khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,979
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Post by khara on Dec 18, 2022 15:13:49 GMT -5
The LP info is really interesting. Thanks for posting that info QuailRiver That type of thing is good to know and good info to not allow to be lost. Just a couple days ago I was doing some reorganizing, came across a heavy box, said what the heck is in this?, flipped it open, “oh… records!” If I had already tossed them I’d be kicking myself now. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 18, 2022 17:34:34 GMT -5
I have some old turquoise and variscite cabs that were backed with JB Weld, it was done a lot with Navajo style jewelry, gave a flat back so they could be set and added little weight to it as well, kinda importand with some of the huge pieces back then.
Unfortunately the vintage stuff was also soldered with lead solder quite often.
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 18, 2022 17:56:17 GMT -5
I have some old turquoise and variscite cabs that were backed with JB Weld, it was done a lot with Navajo style jewelry, gave a flat back so they could be set and added little weight to it as well, kinda importand with some of the huge pieces back then. Unfortunately the vintage stuff was also soldered with lead solder quite often. That makes sense so as to "conform" to the stone without having to alter the back in any way. Talking of backing like this, it sparked a memory. Didn't rockjunquie back one of her contest pieces (awhile back) with something like JB Weld?? Tela, I'm tagging you to see if you remember what it was... |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 18, 2022 18:13:51 GMT -5
I have some old turquoise and variscite cabs that were backed with JB Weld, it was done a lot with Navajo style jewelry, gave a flat back so they could be set and added little weight to it as well, kinda importand with some of the huge pieces back then. Unfortunately the vintage stuff was also soldered with lead solder quite often. That makes sense so as to "conform" to the stone without having to alter the back in any way. Talking of backing like this, it sparked a memory. Didn't rockjunquie back one of her contest pieces (awhile back) with something like JB Weld?? Tela, I'm tagging you to see if you remember what it was... Yup, JB Weld. I've used it many times. Polishes fine. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 18, 2022 22:13:07 GMT -5
I like Philip Stevenson The basinite comes from the same general claim area as his Spider person Basinite. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 18, 2022 22:15:49 GMT -5
Sweet! Thanks for that link!  The main reason I posted this thread was because I had to admit I don't have the ability to make the precision cuts necessary to get consistent and even 1/8"(ish) slabs. Trust me...I hate admitting "defeat"...and to me it really does feel like defeat because the tile saws are chainsaws versus a scalpel and I can't do what I want to do with them. LOL |
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,979
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Post by khara on Dec 18, 2022 23:08:49 GMT -5
jasoninsd Can you just get the slabs close enough and grind the thickness down to compensate for any potential wedging? (That’s wedging, not wedgy, Jason.) I would think the more important issue would be getting the surfaces perfectly smooth for gluing. Do you have a flat lap for that? Then once glued you could grind the wedge off of that bottom. Oh boy, that’s not gonna be left alone.🤣
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 18, 2022 23:50:54 GMT -5
Sweet! Thanks for that link! The main reason I posted this thread was because I had to admit I don't have the ability to make the precision cuts necessary to get consistent and even 1/8"(ish) slabs. Trust me...I hate admitting "defeat"...and to me it really does feel like defeat because the tile saws are chainsaws versus a scalpel and I can't do what I want to do with them. LOL We need to get you a saw lol! Yeah...I gotta quit buying rocks and buy a dang saw! LOL *One of these days!  jasoninsd Can you just get the slabs close enough and grind the thickness down to compensate for any potential wedging? (That’s wedging, not wedgy, Jason.) I would think the more important issue would be getting the surfaces perfectly smooth for gluing. Do you have a flat lap for that? Then once glued you could grind the wedge off of that bottom. Oh boy, that’s not gonna be left alone.🤣 Well...it looks like you snagged all the wedgy jokes! LOL Yes. I definitely could do that. In fact, I've pondered doing just that. However, I've gotten to a point where I'm okay with "not" rednecking certain solutions. The time, energy, and resources required to compensate for the slight wedge cuts just didn't seem to be worth it. I'd rather spend my time doing something else...like wrapping a stone, or grinding a couple other cabs. Simply...it's just easier to pick up some thin cut slabs...so long as the monetary cost of the slabs is equal to or less than how I value what I could accomplish within the time frame it would have taken me to do it myself. (Wow...did that make sense? LOL) |
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Post by Peruano on Dec 19, 2022 7:54:37 GMT -5
You asked a simple question and received a good diversity of answers. For the "record", Native American artisans have backed turquoise for decades with vinyl records and still do. Interesting to hear about JB weld, because I have a friend that uses Bondo (spread in a thin sheet and stones plopped in the middle like pecans on your mama's brownies) I just watched his helper cut about 20 preformed turquoise cabs from a single 33 1/3 lp in the shop. The last jet I sourced was from a very large and heavy vintage ashtray. I'm still slicing thin jet slabbettes from it.
Personally several pounds of thin slab sounds like on enormous amount of saw work. Much cutting to produce little weight. On a side note, I examined a cab at a show that had been backed with something like bondo but to add to the weight the backer had added lead shot pellets in the mix. They were evident where the sides of the backing were exposed, but clearly functional for increasing the selling price for cabs sold by the weight.
Thi slabbing is not a task for someone looking to make a profit; now for a friendly gesture, something could be arranged. It sounds like you have lots of options.
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 19, 2022 10:47:50 GMT -5
You asked a simple question and received a good diversity of answers. For the "record", Native American artisans have backed turquoise for decades with vinyl records and still do. Interesting to hear about JB weld, because I have a friend that uses Bondo (spread in a thin sheet and stones plopped in the middle like pecans on your mama's brownies) I just watched his helper cut about 20 preformed turquoise cabs from a single 33 1/3 lp in the shop. The last jet I sourced was from a very large and heavy vintage ashtray. I'm still slicing thin jet slabbettes from it. Personally several pounds of thin slab sounds like on enormous amount of saw work. Much cutting to produce little weight. On a side note, I examined a cab at a show that had been backed with something like bondo but to add to the weight the backer had added lead shot pellets in the mix. They were evident where the sides of the backing were exposed, but clearly functional for increasing the selling price for cabs sold by the weight. Thi slabbing is not a task for someone looking to make a profit; now for a friendly gesture, something could be arranged. It sounds like you have lots of options. Thanks for the stories Tom! It really hasn't escaped me there are several people who said they would step up to fill the need. It's not something I take lightly, as I'm well aware of what it takes to cut slabs like this - since I've admitted I can't do it precisely enough with the equipment I have. That's why I didn't ask it as a favor, nor as some kind of charitable donation for me. I meant it when I said I was willing to compensate, whether monetarily or through barter to make it as even as possible. So far, I think the people who have agreed to help me out are ok with what they will be getting out of it.  |
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 19, 2022 12:39:22 GMT -5
Between backings and caps for doublets and triplets, and material for intarsia, I cut plenty of thin slabs. Peruano in fact I just learned that with the current 12" blade I'm using on the FranTom saw I got from your friend, 3 turns=.088" and 4 turns=.140". Needless to say, most thins are cut in the 10" saw with a .030 kerf blade and a cross feed I can lock down on full turns or 1/2 turns. Yep, I'm a saw nerd. |
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Dec 19, 2022 13:07:31 GMT -5
I have bought basenite from Phillip Stevenson and it is very good quality with very little porosity.
Colored backgrounds can be achieved by adding different colored pigment powders to the epoxy.
However from my experience, disclosing that dye has been used has turned off several potential customers. I think that using colored glass may also hinder sales.
I have used jasper for red backgrounds, bloodstone for green and lapis for blue backgrounds. I have seen doublets made by Steve Schultz where he used mookaite with a yellow and red pattern and GYP and the results were outrageous.
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Dec 19, 2022 15:59:49 GMT -5
@vanilla_gorilla That's the stuff!
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 19, 2022 19:17:35 GMT -5
Between backings and caps for doublets and triplets, and material for intarsia, I cut plenty of thin slabs. Peruano in fact I just learned that with the current 12" blade I'm using on the FranTom saw I got from your friend, 3 turns=.088" and 4 turns=.140". Needless to say, most thins are cut in the 10" saw with a .030 kerf blade and a cross feed I can lock down on full turns or 1/2 turns. Yep, I'm a saw nerd. You're not the only "saw nerd"! I was texting with holajonathan last night and we were talking about the exponential time increase of a cut on a 24" saw versus a 14" saw...and we were talking kerf as well as solid rim versus blades with gullets! LOL I have bought basenite from Phillip Stevenson and it is very good quality with very little porosity. Colored backgrounds can be achieved by adding different colored pigment powders to the epoxy. However from my experience, disclosing that dye has been used has turned off several potential customers. I think that using colored glass may also hinder sales. I have used jasper for red backgrounds, bloodstone for green and lapis for blue backgrounds. I have seen doublets made by Steve Schultz where he used mookaite with a yellow and red pattern and GYP and the results were outrageous. Thanks for bringing up the "dye" method! And thanks for posting about the potential downfall when it comes to a customer liking it or not! I had thought about Bloodstone...but I didn't know if it would be too dark and actually come through as green. The Mookaite is a brilliant idea!! I actually have a couple slabs that I've had forever that I don't think would make good cabs really...but I can see them being used a backing!! brotherbill I was just thinking about that mookaite color combo. That really is a brilliant purple in that piece!! |
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 19, 2022 21:26:05 GMT -5
Not sure what this stone is, but ran across it while going through my rocks today.  If it does not have to be solid black and can be sparkly, I have all sorts of scrap of this material.  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 19, 2022 21:34:03 GMT -5
Not sure what this stone is, but ran across it while going through my rocks today. If it does not have to be solid black and can be sparkly, I have all sorts of scrap of this material. Honestly James, since I've never done any doublets, I don't know if the micro-fractures in that top piece would have a negative effect if used as a backing or not. That second one might make a very interesting backing!! |
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