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Post by rocklicker on Mar 29, 2006 3:14:17 GMT -5
(I too am running out of thread names) Here's that latest batch of cabs. I used diamond paste on these this time and love the results. I dare say I am rapidly becoming one of Ed's diamond paste converts. I used cerium on some though. The photos didn't come out very well for some reason. These are way shiner than they look! I'm going to look around the posts for photographing tips. Hope you like them! Steve Dryheads!  Some kind of wood I think.  OJs and a blue lace agate. The larger of the two OJs started out half again bigger, but fractures and shaping brough it down a lot. It reminds me of a galaxy and some stars so I made it star-chart shaped!  Morgan Hill jasper! This stuff took a great polish with diamond paste even though you can't tell. Also, that big round guy (about 35 by 30mm) seems to have very few fractures for that type of rock. I was pleasantly surprised.  |
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Post by deb193 on Mar 29, 2006 3:33:03 GMT -5
I like the Dryhead. Very nice.
DO youhave a picture of the slab you started with? I see several on ebay, but none look like they will cut the kinds of cabs I've seen here.
later
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Post by Tweetiepy on Mar 29, 2006 9:40:24 GMT -5
NIIIIICE! It's addictive isn't it? I am but getting started but I find it very satisfying... Excellent job
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Post by gemkoi on Mar 29, 2006 13:21:09 GMT -5
I like them, I can see what you mean, the polish look good, but a little soft on the highlights. What type of light source are you using? I say, frist try and different background, like a natural, black, or white color. Though i think the blue is fine. A different background color reacts differently with your camera light sensor. It a good habit to get into for photographing rocks. I also suggest, after the diamond pate stage, do you use any polish compound? Banjo gave me some optical cerium last year, and i only use a tiny bit, on the last belt with diamond paste. And for rocks like fine agates and jaspers, that really makes the polish sing.
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Mar 29, 2006 14:10:41 GMT -5
Sweet- Yes Eds Diamond paste puts an incredible shine on!!!!! I think I mentioned this before- but give the 50K a try- It really deepens the shine- Nice job on the morgan hill- i just finished one and I was really amazed the stone held together (I kept watching the fracture thinking- it was gonna let go any second)
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Post by stoner on Mar 29, 2006 15:20:09 GMT -5
Those look great Steve. You recovered well from the OJ breaking on you. I'm glad you finally tried the diamond paste, it works well for me.
As for capturing the shine in your pics, if you set the camera to take a low angle shot and put the stones between the light source and the camera, you'll pick up the reflection of the light on the stones.
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Mar 29, 2006 19:42:42 GMT -5
The title to this thread is too true! practically every waking hour since my wheels and belts came in I've had the grinder running, since Friday I've turned out nearly 50 cabs.
But I am wondering how the diamond paste is to be used, I got a couple of resin belts, do I simply "shoot" some of the compound on a stone and start in on the resin belt?
And I expect I need to label the belt and use it only for that specific grit, do resin belts need to run with water? and how about using the paste with the leather disc?
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Post by stoner on Mar 29, 2006 19:59:07 GMT -5
Rally. I use the diamond past on a leather belt. Stephan used it on a resin belt, so it works on both media. Yes you should only use the belt for diamond paste and not polish. I use it on a 8x3" leather belt and I use the right side for 14k and the left side for 50k. From the syringe, put a small amount, maybe around 1/2" bead on the belt and work it into the belt with your finger til you can't see it anymore. It doesn't have to go all the way around the belt because once you put a stone to the belt, it will get moved all the way around the belt anyway. They sell something called extender fluid but I've never used it. The beauty of using diamond paste is you don't use water with it and there is no mess of mixing up a slurry of polish and applying it to the belt. My method may not be the correct one, but it works for me, and now that Stephan has tried it, it is working for him too.
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Post by Cher on Mar 29, 2006 20:50:08 GMT -5
Hey, you did a great job on those. Love the Dryhead Agates, those are awesome.
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Post by rocklicker on Mar 30, 2006 2:44:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the thoughts all. Deb193, I'll post a photo of some of the slabs of dryhead I use, but tomorrow. It's late and almost time for bed. I also just got in from the garage polishing MORE rocks and I'm pretty tired. The title of this post is more true than I want to admit. Gemkoi, I photographed them in the late afternoon sun/clouds with a piece of dark blue cloth at what I now understand was the wrong angle. Thanks for the tips. I am actually going to make more of an effort to photograph cabs better. Oh and tonight I tried following the 14K diamond paste with cerium ox on felt. WOW! It really polished up that morgan hill good. I think felt instead of leather made a big difference. I also fianlly got a good polish on some blue lace agate that way! Woo woo!
Steve
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Mar 30, 2006 10:34:15 GMT -5
Steve- I use a resin belt- No water- Just like Ed says- I smear one ahalf with 14K the other with 50 K- and we are only talking about a tiny amount (Ed says about half an orange seed) I polished about 40 cabs on one application. Now I like the Idea of having both on one belt- BUT when working larger flats and such I worry about getting 14 K onto the 50 K side- And since Resin belts are pretty cheap (compared to Leather) I think I'm gonna start using seperate Belts for each one (since my machine is a 2 drum unit I can just bounce back and forth without having to stop and switch belts) I'm so hooked on the 50K shine that I have not even Looked at my leather belt or even thought about going back to Cerium or Tin on Leather-
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Post by sandsman1 on Mar 30, 2006 19:01:03 GMT -5
lookin good rock i like um all
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Post by rocklicker on Mar 30, 2006 23:13:01 GMT -5
deb193, here is an example of what the slab looks like, and what is created from it. I included the two types I have been using (1. brown and band-y. 2.orange with blobs and crystals). These are small, but you get the idea. It's great to cut and takes an awesome polish. Steve  Steve |
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Post by joe on Mar 31, 2006 1:13:02 GMT -5
Looking good Steve! I can relate fully. Since I got my grinder it's all I want to do. 10 hrs a day out there and I think of more I want to do the next day! This is seriously addictive. I hope you don't recover either!
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