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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 5, 2009 7:48:26 GMT -5
No not my girlfriend. I'm talking about a cab. Amber recently got a beautiful amber cab from bushmanbilly and she asked me to wrap it for her. Initially I balked thinking I'd scratch the living daylights out of it with the wire. I've since changed my mind and want to give it a try as I know she really wants to wear it. Any advice on how to keep the wire from scratching the cab as I try to fit the wires around it?
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Post by Michael John on Jun 5, 2009 8:22:32 GMT -5
You could make an identical cab out of any piece of hard scrap and do as much of the wrapping as possible on that cab, up to the point where the cab becomes "locked-in", then take the wire off of that cab and put it on the amber cab. Yu could also put blue painters' masking tape on the amber cab.
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 5, 2009 8:37:47 GMT -5
Aw, MJ got my blue painter's tape idea first. Good thinking! That's what I'd do. The only drawback is that the tape covers the cab and you can't work the wire with the design in the stone, the gradation of color, etc... In that case, you could try some sort of seran, neatly and tightly covering, or any other type of latex such as a surgical glove, balloon, uh... you know what... LOL.
Do the wrap up til the final bind on the bail, pop the stone out and uncover, pop back in and finish her up!
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Rogue Trader
freely admits to licking rocks
"Don't cry because you are leaving, smile because you were there."
Member since December 2008
Posts: 839
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Post by Rogue Trader on Jun 5, 2009 8:42:38 GMT -5
You'll probably just laff this off, but this was suggested at an engineering firm I used to work at and they wanted to be able to work on and over polished steel without scratching the surface. Someone suggested that they melt down a bag of sugar (1kg - 2.2lbs) in a metal bucket in one of the furnaces and then pour it over the polished items. It was tried and it worked fine. All it does is coats the material in a very hard coating (when allowed to set properly), and to get the stuff off you just need to wash it off with warm water. LOL, or in the case of a cab I suppose you could put the cab in your mouth and clean it that way Not much help but something to consider. Forgot to mention, you can build up the thickness of the coating by dipping, cooling, dipping, cooling, dipping cooling, until you have a coat of layers suitable to your requirements.
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 5, 2009 9:20:00 GMT -5
Now that's pretty ingenious, Rogue!
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Post by frane on Jun 5, 2009 10:54:47 GMT -5
The heat would possibly affect the amber though. You may want to stick with painters tape and a similar size "dummy cab" that MJ suggested. When I make those final crucial bends at the end to the front, I will usually slide in a piece of cardboard, folder weight, between the cab and the wire so I don't nick the cab. Take it slow and you should be fine. Fran
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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 5, 2009 12:29:10 GMT -5
Good ideas all.
MJ, you are assuming I have the skill to make an identical cab. lol Thanks for the compliment but I'm not sure I have those yet. But its probably the safest of the suggestions.
Jo, good idea. I don't have to worry about any pattern in the stone since its amber the color is homogeneous.
John, very interesting concept and I'm not laughing at all. The sugar would be hard but a bit brittle, I get the dropsies when I wrap. OK I always have the dropsies. I wonder what amber tastes like or if its in anyway poisonous. Nothing like hard candy made from fossil tree sap.
Fran, that cardboard is a good idea. I'm never gentle on those last bends.
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Post by Bejewelme on Jun 5, 2009 13:23:02 GMT -5
Amber smells and tastes like pine needles, that is one of the ways to tell real amber from the fake plastic stuff that is flooding the market. Since it is resin it melts at 350-400 and melted sugar melts around the same temp, so don't burn up my cab!!!! I like Jo's idea of a rubber glove finger or something to protect it, might be better than tape. I am glad you are putting such thought into this. I know it will be the only cab I ever have of it, since it is tricky to work and Dale was so sweet to make it for me, I really want to enjoy wearing it!!!!
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 5, 2009 14:43:45 GMT -5
You know there is a couple of lines in the above posts, but I have to break my fingers so I can't type anymore. LMAO Gotta get my mind out of the gutter.
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kjohn0102
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 774
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Post by kjohn0102 on Jun 5, 2009 16:06:21 GMT -5
I saw it too, bushman!!!!!!
Is amber that easily scratched? I say the cardboard template is the best idea-cut up a corregated box so it's almost as thick as the cab
kj
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Post by sitnwrap on Jun 5, 2009 17:07:11 GMT -5
Hey Tony, I took a piece of Amber jewelry I had. First I put a hot pin to the backside as I was not sure if it was real amber but it is. Then I tried to mall the heck out of it with 22gauge half hard Gold wire. The only time the wire scratched it was when I scratched it with the end of the wire. The side of the wire did not do anything to it.
So if all amber is the same hardness, I think if you wrap it in dead soft wire and you make sure all ends are taped and you use the other suggestions, you will probably be ok.
I was planning to take this piece of jewelry apart and make something of my own anyway so there was no loss to me doing this.
Yep, Amber smells like pine. Nope didn't do the taste thing. lol
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jun 5, 2009 18:36:11 GMT -5
This thread has turned too funny!!!! Amber, you must smell like pine ( because Lori confirmed it) . But, since when did you start talking about yourself in the third person? ;D Tony, I've wondered about wrapping amber too... I think I would just destroy the stone too... I'm not very gentile when I wrap..... I'd also say to use painters tape, or packaging wrap ( like saran wrap only thicker ). Latex just tears so easily... I'd think that if the wire was going to scratch the stone it would break through the latex anyway.... but I may be wrong... Let us know how it comes out ( like you wouldn't ) good or bad.
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Post by Tony W on Jun 5, 2009 22:27:02 GMT -5
And I would have bet she tasted like some sugar confection...hmmm...tastes like pine needles...never ran across that... sure would make a gal distinctive Ok, my idea would be to get your butcher to give you some of that heavy wrap they do meat in and double or triple it. I know some of those packages have to be cut open, that stuff is so tough. T
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Post by Tonyterner on Jun 6, 2009 8:50:29 GMT -5
You people are so bad. Taking such an innocent comment and twisting it. I'm embarrassed to know you. ;D Thanks for all the ideas and to Lori for her test specimen. You know I will keep you all posted whether good or bad.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2009 9:22:27 GMT -5
Ummm ok.........so Amber tastes like pine NOT a sugar confection, has had a hot pin put to her backside, and Tony is supposed to wrap her in something used with meat? Im just so confused. Shannon
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Post by Tony W on Jun 6, 2009 11:11:27 GMT -5
Shannon...you owe me a key board! I blew my beverage out my nose thanks to you T
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aunuts
fully equipped rock polisher
Some days are gold, some are rocks. Either is cool.
Member since March 2006
Posts: 1,110
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Post by aunuts on Jun 6, 2009 11:46:57 GMT -5
Okay, I've got some I haven't gotten to yet. And one piece I picked up at a garage sale that I don't know if it's the real thing or not. What does putting a hot pin to it do?
AND, I'll be the one to say the word everyone's been pussyfooting around. Put the darn thing in a condom.
JoAnne
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Jun 6, 2009 11:51:56 GMT -5
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Post by sitnwrap on Jun 6, 2009 11:52:41 GMT -5
ROFLMAO! A hot pin will make it melt and will give off a very strong pine oder if it is the real deal. I had to do mine twice because the pin was not flaming red the first time.
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 6, 2009 14:09:04 GMT -5
Jo- Yep, that's it! LOL. Jo
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