Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
|
Post by Banjocreek on Feb 17, 2005 22:22:22 GMT -5
All you cabbers and lapidaries out there... I have a beautiful piece of spectrolite about 1 1/2" cube. What is the trick to cutting this stuff? I have a nice thin 4" trim saw and a good flat lap. (I'm not going to tumble it) I don't want to waste any so I'd like to know the best way to go about cutting this to get the most luminesence. Any tips I can get from someone?
|
|
|
Post by sandsman1 on Feb 17, 2005 22:43:29 GMT -5
banjo i did acouple pieces but they where cut allready but im sure theres gotta be a trick to cuttin it to show the best color but i dont know it ---hopefully some one here does
|
|
Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
|
Post by Banjocreek on Feb 17, 2005 22:50:05 GMT -5
Yeah. I cut a quarter inch off off one corner, and what was once there is gone...bummer. Thats when I decided I better plull the plug and back away from the saw. I'll wait until I get some advise from someone who does not think that the only way to preform a rock is with a hammer ;D
|
|
WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
|
Post by WarrenA on Feb 18, 2005 20:02:13 GMT -5
would you post a couple photos so the rest of us can see what the rock looks like?
|
|
|
Post by docone31 on Feb 18, 2005 21:00:48 GMT -5
Mike, as I informed you, and for the rest. To see what the stone has to offer, you cut windows. A window is a snapshot through the stone. When I do it, I start on a corner. I grind a flat, then polish it. If I am lucky, I can see what is to offer there. Spectrolite is triclinic. Two or three windows will provide the best prospective for cutting. The best approach is to cut one window, then cut another at 45 degrees. If that is not clear to see, then cut another 45 degrees on the opposite side. Often two or three windows near each other either tell the story for the cut, or shows it is not the right angle. A triclinic has a critical angle, 43 degrees. To get the best spray of colour, you have to find the critical angle.
|
|
|
Post by rockyraccoon on Feb 18, 2005 23:49:39 GMT -5
banjo - mine are just like sands and i found them to just look dull one direction then blind you another with flashes and colors. i domed mine and seemed to get a better effect than when flat. they all flash if the light hits them just right so i figure on a necklace somebody will be looking thinking it's a dull necklace then the person will turn and blind them ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) . then they will be interested in a new way lol. kim
|
|
Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
|
Post by Banjocreek on Feb 19, 2005 1:07:45 GMT -5
This edge sort of pops out. I am assuming that If I were to grind to the right of the 'Flash', I would eventually get the whole surface down to where it would show color. which means I would be taking maybe another 5 degrees off of the right hand side. Does that mean that once the whole surface has color that 43° off of that is where the other occurance would be? Thanks for your help. ![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/banjocreek/Rough%20Rocks/Spectrolite01.jpg)
|
|