junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 15, 2006 18:36:14 GMT -5
Well I tried to do some cabbing today......I had several problems. I cut several different kinds of stones and only did the 100 grit. The black tourmaline......shredded itself and I got nothing usable. Moonstone only faired slightly better. My travertine onyx came out ok. My fire opal rough didn't have much opal in it. I had trouble with the fancy jasper and even with the water running on the wheel i got sparks with the jasper, the zebra marble and the tree agate. I am having difficulty with getting the tops really smooth, so rather than just get upset, I put them away for today. I think I need a dressing bar for my grinding wheel. Oh and let's not forget the two fingers I managed to chew up the nails on.......
June
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Post by stoner on Jul 15, 2006 19:35:00 GMT -5
Well, maybe today wasn't the right day to try cutting cabs. Are these the first ones you've ever tried? It takes some time and practice to get this cabbing thing down, so hang in there, it will come.
Just to make you feel a little better, I had a beautiful rutilated quartz cab all finished and I dropped it on a concrete floor. I can fix it, but it won't be as big as it was.
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Jul 15, 2006 19:58:40 GMT -5
100 grit is pretty course, a lot of rock types won't fair well at that grit, chipping and "shredding" as you mentioned- these should be started at 200-220.
I only use my 80 grit wheel for the crudest basic shaping and removing a lot of material, the 220 wheel does all the real shaping and basic smoothing, with the 325 and 400 belts doing the real smoothing.
But in just about every case, the look doesn't get very satisfying until you get up to the 1800-3000 grits where some stones start to take on a little shine.
Another thing to consider- fire opal is a particulalry challenging (and usually expensive!) material that from my own experience I would suggest beginners leave alone for a few months until the skills develop.
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Post by joe on Jul 15, 2006 19:58:41 GMT -5
I hear ya! Some days I do more damage than good, then have to spend the next day cleaning it up. I think being really good at this involves knowing which days to take off.  Ouch Ed! I put an old piece of carpet under my grinder area in the garage. Can't tell you how many stones have fallen on it. Carpet's good. |
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junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 16, 2006 6:38:16 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I was trying to follow the tutorial Dan Kelly put up. It said that 80 and 100 grit are for shaping and 230 is for sanding. What I had planned to do was all the shaping and sanding on many pieces and then putting them in the LotOtumbler for polishing, but I never got to the sanding part. I don't have any belts about 660.
Sorry you broke your rutilated quartz stoner, you do such beautiful work.
The fire opal was not expensive. I haven't really bought any expensive stuff, except I bought some really nice slabs that I don't want to try until I get better at what I'm doing. They weren't expensive, but they are unique.
June
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Post by gemkoi on Jul 16, 2006 12:06:24 GMT -5
i use 100grit metal diamond wheel for all rough shaping. It is actaully highly perfered across the spectrum of materials. Dont use a green wheel at this stage. A green wheel is just a silicon carbid stone wheel and i know an old timmer that took a piece of his wheel to the head. BEcasue stone green wheels can break and when they do, pieces go flying.
I only start stones on a higher 220 metal wheel when they are very soft like opal or turquoise. And in cases of real hard stones like JAde, if i had a 80 grit wheel or lower, thats what i would use for rough shaping. Use the 220 to perfect your frist cut. I susgest getting something like a piece of Picasso marble or good Adverturine. Just to try out a material that will cut fast, and not even you much problem except at the polishing end. And really then it can be a qwick solve. PM you address and i will send you a slab of Picasso marble.
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 17, 2006 13:10:34 GMT -5
what a bummer- But take heart- the Black tourmaline was not gonna work- It is cheap, fractured, and totally unsuitable for cabbing ( I know- I've tried) other tourmalines will work- but Black (schrol) that is cheap is just for specimins (not even suitable to tumble) - so where in Central NY are you again??? I'm about an hour south of Buffalo-
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junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 17, 2006 14:33:36 GMT -5
Thanks Stefan, I guess I won't waste any more time on the tourmaline. I looked through the bag and there isn't any that I think would be useful. I'm about 40 minutes north of Syracuse.
June
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 18, 2006 10:21:35 GMT -5
Hey your not to far from KrazyDiamond!!!! Ever get to Herkimer?  Also lots of nice Garnets up your way- I have cabbed some of the better matrix Garnets- they come out pretty good  The one on the right is from Garnet Lake! |
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junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 18, 2006 10:30:22 GMT -5
Never been to Herkimer. I just started all this in the spring and I work on the road so I'm gone quite a bit. I was going to go to Lake Ontario (about a mile from the house) and look but I am not sure what I'm looking for. Those are some neat cabs.
June
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 18, 2006 12:20:18 GMT -5
I love going up to Lake Ontario- Hold on I have a bunch of tumbled LO beach pebbles  plus I get a lot of Beach glass from the lake also- Heck I even found a tiny (about the size of a pea) Amythest nugget once!!!! Lots of neat Granites and Quartz on the lake shore! |
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junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 18, 2006 12:28:03 GMT -5
Those are nice. The last time I went to the shore to look, the place I looked only had really big stones and I had no saw. I think by SUNY Oswego, they have more pebbles and small stones. Plus last time was in early April and I don't need to tell you what the weather is like up here. If the heat dies down tomorrow I'll go down and look for some stuff. We, apparently, are getting our one week of summer this week.
June
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 19, 2006 13:56:10 GMT -5
Yea- but up by the lake should be real nice (and crowded I imagine) These were collected on the public beach in Rochester in October (YIKES!!!!) there is a 4 or 5 mile long Public Beach (even with free parking) on the West side of the Bay- worth the drive- I'll probably go up there again this october (after the sea glass and these little nuggets of course) but I'm gonna bundle up better this year- Froze my noonies off last year!
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junerev
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 265
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Post by junerev on Jul 19, 2006 14:48:17 GMT -5
The stretch along Lake Ontario by Oswego doesn't have beaches.....it has pebbles and rocks.
June
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Also lots of nice Garnets up your way- I have cabbed some of the better matrix Garnets- they come out pretty good
