ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
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Post by ericabelle on Sept 30, 2022 17:24:46 GMT -5
I have recently acquired several crates of one of my favorite rocks, Mexican lace agates. (Fist size and larger!) I know the smaller pieces I’ve put in the tumbler in the past have taken months to shape. So how difficult is it to cut or carve these rocks? Break it to me easy…LOL.
I seem to remember reading that they are actually a combo of agate and jasper.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Sept 30, 2022 18:53:05 GMT -5
I have recently acquired several crates of one of my favorite rocks, Mexican lace agates. (First size and larger!) I know the smaller pieces I’ve put in the tumbler in the past have taken months to shape. So how difficult is it to cut or carve these rocks? Break it to me easy…LOL. I seem to remember reading that they are actually a combo of agate and jasper. Depends on how patient you are and how intricate your carving is. Using diamond bits on a Foredom or Dremel to carve out the shape as well as cutoff wheels if you have a larger piece of the stone that you need to remove, then finer sanding and polishing to finish it, could take a lot of hours if it's a more complex shape, or less if the shape is pretty simple. Being able to polish it in a vibe would also help knock down the time, but there's really no easy answer to your question. Wish I could be more helpful. I carved an opal once and it took me lots of hours (here's the thread). |
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ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
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Post by ericabelle on Sept 30, 2022 19:59:26 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones That opal is so beautiful- the carving really shows off all its colors. I was definitely thinking simple shapes. I’ve done some hearts in granite and limestone just for practice. As soon as I started carving with my dremel, I knew I loved it. So, I’ve never carved anything very hard; but now I will just have to try it out!
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vance71975
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 760
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Post by vance71975 on Sept 30, 2022 22:51:53 GMT -5
I have recently acquired several crates of one of my favorite rocks, Mexican lace agates. (Fist size and larger!) I know the smaller pieces I’ve put in the tumbler in the past have taken months to shape. So how difficult is it to cut or carve these rocks? Break it to me easy…LOL. I seem to remember reading that they are actually a combo of agate and jasper. Dont know about carving, but in an effort to speed mine up in the tumble I have split off bad spots with a chisel and it wasnt too hard to split them. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Sept 30, 2022 23:54:59 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones That opal is so beautiful- the carving really shows off all its colors. I was definitely thinking simple shapes. I’ve done some hearts in granite and limestone just for practice. As soon as I started carving with my dremel, I knew I loved it. So, I’ve never carved anything very hard; but now I will just have to try it out! Thank you, Erica! Just remember to make sure you keep the diamond burs wet. Either have a water drip set up or keep dipping the stone and the bur in water to keep everything cool and to clear the swarf off of both the bur and stone. Take your time. It will take longer for the harder stones, but If the piece your working on isn't terribly large, it shouldn't be all that bad. Good luck! |
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