rads
spending too much on rocks
Making clay each day!
Member since April 2018
Posts: 319
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Post by rads on Apr 11, 2018 10:35:56 GMT -5
A picture of this weeks works in progress. Doing the large geode as a specimen for a friend, he asked for a nice paperweight. Have been cutting thunder egg cores for jewelry wrapping and starting to use some of my Nephrite (WY) for a pendant for a gift to a good friend.  I have done a large amount of custom guitar picks in the past. In reality, I produce more broken picks than whole ones, unseen fractures appear readily when you are going down to 0.075 mm for some. I try to stay at the .2 mm mark anymore, the pile of broken ones is disheartening. They are only made by request anymore, it's an artistic expression to me....an outlet This is the only piece of jewelry that I have ever made (will help). Wind Slick Snowflake Nephrite with quartz needles running through out (Apple Green). Only polished lightly on the high spots and weighing 2 ounces, it is wrapped in recycled wire. It was a gift for my wife on our 30th anniversary.   |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 11, 2018 17:44:58 GMT -5
Some great material there..
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Post by mohs on Apr 11, 2018 17:57:46 GMT -5
interesting concept and good rocking!
ed
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rads
spending too much on rocks
Making clay each day!
Member since April 2018
Posts: 319
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Post by rads on Apr 13, 2018 13:32:12 GMT -5
Thank you, I will cut the wires off the Nephrite and re-do it when I learn more of the jewelry design aspect of the hobby. She loves it and wears it often, but it is really not up to what I thought I could do. Rock is easier for me, knowing it is difficult to work. But, very rewarding when you get it right. Having retired recently from a high pressure career that involved far to many hours and having to play the corporate game, it was time to relax with my collection. Nothing can be as exciting as cutting a blind rough and hitting some thing that so unique.  |
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Apr 13, 2018 14:39:58 GMT -5
Please make Mr. Smiley Face your avatar
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Post by fernwood on Apr 13, 2018 16:02:37 GMT -5
I love Mr. Smiley. Nice material and a variety of projects.
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rads
spending too much on rocks
Making clay each day!
Member since April 2018
Posts: 319
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Post by rads on Apr 14, 2018 9:37:15 GMT -5
Please make Mr. Smiley Face your avatar Done....lol |
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Post by lpl on Apr 16, 2018 10:04:10 GMT -5
Your smiley face slab is awesome!
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geostrong
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Life is like saltation, you have to bounce off of others to become a well-rounded individual
Member since April 2018
Posts: 88
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Post by geostrong on Apr 18, 2018 12:32:30 GMT -5
Some good stuff there rads! I had been toying with the idea of doing guitar picks... Do the people you make them for use them? If so, do they like the sound produced?
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Post by accidentalrockhound on Apr 18, 2018 13:04:35 GMT -5
Nice material. I would have to say the Smiley face looks slot like Trump.
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rads
spending too much on rocks
Making clay each day!
Member since April 2018
Posts: 319
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Post by rads on Apr 20, 2018 10:42:15 GMT -5
Some good stuff there rads! I had been toying with the idea of doing guitar picks... Do the people you make them for use them? If so, do they like the sound produced? Most are playing electric with them, the sound is unlike any other material I am told...... Plastic picks "grab" the strings while played, metal does the same. Stone is pure, it glides across the strings with no resistance and do not wear the strings or the pick. The hardest part of making them is pointing the end correctly, it MUST be in the dead center of the pick. Picture two parallel lines as the outside of the pick, the point must be rounded and be in the exact center of those two parallel lines. I leave the upper, wider part of the pick only partially polished, sweaty fingers don't want to grip slick stone. I leave the top around 240 grit polished and then glass polish the rest of the pick. One thing that players love is the ability to make the pick tapered when using stone. Plastic picks are flat and cause fingers to cramp while gripping the pick so hard. If they use a 2.0 mm, I can make it 2.0 mm up to the gripping point and then add another 1.0 mm to the gripping surface...less fatigue. Did 2 this week that are going to Deweezil Zappa in May while he is in Detroit. These are Stinking Water petrified wood. Although it looks like a fracture in the picture, it is part of a plume running in it.  |
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geostrong
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Life is like saltation, you have to bounce off of others to become a well-rounded individual
Member since April 2018
Posts: 88
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Post by geostrong on Apr 20, 2018 12:12:40 GMT -5
That's awesome... I hadn't even thought about the contact of the stone and string (other than plucking) and how the action is different. I may have to make a few of these for fun!
Nice work on that pet wood.
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Apr 20, 2018 14:05:01 GMT -5
Thanks. I enjoy others using the picks too.
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