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Post by stoner on Oct 26, 2006 0:47:49 GMT -5
Well, I finally made an honest effort at dopping some stones, and I have to admit, it is a lot easier to get a nice dome on the cabs. I used super glue with an accelerator so I could start grinding on the stone immediately and it worked really well. Now I have to figure out how to get the stone off the dopstick!  Agate from Mexico, 30x22mm  Some type of moss agate, 30x22mm  Some type of Lace agate I found in the $1/lb bin at my local rockshop 45x20mm  Thanks for looking. |
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Post by rockyraccoon on Oct 26, 2006 2:54:15 GMT -5
well i'm torn here. #2 is winning but only if i don't look very hard at #1.
i'm missing seeing your cabs stoner! call in sick!
kim
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Post by rockds on Oct 26, 2006 8:32:00 GMT -5
very nice ed, I know I'll have to give it a go sometime but I'm still putting it off. Do you polish the backs of the cabs after the fronts are done?
robert
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 26, 2006 9:01:03 GMT -5
gorgeous cabs, been missing your cabs, Stoner. didn't Zotika say just to run them under warm water? i have some epoxy release, but it sure toxic stuff.
KD
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Post by deb193 on Oct 26, 2006 9:15:15 GMT -5
They do sell syper-glue solvents.
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dankore
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks, Rock
Member since March 2006
Posts: 120
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Post by dankore on Oct 26, 2006 10:14:24 GMT -5
Nice work stoner, Looks like you have dopping down pat. You did much better than my first dopped tries. Thanks for showing, KOR Dan www.dbrockwerks.com |
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bitterbrook
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Always remember STEP NUMBER ONE!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 99
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Post by bitterbrook on Oct 26, 2006 12:12:42 GMT -5
My second cabbing class at William Holland included no-dop techniques. I really tried for a week to perfect he technique, but it made my thumbs very tired, and the smaller the cab, the more difficult it was.
My instructor told us he had actually held some really small cabs under his fingernails while polishing them, but I have to pass on that! No-dop cabbing does a number on the fingernails I would normally use for gripping small cabs....
No-dop cabbing forces you to be very careful with the cab, which with-dop techniques do not. I find myself swinging cabs around wildly sometimes while using a dop. But for control and precision, I've found I do better with a dop stick.
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Post by parfive on Oct 26, 2006 15:27:30 GMT -5
All three are beauties, Stoner.
Hey, did you ever fess up on what that secret technique was a while back?
Rich
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Post by gemkoi on Oct 26, 2006 16:22:33 GMT -5
I agree, all three are knockouts! though #1 would be my fav outt of the three. your right, you have much more control over the doming process, and espcailly for cutting ovals or rounds. This control allows for very even cutting.
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Post by Jurrasic Jonje on Oct 26, 2006 21:27:44 GMT -5
Number 1 is really sharp. acetone or fingernail polish remover will help get the superglue off.
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Oct 26, 2006 22:33:45 GMT -5
Man Stoner...they're all winners...I think #3 is my fav. lots going on in all the stones. I miss your stuff as well, but glad you find some time doing some cabs.
Steve
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Post by sandsman1 on Oct 26, 2006 23:10:45 GMT -5
dam ed there all excellent man great job
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Post by Cher on Oct 27, 2006 11:04:17 GMT -5
Oooooooooooo wow! Stunners all three but #2 is a total knockout.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller 
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 28, 2006 10:35:56 GMT -5
Beautiful , hard to pick a favorite when it's all first class work and beautiful stone. Guess I would have to go with color, Red, It's a hey sailor thing for me. Getting the stone loose isn't a hard trick, take a small torch and heat dop about 3/4 to 1 inch back from stone with flame pointing AWAY from rock. Place a wash cloth on table to catch stone . After 15 to 30 seconds the glue will give up on the head of your dop due to the heat crawling up the dop. Heat sink  Try a piece of a slab on a dop just for practice first. If you aren't in a big hurry simply place stones and dops in a container and without letting your faucet run first' ' start filling until water gets to hot. Set container on table for 24 hrs. After 24 hrs. in water' super glue usually gives up and a slight pressure is all it takes to remove dop. We use large headed nails for dops , but you need to touch the heads on the side of your wheel to smooth enough to get glue to hold well Some stone doesant like heat so the water business might be the best bet there. We work mostly with agate type stone , and havent had any bad luck with any as of yet. A little heat doesant seem to cause any problems. Knock Knock Knock !!!! |
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Post by stoner on Oct 28, 2006 14:38:51 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I decided to use the dop sticks out of necessity. At work, my hands are subjected to using solvents, stains, sawdust and hand cleaner which all combine to create very dry skin. I've got cracks on the tip of my thumb which makes it difficult and painful to touch anything let alone hold a stone and apply pressure against a wheel. I'm finding that using dop sticks makes it easier to create a nice even dome and I can cut a cab faster than by hand. I tried using a 6" dowel last night with a stone on each end and found I can cut both cabs in about 1/2hr.
I'm really missing my days of being able to play with rocks too, but I think I'm adjusting to this working stuff so hopefully I'll get back to posting more cabs soon.
Thanks for all the tips on removing the stones from the sticks. Acetone will work but using a torch is not an option since I used golf tees on the first ones and a wooden dowel on the last few I did. I think I've come up with a solution that works really well. One of the golf tees I used had a layer of dop wax on it so I just applied the glue to the top of the dop wax and it held the stone until the very end. As I was finishing the polish on the leather belt, the wax heated up and the stone released from the stick.
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Post by rocklicker on Oct 28, 2006 22:38:46 GMT -5
Wow Ed, those are super nice. I like the second, er no the first, no wait, I like the third too... oh I can't decide. They are all beautiful and vibrant. Glad to see you are dopping! Now all we got to do is get you into dop wax and polishing with felt and cerium oxide! Ha ha, just kidding. I find if you dop with wax carefully they don't come off. I have had many stones actually move off to one side during polish because they get so hot, but not come off. I think I have lost maybe one rock off the wax in the last two batches. Well, hoever you end up doing it, it's good to see you are still cabbin up a storm.
Steve
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Try a piece of a slab on a dop just for practice first.
