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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 4, 2008 10:00:46 GMT -5
Well it seems I'm getting a lot of time at the grinder on Sundays. I'm hoping that with all of this time my skills are improving. I'm getting a nice dome on most cabs but still need to concentrate a bit more on the girdle. One thing I have not been able to do is to get a shine on quartz based stones. I use diamond up to 100k but anything that is mostly quartz gets zero shine. Any ideas? Smokey quartz with no shine what so ever.  Unknown agate ![]() [/img]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x120/tonyterner/unknownplume-2.jpg Another unknown agate. I'm think it might be gold moss agate.  Some more "pink opal" that isn't opal.  Some sort of obsidian. It has a purplish hue that I couldn't capture with the camera.   Carnelian  A piece of the laguna agate that Sabre was selling as tumbling material. Its hardly tumble material, a few chunks are bigger than my fist and there is some great color and patterns in this stuff. I need to get the saw out to really see what it looks like.  Backlit  Brueanu jasper. (I can never get that spelling right) lol Its one of my favorite stones to work, takes an incredible shine.  A preform calico agate I got off of ebay. Prettiest of the bunch in my opinion. Hopefully I got the shape down well enough to set it.  |
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AGATEGRRRL
spending too much on rocks
AGATEGRRRL
Member since October 2007
Posts: 466
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Post by AGATEGRRRL on Jun 4, 2008 10:35:36 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs! That Calico one takes the cake though.  |
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WyckedWyre
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2007
Posts: 1,391
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Post by WyckedWyre on Jun 4, 2008 10:48:13 GMT -5
I agree. Nice cab.
;DS
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Post by bobby1 on Jun 4, 2008 10:57:24 GMT -5
Tony,
Have you tried Cerium Oxide on a carpet or leather wheel for a polish? It is a very effective polish, especially for quartz based material.
The shapes you have show a lot of variety and are quite impressive.
Bob
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Post by stardiamond on Jun 4, 2008 11:15:55 GMT -5
nice cutting.
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cutter
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 129
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Post by cutter on Jun 4, 2008 12:38:07 GMT -5
Yea what Bobby1 said.
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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 4, 2008 15:23:42 GMT -5
Thanks all. Bobby I did try some cerium on suede but that setup was on my lathe which isn't in the same location as my rock grinder. I need to find an end plate for my star diamond grinder and then I can try it again. Does anyone know where to get one, I've come up blank on an internet search.
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Jun 4, 2008 16:41:25 GMT -5
Nice cbas Tony! Your domes look really nice. I'm still having a difficult time doming my stuff. It seems like I keep grinding until there's no dome left. I really like that Calico Agate best too. Even though I'm not much of a pink guy...that one just stands out as the TOP ONE!
Steve
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Post by Jurrasic Jonje on Jun 4, 2008 17:51:15 GMT -5
that calico is really nice. great looking batch
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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 Jun 4, 2008 22:51:13 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs! the last one is eye-catching indeed! but I also like te other ones very much.
Adrian
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Post by bobby1 on Jun 4, 2008 23:37:46 GMT -5
Tony, You are skilled at making things. Why don't you try making your own polisher? All you need is a motor, 10" pulley, 3/4" shaft, two pillow blocks, a flange and a 12" dia. wood wheel. For a frame to mount the pillow blocks on you can use wood blocks. My wheel is two plywood discs, one 12" in diameter and one about 5" in dia. I screwed them together, filled the step with wood dough and turned them into a dome shape. This is covered with a piece of office carpet. Some pictures. Without the wheel attached.  The flange on the back of the wheel.  The wheel installed  For polishing Nephrite jade I install a hardwood wheel and use Rapid polish.  Another view.  I use the carpet wheel for 95% of my polishing, the wood wheel for the rest. Bob |
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deedolce
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2006
Posts: 1,828
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Post by deedolce on Jun 4, 2008 23:43:45 GMT -5
Tony, that calico is GORGEOUS! And I like that unopal, as well.  |
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Post by MrP on Jun 5, 2008 6:41:06 GMT -5
Love the Calico........MrP
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Post by larrywyland3 on Jun 5, 2008 6:56:18 GMT -5
Nice job. From the looks of the obsidian you are not skipping steps or going to fast at the 280 or 600. Obsidian will show any little scratches and won't shine up if you don't spend enough time on the 600. That is were I usually mess up. At 600 it is hard to see or feel anything. One thing you can do to test the surfaces is to us water. If you do go to fast than you will leave scratches that are too small to be seen with naked eye. By putting water on the dome you can tell if there are any. You need to dribble a little on and watch what happens. If you got a great shine, the water should run right off and maybe from some drops. If you get a sheeting action and some of the water stays on the cab and does not bead up then you got some invisible scratches. This effect is cause by the molecular adhesion of the water molecules. It is a stronger force than gravity, so you may see the water move up the dome form a bead and then roll down the dome. You can also see molecular adhesion in action when you fill a cup with water. You can actually fill the cup beyond full and it will not spill out. The water will form a very low "dome" above the rim of the cup. There may be some molecular cohesion involved too. You need to add the water slowly and not be touch the cup when you do it. Any movement of the cup or to much energy from the movement of the water into the cup with cause it to overflow.
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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 5, 2008 10:39:43 GMT -5
Bob; Thanks, I remember seeing that setup of yours before. If I had the time and money to buy what I need I would definitely do that. I think the end disc for my grinder would be the easiest to use so maybe I will just build a disc like yours for the end. It should be pretty easy on my wood lathe. I'd like to have several for different polishes anyway.
Larry; Thanks for the tip. I seem to have good luck so far with obsidian. This one could be a bit shinier but it came out half decent.
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Post by stoner on Jun 5, 2008 18:42:19 GMT -5
You're getting some nice shapes going there Tony, and nice selection of materials. Great photos too, it's all in the presentation.
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Post by Tony W on Jun 7, 2008 13:21:26 GMT -5
Love your shapes, Tony! I'd say you are full of skills now. Working most Sundays will do that for you quickly! Got to agree with you on the calico, but the shapes on all are sweet. T
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