JUDY
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 431
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Post by JUDY on Apr 29, 2012 8:51:57 GMT -5
Hi Everyone! Been gone for awhile... it's fire season here in Arizona so I had to go back to work LOL Anyway, we recently acquired a couple hunks of Labradorite - I've read up on how to cut it, but thought I'd ask the experts rather than relying on the bits and pieces of information I've found on the internet... 1 clearly shows a flashy face and on another, I can clearly see the grain, but they are all multi-directional. Robby is going to polish a couple of the sides so that maybe we can see the flash a little better. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks for looking! Judy
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Post by NatureNut on Apr 29, 2012 9:02:27 GMT -5
Lab can be that way. Cut the best sides showing the best flash first, orienting it so that the flash will show when hanging as a piece of jewelry (10 degrees off vertical). When you come to multi-directional parts, you'll have to clear off what you can so you can see the stone clearly, and cut the best slices you can in whatever direction gives the best flash. You will probably be changing the cut in several directions, not just one direction the whole way through. Hope this makes sense. Jo
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JUDY
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 431
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Post by JUDY on Apr 29, 2012 9:06:27 GMT -5
thanks Jo, yes that makes perfect sense! Hopefully Robby will polish up the sides today - I'll post another pic when I get home from work...
Question - is it better to cut thick slices?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 29, 2012 9:27:24 GMT -5
Thanks, Jo! I have a hunk of it too, and it's just been sitting while I contemplate what to do with it. It also has multi-directional grains, so didn't quite know where to start. What you said makes perfect sense, I'll give it a go! Jean
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Post by NatureNut on Apr 29, 2012 21:39:57 GMT -5
Go for it, Jean!
I would say that thicker slices are safer (3/4 to 1/2 inch). Gives it a better chance for stability. After some experience cutting, you will get a feel for which spots in the rock will bear a thinner cut or not.
You'll kind of feel like you are working with a Rubik's Cube, turning it around and around til you pick your next cut. Jo
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Apr 30, 2012 17:53:39 GMT -5
Don't forget that the flash face is completely flat. You can cut the slab perfect, but if you then dome it, the flash will disappear. The only way to cab it so that it maintains it's flash is to make a doublet with quartz on top of the labradorite. That applies to the piece with the obvious single "flash face".
The pieces with the multi-directional flash are trickier. You try to cut the dome to get as many of the multiple flash faces as you can to be parallel to the surface of the dome. Does that make sense?
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Post by kap on Apr 30, 2012 22:07:06 GMT -5
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Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Apr 30, 2012 22:34:14 GMT -5
lab is one of those stones that I'd rather buy slabs than rough for. You know what you're getting with the slabs. You'll want to cab lab with a very minimal dome to preserve the flash. I also suggest backing it with something dark to make the color pop.
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