textiger
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2005
Posts: 946
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Post by textiger on Jan 12, 2006 19:20:30 GMT -5
OK, this is as basic as it gets, but I'm just unclear on this: Do you have to have a grinder to make and polish cabs? Or can it be done with some type of sander?
The reason I ask is that cabbing machines are a wee bit pricey. But I want to be able to do something with some of these stones, particularly the softer stuff that isn't really tumblable.
matt
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 12, 2006 20:42:59 GMT -5
Here is my current set-up, an 'Ameritool' flat lap polisher. It was only $399.00 and I love the way it works. I wanted a Pixie or Genie machine, but they are just too pricey for a guy like me. With this on you must change the laps (flat discs with diamond impregnated on the surface) depending on which degree of grinding or polishing you are doing. It's a great machine to use in the house as it's water colant doesn't spray all over the place!  This what I started out with, a hand made polisher with two 8 X 3 inch Loretone exactspan wheels. I still use it for some things but it's not for inside work. It's in the garage and the garage is cold! It's easy to learn on and this one was free, my brother found it while at the dump! All I did was make a new cooling system for it and plugged it in! It worked and even had belts on it!  You also need some sort of saw to pre-shape your cab blanks. I bought a used Rock Rascal 6" trim saw at a local rock show for $35.00. But alot of the flks on this board use tile saws you can buy new very reasonably. There are plenty of other things involved, a dop pot for wax , and dop sticks that you can use to hold while grinding stones. I am sure Sands, Doc and Kim will have more to add. Fatrichie |
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Showtime
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2005
Posts: 284
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Post by Showtime on Jan 12, 2006 23:23:43 GMT -5
ok I need to not look at this my Disease is progressing way too fast!!! OHHH what Am I to do???
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 13, 2006 0:38:42 GMT -5
Grind rocks man, grind rocks!
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Post by jdennis on Jan 13, 2006 13:16:10 GMT -5
man I want a grinder so bad I can taste it
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earthdog
Cave Dweller 
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Jan 13, 2006 14:18:28 GMT -5
So a cab can be any shape as long as it has beveled edges?
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 13, 2006 18:03:17 GMT -5
you tease! bend on over there and let us see all those cabs just beggin to be on the screen!
kim
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 13, 2006 20:31:21 GMT -5
I got my machine used from sands- $250 plus shipping- It is like richs 2 drum unit but much newer and ummm in a bit better shape I have mine set up indoors and the splash from it is pretty much contained by my work apron  I got the bug early on (when I started dremeling rocks and made a cut out of texas outta pet wood- No Way was that gonna be tumbled) I tried sandpaper on a palm sander and other than wasting a lot of sandpaper it never really shined anything up- I waited nearly 3 months to get my grinder- Actually I had about given up on getting one as the equipment seemed outta reach-- then sands put his up for sale- and I happened to be online at the time and asked him to hold it for me- My wife was actually pretty easy to convince (plus she was sick of seeing me crawl around begging) I was cut off from ANY rock purchases for like 3 or 4 months (thank god for the members here that send me some freebies) but it was worth every Penny!!!!! I guess the point is- if you really want one- get one- Earthdog- yes a cab can be any shape- A cabochone (sp?) is the round dome topped polished stone term but cabchet is a freeform polished stone- and it does not even have to be beveled- I work on a lot of cabs that are just rounded off |
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 14, 2006 0:27:34 GMT -5
yea cause when i started doin cabs i kept messin up the domes hahaha and started makin them my way with a flat face and a bevel and the wierdest shapes i could think of and people said there not cabs-- cabs have a dome and somebody said ther cabochets and i just said no there cabojohns hahaha and it stuck but i kinda like have them named after me and one day ill even get them right hahaha
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mom2olivia
starting to spend too much on rocks
1st year rock hounds
Member since August 2005
Posts: 154
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Post by mom2olivia on Jan 14, 2006 2:11:37 GMT -5
So can you do basically the same work on the flat lap as on the one with the big grinding wheels? Meaning, can you take a piece of rick and get the same end result?
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 15, 2006 0:37:09 GMT -5
Yes basically the same work. But on a flat lap like mine, to cut an angle, like the vee of a heart, you have to remove the coolant guard. So you are somewhat limited to shapes that don't require use of the edge of the grinding wheel. I guess that I cabochet as well then, because although I do some standard shapes most material, on some, the stone definately decides what shape it will be when completed. Carnelian is one like that. It's natural shape and the inheirant fractures in the deepest red examples determine the final shape.  thhhippptt!!!! to your grinder Stefan, mine just looks rough cause it's a tough workhorse, and well used, but it could still kick your machine's butt!!! J/K  . What can I say, it came from the dump, but it works great! Ok Kim, I will take some pics and show you some cabs. One or two will be a repeat of some already shown. I just got a new all in one Epson (cheaper than ink for my Lexmark) printer, so I'll try scanning them this time. Fatty |
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slim7309
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2006
Posts: 116
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Post by slim7309 on Jan 18, 2006 15:40:02 GMT -5
Question-everyone talks about there photo images - are all of you sending them to each other to see--or does this club have a photo site that i don't know about-Thanks, Slim
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 19, 2006 22:36:58 GMT -5
We all use photobucket.com
Check it out Slim, it's very user friendly. And free!
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mom2olivia
starting to spend too much on rocks
1st year rock hounds
Member since August 2005
Posts: 154
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Post by mom2olivia on Jan 20, 2006 1:14:01 GMT -5
I don't use photo bucket, I just load pics onto my home page and post from there.
Wendy
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Post by stoner on Jan 20, 2006 1:34:32 GMT -5
All you need is a web location to store your pics. To get them on this site, you need to have a URL where they can be pulled from.
Hey Rich, you use the same thing I use to melt the dop wax with. Alot cheaper than the commercial ones.
Ed
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 23, 2006 15:10:40 GMT -5
Oh Geez Rich-- I reread this post- I guess what I meant to say was that my grinder was newer- Dang I came off sounding like an idiot- we still cool? Ok - I took my grinder apart this weekend (or tried to anyway) and discovered that they are next to impossble to change the drive belt on (unless you have a bearing puller- which I don't) But upon putting it all back together I discovered how LOSE the drums where- I was starting to develop this slight shimmy and was begining to worry that the bearings may be headed south- NOPE- just some lose drums-
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 24, 2006 2:27:20 GMT -5
Damn straight we're cool Stefan. No offense taken, I just had to mess with you a bit!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 24, 2006 14:43:24 GMT -5
Fhew *wipes sweat from brow-lol* I have been studing your grinder- How long is the arbor shaft? I want to put a few wheels on one side of mine- and keep the expandable on the other- But I'm not sure how well that would work
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fatrichie
has rocks in the head
Member since July 2004
Posts: 651
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Post by fatrichie on Jan 27, 2006 0:26:33 GMT -5
My arbor is barely long enough to .... (jeez this sounds bad!) to accomodate what I am using now.
However it is home built and I think I could make a longer one that would take four wheels without adding more pillow blocks. To add four you would have to add two more pillow block bearings to keep from stressing the shaft itself.
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I got the bug early on (when I started dremeling rocks and made a cut out of texas outta pet wood- No Way was that gonna be tumbled) I tried sandpaper on a palm sander and other than wasting a lot of sandpaper it never really shined anything up- I waited nearly 3 months to get my grinder- Actually I had about given up on getting one as the equipment seemed outta reach-- then sands put his up for sale- and I happened to be online at the time and asked him to hold it for me- My wife was actually pretty easy to convince (plus she was sick of seeing me crawl around begging) I was cut off from ANY rock purchases for like 3 or 4 months (thank god for the members here that send me some freebies) but it was worth every Penny!!!!! I guess the point is- if you really want one- get one- 
thhhippptt!!!! to your grinder Stefan, mine just looks rough cause it's a tough workhorse, and well used, but it could still kick your machine's butt!!! J/K 
. What can I say, it came from the dump, but it works great!
