RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 9, 2023 22:15:39 GMT -5
My sweetie got me a late-but-so-worth-the-wait Christmas present! (feel free to ignore the absolute disaster that is the rest of the garage!)
There's a learning curve moving from the slant-cabber to this. My first 3 cabs (and a Tiger Iron I'm just insufferably pleased with). Every one came with some important lessons learned.
The very first one:
Lessons: That little plastic apron is for real, and this thing takes the material off quick!
The next one: (Unknown agate, gifted whole from a friend, I slabbed it, and will gift him back a cab, maybe this one? Maybe not. I'll decide later.  Lessons: Marking the girdle is a game-changer (and it'll immediately show you if your slab was a bit uneven), you won't see cracks until you're too far in to give it up, and it's important to make sure your drain hoses reach all the way to the bucket!
The last one: No idea what this material is. Got it out of a dollar-slab box at a local rock show. Lessons: My first inside curve! (SO happy to be able to finally do those!) Need to remember to tuck bottom edge in!
And my first Tiger Iron piece! This was a chip I shaped on my slant cabber before the new machine came. I finished it out on the new one. I'm insufferably pleased with it!  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 9, 2023 22:33:59 GMT -5
Congratulations on the new cabbing machine! Woot Woot!! I'm glad to read your lessons weren't expensive lessons...as they sometimes can be! LOL |
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Post by parfive on Jan 9, 2023 22:45:26 GMT -5
I'm insufferably pleased with it! Nah . . . let it rip, cap’n.  I like those flip-up splash guards, haven’t seen (or noticed) them before. |
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Post by Pat on Jan 9, 2023 23:06:16 GMT -5
If I did those cabs, I’d be proud, too!! Congratulations!
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Post by liveoak on Jan 10, 2023 7:43:04 GMT -5
Congratulations  You must be doing a happy dance.
Nice first cabs to boot.
I like the first one - some kind of fossil jasper ??
Patty
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 10, 2023 9:59:38 GMT -5
 Awesome delayed Xmas present! Well worth waiting for. I like those flip up splash guards, too! Ingenious. jasoninsd does your machine have those?
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 10, 2023 10:07:25 GMT -5
 Awesome delayed Xmas present! Well worth waiting for. I like those flip up splash guards, too! Ingenious. jasoninsd does your machine have those? No...mine's not a CabKing. Mine is a Kingsley North Cabber 6. |
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Post by liveoak on Jan 10, 2023 10:20:54 GMT -5
I actually have some pieces of clear plexiglass that I use on the end of my KN cabber.
It's just some scrap stuff I had maybe 6 X 9" and I stand it up on the end.
It fits under the knob that holds the end piece on (the front one only)
and I can move it from one end to the other to keep the spray in.
Works pretty good.
Nice that the cabking came with them, as it looks like the left end is pretty open (no door or end plate) so the splash guards are probably a needed thing.
Patty
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 10, 2023 10:25:06 GMT -5
Congrats!!! If you feel anything like I did when I got my Gene- I know you are on cloud 9 and thinking of nothing but cabbing. |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 10, 2023 19:52:36 GMT -5
Congratulations on the new cabbing machine! Woot Woot!! I'm glad to read your lessons weren't expensive lessons...as they sometimes can be! LOL Thanks! So far the more expensive lessons have all been with the slab saw (turns out a bad clamp job is a dangerous thing, doubly so when it's your best rock, and also liquid nails is no substitute for water glass!) Here's hoping those days are all behind me now! |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 10, 2023 19:54:24 GMT -5
Congratulations You must be doing a happy dance.
Nice first cabs to boot.
I like the first one - some kind of fossil jasper ??
Patty
Thanks! It looked really lumpy and uneven to me, but it's my first try, so I'll get better! I think the guy I bought this from called it "script stone". It's pretty soft, probably comparable to sodalite. I probably should have started with a harder stone for my very first try - this was supposed to be a calibrated 40mm oval, but I just ate way too much of the stone away too fast. Next one will be better! |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
|
Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 10, 2023 19:55:06 GMT -5
Congrats!!! If you feel anything like I did when I got my Gene- I know you are on cloud 9 and thinking of nothing but cabbing. Oh for real! I thought it was really unreasonable to have to go to work first today! The weekend can't get here soon enough! |
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Post by liveoak on Jan 10, 2023 20:06:20 GMT -5
Sigh--- imagine all the stuff we could do if we didn't have to work !  Retirement is wasted on some people.
I look forward to seeing your cabs.
And tomorrow is hump day Patty
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,368
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Post by rocknewb101 on Jan 11, 2023 8:50:50 GMT -5
What an awesome gift!!! I was gifted the Hi-Tech slant cabber so I'm just learning on it. Wishing it wasn't winter in Ohio Your cabs are gorgeous. Great job on them!! |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 11, 2023 9:46:46 GMT -5
What an awesome gift!!! I was gifted the Hi-Tech slant cabber so I'm just learning on it. Wishing it wasn't winter in Ohio Your cabs are gorgeous. Great job on them!! That's the machine I started with last year! It was a very unexpected gift, but it was a total hit. I've always "liked" rocks, but had never gotten into processing them. Then went to a local rock show in October and had a blast. That apparently inspired the slant-cabber gift! The last year has been absolutely awesome! I'm going to try to glue up my first intarsia pieces today! There's so much more to learn, but it's been really satisfying! |
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 11, 2023 13:49:12 GMT -5
I actually have some pieces of clear plexiglass that I use on the end of my KN cabber. It's just some scrap stuff I had maybe 6 X 9" and I stand it up on the end. It fits under the knob that holds the end piece on (the front one only) and I can move it from one end to the other to keep the spray in. Works pretty good. Nice that the cabking came with them, as it looks like the left end is pretty open (no door or end plate) so the splash guards are probably a needed thing. Patty To be fair, I took the picture before I was completely done with assembly. There are magnetic side-panels that I quickly remembered to attach after spraying water all over my shirt sleeve.  |
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Post by liveoak on Jan 11, 2023 14:04:32 GMT -5
To be fair, I took the picture before I was completely done with assembly. There are magnetic side-panels that I quickly remembered to attach after spraying water all over my shirt sleeve. Not surprising that you were anxious to get started .
When I got my KN cabber last Christmas, I honestly just looked at it for a week before grinding anything. Intimidated I was !
Have fun - I know I am.
Patty
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 11, 2023 18:10:36 GMT -5
Congrates! I have the same machine! Love it to death! I replaced my hoses with actual vinyl tubing and real hose clamps (ask me how much water needs to pour on the floor before I figured out the hose solution!). I have started a collection of flat laps for those thred ends (man I love having both wheels and flats). I love the powered water feed, but may switch to a drip system just because I hate having to plug and unplug the pump. ANd yes that apron is very much needed lol!
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RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Jan 11, 2023 20:34:17 GMT -5
may switch to a drip system just because I hate having to plug and unplug the pump. ANd yes that apron is very much needed lol! to my workbench and plugged everything in there within arms reach of my machine (but on the underside of the table outside of the splash-zone) When I need to turn off the pump I don't even have to get up. I just flip the switch for the outlet it's plugged into. It gave me enough power to run my other equipment all from the same strip too.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 12, 2023 11:23:59 GMT -5
How do you like those sanding wheels compared to the Geni's Nova wheels?
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