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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 21:04:54 GMT -5
Ok...maybe they weren't junk per se...but they were jacked up and I couldn't leave them the way they were. These are my first attempts at doublets...two Nydegger Plume Agates and one larger Stinking Water Plume Agate. There's a couple members who said they'd help me out with some backing material. I bid on a small slab of Basanite the same time I posted that thread asking for help. I only got the one small slab from the auction...so I'm still gonna need the help from you guys (you know who you are  ). The original Nydegger cab lost it's shape somewhere along the way and I have no clue how I didn't catch it. The cab was cut diagonally to create the two new cabs. The Nydegger came from realrockhound . The Stinking Water was a cab I made for the January 2021 monthly cab contest. It came from Tommy who generously sent out a packet of slabettes since I didn't have squat for material back then! LOL You can see how much of the original cab thickness was lost when I did the doublet...like down to a hair's width! LOL As always, thanks for taking a gander!  Stinking Water Plume Agate Doublet    The next two are both Nydegger Plume Agate Doublet     The Stinking Water Plume Agate "original". I had dropped the cab and broke the tip off...so it's been sitting on my table for almost two years waiting for me to do something with it! LOL   I still don't know how I missed seeing how messed up the shape was on this Nydegger Plume Agate!! Sheesh!! LOL  |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 4, 2023 21:14:50 GMT -5
Great job on your first doublets! They look amazing.  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 21:16:45 GMT -5
Great job on your first doublets! They look amazing. Thank you SO much Robin! I was SO nervous to try these...up until the point I started grinding...then it was pretty much just normal cabbing! LOL |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2023 21:32:18 GMT -5
Damn Jason- those are some sweet designer cabs! Wow!
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 21:43:24 GMT -5
Damn Jason- those are some sweet designer cabs! Wow! Thanks Tela! This just opened up a whole new ballgame for me! Now I have a new "toy" to play with! LOL |
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Post by Son Of Beach on Jan 4, 2023 21:53:44 GMT -5
How do you couple them together?
Pretty slick...
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 21:56:40 GMT -5
How do you couple them together?
Pretty slick...
Thanks Chad! Double sided tape! Everyone knows that! LOL Nah...it's Epoxy 330. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2023 22:07:06 GMT -5
jasoninsd The first one is drop dead gorgeous and I covet it. What are the dimensions?
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 22:13:18 GMT -5
jasoninsd The first one is drop dead gorgeous and I covet it. What are the dimensions? Whoa! Covet's a pretty strong word! The sides measure 43mm, 33mm, and 25mm EDIT - And it's 4.5mm thick at the center. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2023 22:24:51 GMT -5
jasoninsd The first one is drop dead gorgeous and I covet it. What are the dimensions? Whoa! Covet's a pretty strong word! The sides measure 43mm, 33mm, and 25mm EDIT - And it's 4.5mm thick at the center. That's a good size. It really is a nice cab. Makes me want to make some doublets. But then, I would need a bunch of plumes. DOH! |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 22:35:17 GMT -5
Whoa! Covet's a pretty strong word! The sides measure 43mm, 33mm, and 25mm EDIT - And it's 4.5mm thick at the center. That's a good size. It really is a nice cab. Makes me want to make some doublets. But then, I would need a bunch of plumes. DOH! I've been paging through all the old doublet threads to see what materials were used. A lot of "simple" moss agate...just cut (or ground) wicked thin. I'm not too sure how much "good" doublet material I have. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll have to dig through the slab boxes in the garage to see what's out there that I may have forgotten about! LOL |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2023 22:39:43 GMT -5
That's a good size. It really is a nice cab. Makes me want to make some doublets. But then, I would need a bunch of plumes. DOH! I've been paging through all the old doublet threads to see what materials were used. A lot of "simple" moss agate...just cut (or ground) wicked thin. I'm not too sure how much "good" doublet material I have. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll have to dig through the slab boxes in the garage to see what's out there that I may have forgotten about! LOL I gotta dig, too. I'm sure I have some stuff somewhere. I have basalt and 330. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2023 22:42:23 GMT -5
I've been paging through all the old doublet threads to see what materials were used. A lot of "simple" moss agate...just cut (or ground) wicked thin. I'm not too sure how much "good" doublet material I have. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll have to dig through the slab boxes in the garage to see what's out there that I may have forgotten about! LOL I gotta dig, too. I'm sure I have some stuff somewhere. I have basalt and 330. You're 2/3 of the way there then! LOL |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 5, 2023 0:54:56 GMT -5
That basanite slab must have been about 3mm, did you think that was a bit thicker than you need? A thinner backing gives a lot more flexibility with dome shape and girdle height, but the contrast isn’t as good if the agate is semi opaque. I just measured what was left of the slab. It measures 2.75mm. For these particular cabs, that worked out just about right. With the space taken up with the epoxy, and the hair width I left on the edge of the agate, the girdle worked out to be right around 4mm...which is right about where I usually have my girdles. However, I can see the need for thinner backing for the reasons you stated. For the pieces where the agate is clear, the 2.75-3mm range would work better. Not to unnecessarily waste material, but a 3mm backing could be flat-lapped to whatever depth is required...in theory. The problem I see with that is making sure to keep the piece evenly ground...which I'd probably have all kinds of issues with! LOL |
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Post by Starguy on Jan 5, 2023 1:18:16 GMT -5
jasoninsdWow! Just Wow! Those turned out fantastic. Did you end up using jet?
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 5, 2023 1:20:36 GMT -5
I just measured what was left of the slab. It measures 2.75mm. For these particular cabs, that worked out just about right. With the space taken up with the epoxy, and the hair width I left on the edge of the agate, the girdle worked out to be right around 4mm...which is right about where I usually have my girdles. However, I can see the need for thinner backing for the reasons you stated. For the pieces where the agate is clear, the 2.75-3mm range would work better. Not to unnecessarily waste material, but a 3mm backing could be flat-lapped to whatever depth is required...in theory. The problem I see with that is making sure to keep the piece evenly ground...which I'd probably have all kinds of issues with! LOL You’d be fine with the backing having a variation in thickness so long as it’s all below your girdle height. I’m slowly accumulating slabs, my mentioning how much sun we get has somehow offended the sun gods because it’s like a giant hose turned on in the sky three weeks ago and hasn’t stopped lol! My mother went to stay with my sister up in Washington over the holidays. She said the same thing to me when I spoke with her this morning...raining constantly since she's been there! I told her it was better than the snow we've been having here while she's been gone! LOL Just keep singing the song...maybe it'll come true soon enough! LOL  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 5, 2023 1:22:37 GMT -5
jasoninsd Wow! Just Wow! Those turned out fantastic. Did you end up using jet? Thanks my friend!! Nope. I picked up a small slab of Basanite off eBay. I think making doublets may have just become my new "addiction" though! LOL |
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Jan 5, 2023 6:27:55 GMT -5
That's a good size. It really is a nice cab. Makes me want to make some doublets. But then, I would need a bunch of plumes. DOH! I've been paging through all the old doublet threads to see what materials were used. A lot of "simple" moss agate...just cut (or ground) wicked thin. I'm not too sure how much "good" doublet material I have. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll have to dig through the slab boxes in the garage to see what's out there that I may have forgotten about! LOL Nice work. A couple of other materials which produce nice doublets are Keegan Ranch and Ochoco tube agates. |
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Post by liveoak on Jan 5, 2023 7:26:17 GMT -5
The doublets are nice Jason.
I think I would have been getting nervous on the thin top edges that I might cut through.
But maybe it's thicker than the photo makes it look.
Patty
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 5, 2023 9:25:08 GMT -5
I've been paging through all the old doublet threads to see what materials were used. A lot of "simple" moss agate...just cut (or ground) wicked thin. I'm not too sure how much "good" doublet material I have. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll have to dig through the slab boxes in the garage to see what's out there that I may have forgotten about! LOL Nice work. A couple of other materials which produce nice doublets are Keegan Ranch and Ochoco tube agates. Thanks Bill! Good call on those two! I've worked some Ochoco Tube Agate one other time...and have been on the lookout for a steal of a deal on it ever since! It's been awhile...so that's how many "steals" there are of that material! LOL The doublets are nice Jason.
I think I would have been getting nervous on the thin top edges that I might cut through.
But maybe it's thicker than the photo makes it look.
Patty
Thanks Patty! Honestly, I wasn't nervous about grinding through. I took it close on the 80, then worked it down with the 220. Easy peasy! Oh...and it's not thicker than the photo makes it look. |
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