cowenox
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2022
Posts: 2
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Post by cowenox on Dec 1, 2022 8:51:15 GMT -5
I want to start carving. I have a dremel and the tip sets. But I keep wondering. How do you polish the piece when it is done being carved?
Thanks for any help.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 1, 2022 9:45:47 GMT -5
You will need to go through all the grits, just like you would when cabbing. For the polishing stage there are a couple of options. You can use 14,000 and possibly 50,000 diamond paste (depending on what kind of stone you're carving) or an oxide polish using felt bobs. If you have very small places to polish like lines or such, bamboo skewers with diamond paste work. Just remember you will need separate tools for each grit and keep them separate to avoid cross contamination.
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Advice
Dec 1, 2022 10:07:39 GMT -5
Post by liveoak on Dec 1, 2022 10:07:39 GMT -5
I found carving goes relatively fast, depending on what you're doing, but polishing takes the time.
Patty
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aGates
has rocks in the head
Building a silver studio
Member since January 2021
Posts: 518
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Post by aGates on Dec 16, 2022 21:52:05 GMT -5
Nova points have been game changer for me.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 22, 2023 23:44:21 GMT -5
I make wood burs from 1/2" dowels and mount them on a tapered screw mandrel. While the dowel is spinning I hold a coarse wood file on the dowel and make it to the shape that I need. I then soak it in water and dip it in wetted silicon carbide grit and sand the piece. My first sanding step is 220 grit followed by 400 grit. Next, I make another bur with the same shape, soak it in water and dip it in a slurry of cerium oxide to polish the piece.   Here are a couple that I recently made with these burs. I discuss these tools more in depth in my monthly article "Bench Tips" in Rock and Gem Magazine. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 22, 2023 23:50:41 GMT -5
I've chucked toothpicks in my handpiece with diamond paste to get unto holes and tight spots when sanding and polishing, and use the nova points or nylon bristled brushes with diamond paste for polishing, I have used felt bobs as well but I like the brushes better.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 23, 2023 11:58:57 GMT -5
I've chucked toothpicks in my handpiece with diamond paste to get unto holes and tight spots when sanding and polishing, and use the nova points or nylon bristled brushes with diamond paste for polishing, I have used felt bobs as well but I like the brushes better. The brushes are great for getting into those crevices and such that are so hard to get in. I use all of the tools I have available to get the job done. The only thing I don't like about the brushes is that it flings the diamond paste around quite a bit. I haven't used loose silicon carbide grit to carve, like bobby1 does though. May have to give that a go just to see what the differences may be. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 23, 2023 14:25:39 GMT -5
I've chucked toothpicks in my handpiece with diamond paste to get unto holes and tight spots when sanding and polishing, and use the nova points or nylon bristled brushes with diamond paste for polishing, I have used felt bobs as well but I like the brushes better. The brushes are great for getting into those crevices and such that are so hard to get in. I use all of the tools I have available to get the job done. The only thing I don't like about the brushes is that it flings the diamond paste around quite a bit. I haven't used loose silicon carbide grit to carve, like bobby1 does though. May have to give that a go just to see what the differences may be. Yep, I'm thinking about it too, SiC costs a lot less and I have a lot of it. Might look in art stores to see how small the predrilled baltic birch balls get for wood burrs, especially for the larger stuff I want to do with the Serpentine and Happy Camp I have lying around, in my experience SiC doesn't do orange peel on jade-like stuff the way diamond does. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 23, 2023 14:30:50 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones I have a rotary knob speed control I put inline with the pedal to keep RPM down when carving. I have 2 of them, one is a router speed control and the other came with a Foredom graver kit I got in an estate.
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Advice
Jan 23, 2023 17:05:38 GMT -5
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 23, 2023 17:05:38 GMT -5
I make wood burs from 1/2" dowels and mount them on a tapered screw mandrel. While the dowel is spinning I hold a coarse wood file on the dowel and make it to the shape that I need. I then soak it in water and dip it in wetted silicon carbide grit and sand the piece. My first sanding step is 220 grit followed by 400 grit. Next, I make another bur with the same shape, soak it in water and dip it in a slurry of cerium oxide to polish the piece. Here are a couple that I recently made with these burs. I discuss these tools more in depth in my monthly article "Bench Tips" in Rock and Gem Magazine. Thanks for explaining your process.  |
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Advice
Jan 23, 2023 17:51:27 GMT -5
Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 23, 2023 17:51:27 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones I have a rotary knob speed control I put inline with the pedal to keep RPM down when carving. I have 2 of them, one is a router speed control and the other came with a Foredom graver kit I got in an estate. Thanks for that, Lee. I'm pretty good at keeping the speed slow with the foot pedal, but having a speed control would make it a lot easier. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 23, 2023 18:22:39 GMT -5
Thanks Rockoonz Lee and hummingbirdstones Robin. I'm bookmarking. Honestly, I haven't really wanted to try it, yet- but I know I will, so I'm saving this. Keep it coming. |
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Post by liveoak on Jan 24, 2023 7:36:11 GMT -5
The one tip that I read, that's not been mentioned, both from Bob, bobby1 and Hans Meevis was that for the initial grinding, They are different to use, as you use them dry.
I found to do my initial carving I do it outside, with a fan on the bench blowing away the dust ,
and a mask on to be sure I'm not breathing the dust.
I mount them in a drill mandrel on the end of my Baldor polishing lathe. I found that having a stationary mandrel and moving the piece by hand, worked better for me.
The mizzy wheels work carving rocks pretty fast & efficient once you get the hang of it. It's then the smoothing & polishing that takes a long time (at least for me).
Patty
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Advice
Jan 24, 2023 9:49:13 GMT -5
Post by Rockoonz on Jan 24, 2023 9:49:13 GMT -5
I wonder if Mizzy is the same as cratex? I used cratex in a die grinder to polish metals, mostly automotive stuff like polishing cylinder heads. I think the abrasive in the rubber is AO so they may only be good for Mohs 5 and under, but they may cost less since they're sold to industrial customers.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 24, 2023 10:33:29 GMT -5
I wonder if Mizzy is the same as cratex? I used cratex in a die grinder to polish metals, mostly automotive stuff like polishing cylinder heads. I think the abrasive in the rubber is AO so they may only be good for Mohs 5 and under, but they may cost less since they're sold to industrial customers. Cratex are SIC. I've used them in carving. You use them wet. www.cratex.com/lapidary-wheels |
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Advice
Jan 24, 2023 11:21:01 GMT -5
Post by liveoak on Jan 24, 2023 11:21:01 GMT -5
The Mizzy wheels are different than an Cratex type wheels I've ever used on metal. I think it's that the binder is different (not rubber based like a cratex).
They were developed for the dental industry & are cheap .
"Mizzy Heatless Wheels (grey) are made of a silicone carbide abrasive to make a unique, non-loading binder for rapid reduction through the final shaping of non-precious, semi-precious, precious alloys, porcelain, acrylic, denture teeth and natural dentition, without generating excessive heat."
Patty
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