spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on Jul 25, 2007 16:22:19 GMT -5
I bought a small piece of Labradorite today. I wasn't sure of the quality so did a search here and realized I should not cut it just willy nilly. So I am turning to you experts for advise on cutting and cabbing it. Thank you to the too many to mention for saying it has to be oriented in past threads, but how? There is a cut face on it, the flash I saw before the camera flash (that is now not showing) was in the middle of what we are seeing now.  Thanks for any help. Mark Now the first try result:  |
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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 25, 2007 16:33:02 GMT -5
It's pretty tricky stuff, but I've found it to be a lot more forgiving to cut than a lot of other "Flashy" materials.
It doesn't seem to matter so much how its cut as much as how the light hits it, so while that might seem contradictory, I mean one expects that the orientation of the cut would determine how light hits it., right? yeah but, because the flash is on a narrow angle and often the internal structure is not cohesively aligned, so the play of color tends to be pretty transitory in any case, so as long as you get it shiny its going to flash from some angle(s) .
How it winds up in the long run has as much or more to do with how it gets set and worn- maybe even more than how you oriented your cuts.
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lastl98
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2007
Posts: 410
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Post by lastl98 on Jul 25, 2007 17:52:27 GMT -5
rallyrocks is dead~on! It's not as precise as you would think in cutting it up. But how high of quality the piece is to begin with also along with which angle the light is refracting off of it at any given time. Last  |
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spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on Jul 25, 2007 18:24:08 GMT -5
Ok, so what I am understanding about quality is that if you can see flash somewhere on it from any angle it is not too bad. IF that is the case I have a decent piece, because like I said there was nothing on the top and bottom only in the middle until I took the pic. So a good dome should bring them all out?
About the cut, What I expected was something like: as you are turning it and when you see a good flash, draw and then cut a straight line out from you.
I haven't gone to mineraldat yet, but this stuff seems very dense. I was surprised how heavy it was when I first picked it up. But maybe that is because I had been handling the milk opal just before.
Err make that webmineral.com
Mark
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Post by freeform on Jul 26, 2007 9:17:59 GMT -5
OK, i have to chime in my 2cents. To me, yes grade is the biggest factor. As well, buying proven rough were the vendor faced the piece for you[like fire agate} is often the best way to buy this material.
However that being said, you must think of this material as it is, a crystal. Crystals have good and bad faces. But unlike a single quartz crystal we think of. Labradorite is a massive, ingrowth formation of feldspar crystals, mostly. Like Granite.
Oreintation of these "good" faces, or 'tables" as they are often called. Can be very duating when the grade is not great. But the iece you note here, has a proven face or table from the sounds of it. So what we are seeing is the cut table. Which you say has a nice flash, better than the photo right? The table {if faced properly} should be the top of your cabochon.
IN cases of complete rough, finding that table is very hard, and most times the first cut is a blind stab. Thats why proven rough is the way to buy. All i can say on that really is its takes pratice. But generally speaking, once you find a good zone of color flash. Try and get it to flash as nice as you can to your eye at 45degrees. Then cut parralle to that angle, which can often reqiue extra rough prepping is even slab it at the angle the flash is seen best.
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spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on Jul 26, 2007 21:44:41 GMT -5
Yes better than the picture, within 20 mins of getting home tomorrow it will be cut and hopefully I will know better, it is driving me crazy in the mean time.
Some of the colors are really intense, and what I fear the most is that I will mess up what could have been some really cool cabs. I have made it worse by talking about it and showing everyone here. So when I mess it up and don't post something cool y'all will know what happened.
The pressures on.
Mark
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Post by rockds on Jul 26, 2007 23:40:46 GMT -5
Mark, the quality has a lot to do with it. When I cut mine, I try and find the "flash" and cut it at the proper angle to face the flash. Don't know if that makes sense or not. When cabbing, you want to make sure the back is polished also - when the flash is not showing, you can sometimes see right thru the stone. But with a good polish you can get some flash like rally said.
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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 27, 2007 13:55:11 GMT -5
Looks like your first attempt came out pretty nice!
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jul 27, 2007 14:30:46 GMT -5
beautiful job mark!
kim
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 27, 2007 16:13:59 GMT -5
Great stone Mark. I suck at cutting that material *L*....Mel
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luv2hound
freely admits to licking rocks
I try & I try, but dang it! Those rocks just keep ending up in my pockets
Member since June 2007
Posts: 890
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Post by luv2hound on Jul 27, 2007 17:13:25 GMT -5
I love it. You did a great job.
~~Mitzi~~
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brimstone
starting to shine!
So you think it's hot where you are
Member since July 2007
Posts: 26
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Post by brimstone on Jul 28, 2007 1:59:24 GMT -5
The cab looks like it has blue and gold flash - that makes it HOT in my book
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spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on Jul 28, 2007 19:33:10 GMT -5
Thanks all, it did turn out pretty cool. I had a straight on pic that was a little blurry, but you could still see the flash. It looks like in the pic it is pitty, I just forgot to wash it (again) as you can see on the end of my thumb I didn't wash it either, HA.
Mel I am starting to think I suck at it also, have made two more cuts and the little bit of flash I got I tried something way out of my league, but to be honest it is damn near perfect coming off the 220 wheel. The problem is this stuff is so soft the slightest misstep would ruin one of the many angles. So I will lay it off to the side (but in sight) until I am more confident. IF it comes out ok someday it will be worth posting.
Thanks again
Mark
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Post by BuiltonRock on Jul 28, 2007 20:31:41 GMT -5
That came out good!!
john
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Post by parfive on Jul 28, 2007 21:35:25 GMT -5
Looks pretty damn good from here, Spike.
Nuthin' to worry about on them other two.
Rich
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blarneystone
spending too much on rocks
Rocks in my head
Member since March 2010
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Post by blarneystone on Jul 29, 2007 7:49:22 GMT -5
Lookin' good Mark! Can't wait to see the next.
Dan
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spikeict
fully equipped rock polisher
Alba gu bra! In Promptu
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,413
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Post by spikeict on Jul 29, 2007 20:45:41 GMT -5
Rich you saved a cabs life. I had put it through 220, didn't see anything promising so was going to toss it into the tumble barrel, but today I wanted to see how some Jasper I had gotten from Sands several months ago would turn out (pretty dang good btwl) saw the started cab laying there and thought why not. It ended up having a gold crystalline entity kind of pattern that can be seen from any angle and with a slight turn there are two blue flashes above and below.
All it took was a little more uncovering.
Mark
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onewomanarmy
has rocks in the head
Carpe Silicis!
Member since January 2007
Posts: 645
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Post by onewomanarmy on Jul 31, 2007 13:49:27 GMT -5
That's nice Spike - I don't know anything about catching the flash but in my ignorance - I think you caught it pretty well! I bet it's really striking in person - especially knowing that you brought it out. Hope we see more!
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Post by Tonyterner on Aug 1, 2007 12:05:32 GMT -5
I love labradorite and you did a great job bring out the color in that cab. Way to go.
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