micellular
has rocks in the head
Rock fever is curable with more rocks.
Member since September 2015
Posts: 640
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Post by micellular on Feb 19, 2016 13:42:51 GMT -5
As I'm staring at these tiny opal scraps and pondering how to even dop them, I'm getting curious. I know Don has done some incredibly teeny cabs (wasn't stalking, google brought up this image!).
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Feb 19, 2016 13:58:20 GMT -5
A visor helps with the close-up work. After a while you adjust to being in the land of the giants. I guess the opal you have there is dopped using equipment along the lines of a faceter. The smallest stones I've set were 1.24mm black diamonds. The 1.24 diameter was their largest dimension.
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Post by radio on Feb 19, 2016 14:51:32 GMT -5
3 or 4 years ago, a lady brought me a very tiny 14K gold ring that had lost a stone and asked me to set a new one. The center one had been lost previously and replaced by someone else which did not match the existing greenish stones very well. I glued a chip on the head of a tiny finish nail and after much sweating and gnashing of teeth, had a tiny cab that matched the one on the opposite side quite closely. If I recall correctly, it was something less than 2 mm in diameter the stone on the left is the original. I replaced the stone on the right. I tried to get her to let me replace the center stone with one that more closely matched the others, but she paid an enormous amount to have it replaced and didn't want to have it replaced again even though I charged about 1/4 what she paid previously elsewhere
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 16:38:14 GMT -5
1-3/4"
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 19, 2016 17:38:28 GMT -5
I don't think I have ever gone smaller than 10mm on the larger dimension of a cab, but I've made individual intarsia components probably under 4mm.
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NDK
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Member since January 2009
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Post by NDK on Feb 19, 2016 20:54:43 GMT -5
Sheesh, I thought the approx 1/4" cabs I cut for earrings once were tiny. Seems insignificant after seeing these others. Wow!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2016 7:31:18 GMT -5
A visor helps with the close-up work. After a while you adjust to being in the land of the giants. I guess the opal you have there is dopped using equipment along the lines of a faceter. The smallest stones I've set were 1.24mm black diamonds. The 1.24 diameter was their largest dimension. i believe the thread is about stones that you have cut not set.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Feb 20, 2016 7:59:10 GMT -5
i believe the thread is about stones that you have cut not set. Thanks Dave, yes, I did respond the poll, but I guess my response is lost there and is consequently anonymous. I've recently been cutting stones, I'm not so sure they'd all be called cabs as some are quite flat, down to 4mm across in Whitby Jet. I'll post up a picture shortly (after I've taken one). Still, my point remains, that a while after working with a visor, working with such small pieces becomes easier (but not easy). Looking huge next to radios' but hey ... I've similar size cuts in Kingman Turquoise
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2016 9:09:25 GMT -5
Nice work metalsmith,small stuff there. Dave
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Post by kk on Feb 20, 2016 11:31:15 GMT -5
Need some eyes from time to time, and usually under 2mm. Do them by hand without topping, but having said that, I do not usually have to worry too much about wasting more material than what I get out of them.
To-date, have done 3 simple faces at about 6-7mm, and looking to go smaller hopefully soon.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Feb 28, 2016 17:04:29 GMT -5
I found some of my smaller turquoises; they needed a polish, but now looking better for it. They appear bigger than they are since the ruler is in the background. I also found my smallest jet; they're a real pain - so easy to lose. I'm just missing one now and it should be big enough to see. I hope anyhow as I spent some time on it. I'm gonna have to change how they're carried from where I cut to where I work. Anyhow...
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micellular
has rocks in the head
Rock fever is curable with more rocks.
Member since September 2015
Posts: 640
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Post by micellular on Feb 28, 2016 17:44:04 GMT -5
Those are truly bitsy., but really nice color and faceting!
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Feb 28, 2016 23:19:02 GMT -5
Back in the day I did a few stones that were only 2 or 3 carats but it was a miserable experience frankly. I like to work with something substantial. I think they were tourmalines that someone asked me to cut. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the size so much that made it miserable as the need to fit it to an exact size. I like to be a little free-form since this is a hobby for me.
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Post by pauls on Feb 29, 2016 15:56:36 GMT -5
I recently did a repair job on a cast ring that had a central faceted Topaz and either side a nice wavy bit of black (the jeweller called it Onyx but it wasn't)anyway one of the wavy black bits was missing. I had to cut a piece of black stone (jasper)to fit, it was under a milimetre thick, curved to go around the ring and ground to a stretched out S shape about 2mm wide 7mm long and as I said under a mm thick. I was sweating when I was rolling the edge of the setting. It was a love job too, my stepsons mother in law.
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