Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Mar 22, 2008 9:52:36 GMT -5
Well I hope it is OK to put this here as it a combination of tumbling, or going to be tumbled and cutting.   Terry Here are butterflies after running 4 days in 120/220, re-shaped, put back run 3 more days. Then I ran 3 days in 600 took out. After these pictures I re-shaped some more, and they are in Pre-Polish (Tripoly), hopefully for 2 weeks, but I am checking every 4 days. Really trying to hold shape.  |
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Post by krazydiamond on Mar 22, 2008 10:19:04 GMT -5
looking good, Terry! hope you have better luck with butterfly shapes than i did! keep an eye on the softer ones, i over cooked mine.
KD
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Mar 22, 2008 12:47:18 GMT -5
Very cool! You're one heck of a cutter. What are you cutting with?
Good luck with the tumbling, can't wait to see!
Amy
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Post by rockyraccoon on Mar 22, 2008 12:53:34 GMT -5
terry those are fantastic. can't wait to see the finished results. they look good in the rough!
kim
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adrian65
Cave Dweller 
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on Mar 22, 2008 13:46:47 GMT -5
Beautiful work! Very accurate cuts. I suppose these butterflies will be vibed. Can't wait to see the results.
Adrian
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MidNight~Rocksi3
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2008
Posts: 1,716
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Post by MidNight~Rocksi3 on Mar 22, 2008 14:45:47 GMT -5
Oh Hell yeah! I'm liking that black and pink one... Can't wait to see how they turn out.. Good luck on them!
*smiles*
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Mar 22, 2008 15:02:28 GMT -5
Huffstuff, cutting with a WF. Adrian I use a rotary tumbler, why I don't use 60/90 at all and pellets in all stages. I am switching from 2 weeks 120/220 to 1 week on this batch of softer shapes. Midnight I found that rock next door, and I have cut a lot from it, it is Granite. Thanks for comments.
Terry
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darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
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Post by darrad on Mar 22, 2008 16:14:19 GMT -5
It's amazing to me you get that kind of detail cutting with a WF. Very cool !!!
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holdemplyer
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2008
Posts: 418
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Post by holdemplyer on Mar 22, 2008 17:31:20 GMT -5
outstanding cutting, can't wait to see the end result!
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Mar 22, 2008 20:18:01 GMT -5
Terry,
I'll agree with the rest of them....super cutting skills on a workforce! The Butterflies look so good as well as a cool little dragonfly. I look forward to seeing the progress and the results. What are you using to mark them?? Looks like a silver pen.
Steve
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Post by Cher on Mar 22, 2008 23:47:06 GMT -5
Wow I guess, amazing job you did on the work force. I am totally impressed with the work you put into them, must have taken hours. Can't wait to see how things all turn out.
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Mar 23, 2008 0:09:38 GMT -5
Steve, I use a white paint pen on the dark stones, and a Zag fine point black marker on the rest. Plus I found a better way to draw them, I usually just print shapes from the net and cut them out and trace, but they are inconsistent. So on the butterflies I found stickers, stuck them on the rock and just traced around them, they don't move and results seem to be better. Cher as far as the cutting part after it is drawn and everything, it takes about 45min to an hour to do about 15 to do most of them. I was only able to do 3 large ones in 45 mins.
Terry
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Mar 23, 2008 10:16:14 GMT -5
Thanks Terry. I usually use a pencil, but it sure is hard to see the line when I'm cutting. I'll have to get me one of those. The lines on your Butterflies seem like they really stand out.
Steve
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Post by MrP on Mar 23, 2008 12:38:19 GMT -5
Great job with the butterflies. When you are good with the WF you don't have to be lucky, right Terry ;D
One thing to caution everybody about using marking pens. I was in Rocks & Things, Princeton, MN, when a person brought in a large Lake Superior Agate that had been faced polished. He had used a felt marker to mark his cuts and it had soaked into part of the stone. Val Carver, the shop owner had to tell the person that he had destroyed the value of a very expensive Lake Superior Agate. He didn't leave as happy as the two men, who were there at the same time he was. They found out they had $20,000 & $25,000 worth of agates between them. Val told those two to buy a nice case to carry them in, rather then the $5 plastic tool box they each had........MrP
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Post by Tonyterner on Mar 24, 2008 9:31:15 GMT -5
Wow they are quite intricate. Nice cuts. Can't wait to see them finished.
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Post by connrock on Mar 25, 2008 4:41:06 GMT -5
Terry they are beautiful!
I hate to say it but I doubt V E R Y much if you will get good results in a rotary no matter which grit you start with.The butterflies will get too rounded and you'll loose all the detail work as you have with the one in the photo.
You've got yourself in a pickle and created a catch 22!If you tumble the butterflies long enough to get the saw marks out ,you will loose the detail.If you keep the detail you won't get the saw marks out.
If you can grind the saw marks out first you may be able to keep more detail but I think you will still get that rounded look.
Another suggestion is to do them in a vibe with ceramic media.
Good luck and you did a fantastic job cutting them!
connrock
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Mar 25, 2008 6:13:54 GMT -5
Connrock, my plan after the 1st stage is to Dremel out saw marks and redefine as much detail as I can, then go to 600 1 week then 2 weeks in tripoly and polish. The main reason I am doing this is to see if I can. I have worked with many formulas before and it worked with Agate and Jasper and quartz, but the soft stuff is different. I cannot afford a vibe, it took me a year to be able to afford a WF. Randy has told me to go to a vibe a couple of times. I am now working 10 hours a week or less, but I have 4 months to retirement, things will be a little better then.
Terry
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fanatic
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2007
Posts: 233
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Post by fanatic on Mar 25, 2008 6:32:01 GMT -5
You've certainly given me a new target to shoot for with my skills on the WF saw! Those are beautiful!
Thanx also for the tips on marking. I've been using a fine Sharpie and I can see where that may cause an issue with more porous rocks.
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Mar 26, 2008 7:24:35 GMT -5
Those are awesome!
hrm, have you tried using spray adhesive with the stencils? For my pumpkin carvings I use a spray craft adhesive to affix a paper design to the pumpkin for my initial carving outline.
Eileen
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Post by creativeminded on Mar 31, 2008 9:11:53 GMT -5
Wow those are beautiful, can't wait to see them completed.
Tami
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