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Post by lpl on Dec 4, 2018 14:02:52 GMT -5
I'm really trying to make all of my Christmas presents this year and nearly have it done. The wheels will really fall off my plan when it comes to my 13 year old son though But, I thought I would share what I have so far and ask for ID help if this is an appropriate place. I love the red jasper in the last two pieces. It has amazing depth but I'm nearly out of it. It came to me in a trade and the gentleman didn't have an ID for it. I'm hoping someone here might know of something similar. In order from top to bottom: Lapis lace onyx, pietersite, plasma agate, mystery red jasper 1 and 2. Thanks so much for looking and any help! John
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Post by lpl on Nov 20, 2018 13:59:52 GMT -5
Wow! Very, very nice!!
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Post by lpl on Nov 19, 2018 20:31:49 GMT -5
Wow!
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Post by lpl on Nov 19, 2018 17:45:34 GMT -5
Oh wow! Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I'm my own harshest critic with my work...not a good enough polish on the stone, or a solder join that isn't smooth, or a scratch. But I'm learning and having fun, and in the end, that's what matters.
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Post by lpl on Nov 19, 2018 15:39:26 GMT -5
Sure thing Tela and thanks! I got a killer polish on it and I think the color you are seeing is a reflection from my hands or a shirt I was wearing when I took the picture. Here's a straight on picture of the piece and in it, it looks like there are a ton of scratches, but there really aren't!
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Post by lpl on Nov 19, 2018 15:25:21 GMT -5
I think I finally have the cloudinary upload working, so I thought I'd share several of the recent pieces I have been working on. Charoite from a slab I picked up on ebay that was remarkably "inexpensive", zebra agate from a slab I picked up at a show for a song, and some self-collected labradorite I found north of Laramie, WY. Very humbling to work labradorite and keep the flash! Thanks so much for looking!
John
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Post by lpl on Nov 19, 2018 15:13:22 GMT -5
I've always kind of avoided those areas and have preferred a smooth surface. But this weekend I slabbed some really nice agatized petrified wood and right where I cut I hit a nice druzy vug and was inspired to cab what I got. I think I have changed my tune w/r/t voids. After seeing Tommy's collage, I'm like 99% certain I will try more!
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Post by lpl on Nov 8, 2018 10:30:25 GMT -5
I'm seriously considering this torch: contenti.com/orca-propane-ez-torchIt gets reviewed quite well on some of the silversmithing groups I belong to and I like the idea of it's portability, and that it is a propane-air torch. I just went on youtube and put in orca propane ez torch and several videos came up. Looks like a nice torch and has enough power with portability. Sweet going on my list. I thought that might be what you were looking for! It was great to hear from Tela that her friend loves hers and uses it for small work, and Pat who uses hers for larger pieces. It seems pretty versatile. I understand you can use MAPP gas with it too if you need even more heat.
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Post by lpl on Nov 7, 2018 14:43:47 GMT -5
I'm seriously considering this torch: contenti.com/orca-propane-ez-torchIt gets reviewed quite well on some of the silversmithing groups I belong to and I like the idea of it's portability, and that it is a propane-air torch.
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Post by lpl on Oct 31, 2018 13:20:53 GMT -5
It's awesome. So very fall looking.
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Post by lpl on Jul 15, 2018 8:25:22 GMT -5
I had a chance to go to the Last Chance mine in Creede, CO last month. It's an interesting tour in one of the most amazing spots in Colorado. While there I grabbed about 20 pounds of sowbelly rough and finally had a chance to slab some. First slab off the saw... Attachments:
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Post by lpl on Jul 15, 2018 7:55:58 GMT -5
Yep, the second one is amazing, though they all are really!
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Post by lpl on Jul 14, 2018 22:57:36 GMT -5
That is stunning!
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Post by lpl on Jul 14, 2018 22:44:49 GMT -5
I haven't had much of a chance to cab anything recently, but I did manage a couple last weekend and just got some pictures today. The first is a piece of blue agate that I collected in southern Colorado while on a rockhounding trip with my son. It's not the darkest blue, but nice nonetheless. The other is also from Colorado, an amythest/smoky quartz combination. It was really a tricky piece and needed a ton of stabilizing. But I finally got there! Thanks for looking. Attachments:
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Post by lpl on Jun 21, 2018 18:58:25 GMT -5
Cut, not cut, whatever. Just keep taking him out with you! And make sure that he carries all the equipment. That's so true! I had him out hiking and digging for four solid days. He carried water and food and a rock hammer in his pack, and packed out all that he found. I was simply amazed and thrilled that he didn't look at his phone for four days! Hardly a complaint either.
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Post by lpl on Jun 21, 2018 15:05:06 GMT -5
When they are small you can knock them down and take their rocks. You just have to be careful when they grow up. My Son found a really nice fossil fis vert. He did leave it with me though whoo hoo! He's almost as big as me already lol! And he did work really hard getting the blue agate extracted.
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Post by lpl on Jun 21, 2018 13:46:52 GMT -5
My son and I just returned from a little collecting trip to southern Colorado and found some interesting things. A couple that I'm not sure what to do with here...should I cut them or keep them as specimens? The first is a Del Norte thunderegg and the second is a nice seam of blue agate. I'm embarrassed (but also a little bit proud!) to admit that my son, who is 12, found both of these!
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Post by lpl on May 24, 2018 11:16:34 GMT -5
Oh my. That is fantastic!
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Post by lpl on May 22, 2018 16:33:25 GMT -5
I generally follow Rockoonz's method by working several cabs at a time on the same wheel. I set them aside when I think they're done and work on the next one. By the time the last stone is worked the first one is dry, and so on. I also keep a cotton towel next to my Genie for quick wipe-offs as well as a 10X loupe to check progress. I've learned that going back to a more aggressive wheel is usually the quickest way to correct deep scratches I think impatience is the single biggest problem I've had to overcome as a cabber. The urge to see a completed piece used to cause me to cut corners, often resulting in the need to re-cut the entire stone later. When stones start to frustrate me for one reason or another I've learned to set them aside until the next cutting session. When I'm refreshed, problems that seemed impossible previously seem simple and obvious to fix. That is very good advice gemfeller. Thanks for it!
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Post by lpl on May 21, 2018 20:57:49 GMT -5
When looking at the title " drying cabs between wheels", I thought: " How thick does a preform have to be to get stuck between the wheels? And what good would it do to try and dry them there?" My answer would be to first get them out from between the wheels and then dry them off. But reading the other replies, I figure that's not what you were going for That's funny there! Though in retrospect I could have titled the thread better
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