goldfinder
Cave Dweller 
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 19, 2023 15:50:00 GMT -5
Hello all, I made this simple moss agate pendant to give my little sister for her birthday. She had been going through some tough stuff lately and it definitely helped cheer her up. Moss agate is her favorite material and she is always likes the diamond shaped cabs. It's the first open back pendant I've tried and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I cut a different moss agate cab at first but it was pretty opaque, so I went back and slabbed/cabbed the more clear one that is in the pendant. Thanks for looking!    PS. Yesterday I got a great deal on 3 older Foredoms with 3 extra handpieces and lots of accessories. I'm looking forward to sorting those out to hopefully help my silver sanding/pre polish process. I'll probably be bugging some of y'all for Foredom suggestions/tips once I figure out the differences between each unit. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 19, 2023 16:29:53 GMT -5
Very nice! I'm sure your sister will love it. 
You'll love using the foredom!!
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Post by chris1956 on Jul 19, 2023 16:53:57 GMT -5
That is some beautiful stuff! Where did you get the moss agate? Thanks for sharing.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,172
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Post by rockbrain on Jul 19, 2023 18:27:31 GMT -5
Beautiful pendant. I'm sure your sister will love it.
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 19, 2023 22:11:15 GMT -5
Very nice! I'm sure your sister will love it.
You'll love using the foredom!!
Thanks Tela!! Yes I'm definitely looking forward to using the Foredom to hopefully cut down on the laborious hand sanding and filing steps. I've heard foredoms are used a lot in making jewelry but I haven't found much info on what steps people use them on. I'm really curious if you, or anyone else, could share how you use your foredom and with what attachments when making jewelry. That is some beautiful stuff! Where did you get the moss agate? Thanks for sharing. Thanks Chris! I actually got that chunk from an old rockhound that was selling off all his equipment and rocks. The material was only 25 cents a pound so I bought a LOT lol. I got a lot of maury mountain moss agate from him but I don't think that's what this is. If I had to guess I'd say it's the moss agate from India, but that could be completely wrong lol. Beautiful pendant. I'm sure your sister will love it. Thanks rockbrain!! Yeah she was pretty stoked and put it on right away lol. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jul 19, 2023 23:58:34 GMT -5
goldfinder - That pendant is stunning in it's simplicity! Very elegant in my opinion!! The material reminds me of Green Moss Agate from India like you mentioned...but that agate is super clear...which is awesome!! The cab really turned out amazingly well! Great job all around!
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Jul 20, 2023 4:34:19 GMT -5
Very nice. I’ve never done an open back pendant. Maybe that’s why I tended to avoid translucent cabs. I appreciate that you took time to go back and cut a new slab in order to make it just right.👍👍
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Post by orrum on Jul 20, 2023 5:49:53 GMT -5
Awesome work of art
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Post by liveoak on Jul 20, 2023 6:14:26 GMT -5
That's beautiful. Open back cabs with a see through stone is twice the work ! I'm sure she'll treasure it. You'll love the Foredom , opens up a lot of tooling. Radial brushes are very handy (off brands can be found cheaper), texturing wheels, burs, muslin buffs for compound, etc, etc etc. Look at Rio Grande, or Contenti you'll find lots to acquire
Patty
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,633 
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Post by RWA3006 on Jul 20, 2023 6:58:54 GMT -5
Elegant, and I like the open back feature.
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Post by opalpyrexia on Jul 20, 2023 14:51:46 GMT -5
Very pretty!
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 20, 2023 16:45:48 GMT -5
goldfinder - That pendant is stunning in it's simplicity! Very elegant in my opinion!! The material reminds me of Green Moss Agate from India like you mentioned...but that agate is super clear...which is awesome!! The cab really turned out amazingly well! Great job all around! Thanks so much Jason!! Yeah I was tossing around a few design options but glad I went with the simple route lol. Her favorite material is the green moss in clear agate so my hands were tied when it comes to material choice lol. Very nice. I’ve never done an open back pendant. Maybe that’s why I tended to avoid translucent cabs. I appreciate that you took time to go back and cut a new slab in order to make it just right.👍👍 Thank you khara!! Yes I'm glad I went back and cut a different cab before doing the silversmithing. The other cab is nice, it just wasn't the right one for the job. Thank you orrum!! It's interesting because just the other day I was thinking back about how growing up I never thought about myself as an "artist" and could barely draw stick figures lol. But with lapidary and silversmithing it definitely is art, so in a sense I guess I'm becoming sort of an artist... |
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 20, 2023 16:57:21 GMT -5
That's beautiful. Open back cabs with a see through stone is twice the work ! I'm sure she'll treasure it. You'll love the Foredom , opens up a lot of tooling. Radial brushes are very handy (off brands can be found cheaper), texturing wheels, burs, muslin buffs for compound, etc, etc etc. Look at Rio Grande, or Contenti you'll find lots to acquire
Patty
Thank you so much Patty!! I almost exclusively cab without dopping (impatience lol) so I polish the backs of almost all my cabs so open back design was just a bit more work in the silversmithing side. Thanks so much for the foredom tips and links!! I've definitely fallen into the foredom rabbit hole and really looking forward to figuring out how to best use it. Elegant, and I like the open back feature. Thank you @raw3006!! Yes I think I'll be trying more open back designs in the future. Thanks Gary!! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I was short on time making it but at least my silversmithing process is getting a little faster (that's not saying much lol). |
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Post by liveoak on Jul 20, 2023 17:29:19 GMT -5
My maintenance dept (husband) suggested that I recommend that you take the flex shafts apart, clean & lubricate them .
If they are older they will need it. He does mine every couple of years.
Patty
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ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 937 
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Post by ashley on Jul 20, 2023 22:03:40 GMT -5
That is a stunning piece! Love everything about it! |
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 20, 2023 23:51:13 GMT -5
My maintenance dept (husband) suggested that I recommend that you take the flex shafts apart, clean & lubricate them .
If they are older they will need it. He does mine every couple of years.
Patty
Thanks for the info Patty! Yes they appear to be have not been used in quite some time. Luckily when I was looking around the workshop picking out what to buy, I found a bag of the foredom grease/oil and replacement flex-shaft. I'll definitely follow that advice and clean and lube them before use. Thanks! That is a stunning piece! Love everything about it! Thanks so much for the kind words Ashley!! |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jul 21, 2023 0:06:46 GMT -5
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Post by liveoak on Jul 21, 2023 5:54:35 GMT -5
One further thought- I've even rigged up a Foredom to carve stones. They sell clamps for the hand piece to hold it stationary.
Tom even has one in his machine shop.
Limitless uses.
Patty
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goldfinder
Cave Dweller
Member since December 2020
Posts: 273
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Post by goldfinder on Jul 21, 2023 12:32:32 GMT -5
Thank you for the thoughtful words Robin!! Yes it was the highlight of her day and definitely gave her a little pep in her step. Oh wow, looks like there is a ton of videos on YouTube to watch! I tried searching on Google but looks like searching directly on YouTube is the thing to do. Thanks a lot!! One further thought- I've even rigged up a Foredom to carve stones. They sell clamps for the hand piece to hold it stationary.
Tom even has one in his machine shop.
Limitless uses.
Patty
Thanks Patty!! Yes I eventually want to try using one to carve some things like fire agate or precious opal with wavy color bars. Good to know there are clamps to hold the handpiece stationary. I really appreciate all the tips!! |
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Jul 21, 2023 17:53:32 GMT -5
That's an amazing piece. That is a really nice stone presented exceptionally well!
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