticeably harder than anything I've played with up to this point, but when I finally got the last polish on it I was stunned. It looks like it is encased in a deep layer of glass. Had all kinds of trouble getting a photo of it, and almost hate to post the photo because it doesn't do the stone justice. I really like this stuff a lot, but it is a bit of time investment for me at my skill level. I've dobbed up a couple of others that I'll touch on here and there to switch things up - I think I'm too ADD to sit through one all at once. Tips on becoming more efficient with the harder material would be appreciated for sure!
12 by Kevin Dunigan, on Flickr