thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55 
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 7:25:13 GMT -5
Hello everybody,
Irecently started cutting diamond shapes, obelisks and hexagonal cylinders from granite and marble.. i just atarted my first batch of tumbled shapes, but first, here are some pics of my hand cut and polished pieces.
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 7:30:22 GMT -5
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 7:31:52 GMT -5
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 7:33:27 GMT -5
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Post by 1dave on Dec 26, 2016 8:20:06 GMT -5
You are definitely thinking bigger than most of us! Thanks for sharing.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 26, 2016 9:28:07 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Those are cool. I'm having trouble deciding how big they are. What tools are you using to make them?
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 17:42:37 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Those are cool. I'm having trouble deciding how big they are. What tools are you using to make them? Thanks for the likes guys. The hexes at the top range from about 5/15" to about 5/8" wide and the Black Galaxy is about 1 1/4" across. The Amber Blue diamond is about 2 1/2" across I am using a 12" wet saw to cut the rough shapes and then fine tuning the facets with 100 grit turbo pad and then start polishing with 200 and 400 grit turbo pads and finish up with 800,1,500 and 3,000 flexible pads and then a final buff. The machine for polishing is a Makita 4 1/2" water fed polisher. Today i made 3 hearts in different colors and polished them up to 500 grit and i am thinking of tumbling them to finish the polish. Does anyone have any suggestions about where i should start with medium? |
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Post by captbob on Dec 26, 2016 17:57:33 GMT -5
Very cool! Welcome to the forum. Hope you stick around because cutting such shapes is an art that I would like to learn more about. I've always wanted to make pyramids, but never looked into how to do so.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 26, 2016 21:11:16 GMT -5
I was thinking of buying the Makita polisher, but I probably wouldn't use it enough to make it a worthwhile purchase. I made a bowl in the top of a rock last summer with a cup grinder on my regular angle grinder. I was thinking that I could buy polishing pads for that machine, but then I discovered that it runs way too fast.  Depending on what type of stone your hearts are made of, you might be able to finish them in a vibratory tumbler. I have a Lot-O tumbler that I use to finish various shapes I cut out on my saw. I've done shamrocks, crosses, and beads. A vibratory tumbler will not change the shape of your hearts too much. I can only do this with harder materials. Granite usually undercuts in a tumbler, so you'd be better off polishing those some other way. These went in the Lot-O with sharp edges.  |
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 26, 2016 21:55:30 GMT -5
Did a great job on those.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 27, 2016 6:06:10 GMT -5
Great work. I have some amethyst obelisks in process, but don't hold your breath, I'm not rushing them.
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 27, 2016 7:29:42 GMT -5
I was thinking of buying the Makita polisher, but I probably wouldn't use it enough to make it a worthwhile purchase. I made a bowl in the top of a rock last summer with a cup grinder on my regular angle grinder. I was thinking that I could buy polishing pads for that machine, but then I discovered that it runs way too fast. Depending on what type of stone your hearts are made of, you might be able to finish them in a vibratory tumbler. I have a Lot-O tumbler that I use to finish various shapes I cut out on my saw. I've done shamrocks, crosses, and beads. A vibratory tumbler will not change the shape of your hearts too much. I can only do this with harder materials. Granite usually undercuts in a tumbler, so you'd be better off polishing those some other way. These went in the Lot-O with sharp edges. Thanknyou for the warm greetings! Im looking forward to being partnof this group. I hope i can offer info and knowledge in return. Thanks for the info on your experience with vibratory tumblers.. It will be duly noted. I will definitely look into a vibratory tumbler. I have lots of ideas to make and have an almost endless supply of practice material from drops and cutouts from my countertop shop. For these pieces, i used diamond pads that are no longer good for maintaining the quality we produce, but they still have a lot of life in them. It only seems natural to use this free source to experiment before buying more expensive rock. I also am very interested in spheres and turning large bowls and other shapes on a lathe. I will be doing research on this too. As far as grinders go, Makita makes a variable speed angle grinder that i also use in my work. In my industry, Makita is the only choice. They hold up more than any other make in the abusive environment like a granite shop. |
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 27, 2016 7:35:25 GMT -5
Great work. I have some amethyst obelisks in process, but don't hold your breath, I'm not rushing them. Thanks! I made a jig for the sled for each shape on the MK wet saw and it proved to be quite useful. I still havent zeroed in being able to cut them perfectly in 6 passes, but im determined to get the least amount of waste possible. I end up just using the cuts ont the facets as a guide and then finishing the dimensions visually. |
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 27, 2016 7:45:26 GMT -5
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Post by captbob on Dec 27, 2016 9:31:31 GMT -5
Noticing Lakeland in the above photo. Lakeland Florida?
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 28, 2016 0:04:51 GMT -5
Noticing Lakeland in the above photo. Lakeland Florida? Yes sir.. |
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Post by accidentalrockhound on Jan 2, 2017 9:04:06 GMT -5
Wow cool cool cool thanksnfor sharing, just like everyone here on the RTH you do inspire! Because the dedication it takes everyone here no matter their level of talent is equal,look forward to more photos,Thanks again!
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 2, 2017 12:15:17 GMT -5
thekingofrock, Welcome to the forum from Southern Utah. You sure have more patience with the geometric shapes than me. I cut freeform cabs because I can get away with less precision. The trade-off is that lumpy curves don't look good. Curves have to flow smoothly or look amateur. I also like the fact that you're using scrap material and discarded tools. When I was a kid I made many cabs from scraps of slabs scrounged from the driveway of a local rock shop (with permission). That's how I learned to make tiny cabs. You get extra points for posting pix with your first post. Like Scott (Shotgunner) says "Without pictures, it didn't happen". Keep posting! Lynn
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