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Post by whalecottagedesigns on Oct 21, 2024 19:28:05 GMT -5
I humbly re-submit my entry for this month's contest. To be honest I don't know what it is, I think it may have come from a slabette sale from here. It sure took a nice shine with my new cerium disc. Turkish stick agate perhaps? I'm really happy with how this turned out! it's 32mm x 22mm I'm not sure what's going on with the camera lately but it's got a real shallow depth of field on it even with a high amount of light. Cloudinary doesn't help much either. I'll try a different setting and self host a larger pic for super detail-o-vision. Top down  3/4 Angle  And flat.  Gotta love a cabochon baby picture.   The cab with it's siblings. I'll be making something out of those as well as this stuff looks pretty cool!  Very cool! Really like the shape. I have a Samsung phone, and since they did an upgrade, mine has also acted more weirdly when taking pictures. |
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 611
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 21, 2024 19:45:07 GMT -5
Here's a much larger image showing the hole going clear through.  |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller 
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,483
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Post by realrockhound on Oct 21, 2024 19:55:41 GMT -5
Here's a much larger image showing the hole going clear through. glad you shared that. Lil tip on the pics, as I struggle getting good pics as well. Try toggling with the background colors. Sometimes using a white or black background can change the glare or blurrynesss of the photos |
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RockNerds
noticing nice landscape pebbles
oooooooooo a rock lol
Member since August 2024
Posts: 80
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Post by RockNerds on Oct 22, 2024 7:01:31 GMT -5
rocknrob looks great i also struggle with getting a good picture. alot of time i found its easier to take a video then scroll thru the video and screen shot the frame that i like the best  Nice work
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 611
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 22, 2024 8:58:33 GMT -5
Ok, sorry about this slightly spammy photothon. Here's the last photo, still got a pretty tight DOF but it's looking much better. I'm using my old (Canon T3i) DSLR to take these pics and I never really sat down to master all the settings on it. I don't have a macro lens... yet but this is more or less encouraging me to build a light box/stage for sexy rock pictures  .  |
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,981
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Post by Tommy on Oct 22, 2024 22:48:36 GMT -5
Recently joined this forum, so this is my first time attempting to compete in this monthly thread I know this might end up just flying to pieces, but I'm curious to see if i can keep a shape together while cabbing this piece. The cracks don't go all the way through the slab, so it might hold together?  Just wanted to say welcome to the forum and the contest! Sorry it broke  Plenty of time to make a new one though |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 22, 2024 22:56:44 GMT -5
Okay, teaser or entry, time will tell?!? This polkadot doesn't have a through hole, I like the piece too much to attempt to grind the back till it opens up, besides it has a healed crack shown between the arrows in the 2nd slab pic, so that qualifies me, right? If I have the time before end of the month I plan to set up my expando with 14k and 50k belts, give it a better polish than the 3k it has now, and get better pics. If so I'll just edit them into this post rather than a new one to make more work for Tommy.     |
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Post by whalecottagedesigns on Oct 22, 2024 23:15:39 GMT -5
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 611
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 23, 2024 8:53:27 GMT -5
Okay, teaser or entry, time will tell?!? This polkadot doesn't have a through hole, I like the piece too much to attempt to grind the back till it opens up, besides it has a healed crack shown between the arrows in the 2nd slab pic, so that qualifies me, right? If I have the time before end of the month I plan to set up my expando with 14k and 50k belts, give it a better polish than the 3k it has now, and get better pics. If so I'll just edit them into this post rather than a new one to make more work for Tommy . I love it! You chose a good shape for that cabochon. - Rob |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 23, 2024 9:40:19 GMT -5
rocknrob the shape is a John Heusler template at the point end and a standard egg at the other. If I still like it when I'm done I'll trace it onto a piece of yogurt tub lid plastic and cut it out with an exacto knife for future consideration. That's what my wife does with hers.
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 611
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 23, 2024 12:55:25 GMT -5
rocknrob the shape is a John Heusler template at the point end and a standard egg at the other. If I still like it when I'm done I'll trace it onto a piece of yogurt tub lid plastic and cut it out with an exacto knife for future consideration. That's what my wife does with hers. It's a great look, really follows the agate's pattern. Once I get an actual cabber I'll get more adventurous with concave shapes as I love the asymmetry it makes. Something woefully missing when working with a flat lap. I have to resort to the dremel right now if I want to make an inside curve and it's not the smoothest tool in my hands yet . - Rob |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,483
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Post by realrockhound on Oct 23, 2024 13:24:28 GMT -5
Hopefully we’ll get some more turnout over the next coming weeks. As just an FYI, there is a box of slabs I’ve been adding to up for grabs. Which includes, opalized Biggs, blue deschutes, high grade Maury moss, nydegger, blue mountain jasper, etc… And I’ve set it up in a way where in the slim chance I win, it will go to second place. So there is still a chance to “WIN” even if the votes don’t fall in your favor, if that makes sense? Or if you do win, you get the box on top of the other prize.
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Post by opalpyrexia on Oct 23, 2024 13:48:38 GMT -5
I really wanted this Graveyard Point slab for the triangular shield shape, which would have yielded a "botryoidal bridge" across the "ravine". Alas, the bridge was too fragile to survive cutting. So it was on to option 2, as indicated by the arrow, which featured a stream of quartz crystals. I don't have a photo of the preform. As I started cutting, I decided to really narrow the shape to much better present the druzy features: a crystal-lined "cave" out of which crystals appear to spill and flow down to pool at the bottom: Doming the cab was done carefully to avoid grinding away the crystal "stream" in the center/top of the cab. On the left side of the photo you can see that cutting the girdle exposed part of the druzy cavity. I'll have to cover that with the bezel when I set it. |
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 611
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 23, 2024 14:39:55 GMT -5
I really wanted this Graveyard Point slab for the triangular shield shape, which would have yielded a "botroidal bridge" across the "ravine". Alas, the bridge was too fragile to survive cutting. So it was on to option 2, as indicated by the arrow, which featured a stream of quartz crystals. I don't have a photo of the preform. As I started cutting, I decided to really narrow the shape to much better present the druzy features: a crystal-lined "cave" out of which crystals appear to spill and flow down to pool at the bottom: Doming the cab was done carefully to avoid grinding away the crystal "stream" in the center/top of the cab. On the left side of the photo you can see that cutting the girdle exposed part of the druzy cavity. I'll have to cover that with the bezel when I set it. I had to do something like that for mine except it was at the top side of the piece. I kept the dome a gentle one so I didn't grind away the hole so much. This is really pretty opalpyrexia! Nice job. |
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Post by whalecottagedesigns on Oct 23, 2024 19:12:17 GMT -5
opalpyrexia Well, that is just a whole other level of work! Love it! So glad I decided to wait a year before I tried entering :-)
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Post by chris1956 on Oct 25, 2024 18:35:21 GMT -5
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,483
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Post by realrockhound on Oct 25, 2024 19:21:33 GMT -5
Almost looks like some burro creek material. Remember, you also have the "cracked" option to work with as well if you dont have material that has a whole through it. I feel like that purple sagenite I sent you a while back had a hole in it. |
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Post by chris1956 on Oct 25, 2024 20:35:24 GMT -5
Almost looks like some burro creek material. Remember, you also have the "cracked" option to work with as well if you dont have material that has a whole through it. I feel like that purple sagenite I sent you a while back had a hole in it. I thought I looked at that but will look at it again. Funny, when you need something with a hole, you can't find it. But I can always find a healed crack if nothing else. |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,483
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Post by realrockhound on Oct 25, 2024 20:56:33 GMT -5
Almost looks like some burro creek material. Remember, you also have the "cracked" option to work with as well if you dont have material that has a whole through it. I feel like that purple sagenite I sent you a while back had a hole in it. I thought I looked at that but will look at it again. Funny, when you need something with a hole, you can't find it. But I can always find a healed crack if nothing else. I was in the same boat as you. The cab I cut just kinda worked out. |
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cabbyshack
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2024
Posts: 9
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Post by cabbyshack on Oct 26, 2024 10:54:00 GMT -5
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Plenty of time to make a new one though 
