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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 19:47:28 GMT -5
I did a few circle cuts today, it was nice to take a day off and play in the shop! But I need to ask, why are circles so hard to do or is it just me? Seems like every one of these needed a ton of fiddling to make them round...most looked like a toddler drew the pre forms with a crayon or something! In the end, I was pretty happy with them. John
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Post by pauls on Jan 4, 2019 20:34:29 GMT -5
They certainly are difficult, I needed to make some circular 1 inch cabs for a niece who has a pendant thing that she can clip in a new cab whenever the mood takes her. After lots of mucking around with various ways to do it I came up with a dop stick with the head turned in the lathe to be just under an inch, then just cut the stone to very close to the dop, very accurate and easy, very repeatable too.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2019 20:41:41 GMT -5
Great job!! I don't like doing circles, either. You're braver than I am to take on so many!
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2019 20:42:26 GMT -5
They certainly are difficult, I needed to make some circular 1 inch cabs for a niece who has a pendant thing that she can clip in a new cab whenever the mood takes her. After lots of mucking around with various ways to do it I came up with a dop stick with the head turned in the lathe to be just under an inch, then just cut the stone to very close to the dop, very accurate and easy, very repeatable too. THAT is a great idea! I don't know why that never occurred to me. Thanks!
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491
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Post by fishnpinball on Jan 4, 2019 20:46:07 GMT -5
I can always improve my circles.
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julieooly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2018
Posts: 714
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Post by julieooly on Jan 4, 2019 21:10:07 GMT -5
Ugh circles. What is the dark green stone on the left next to the white one? I love green and am working with some jades from California and Peru and a pretty serpentine from Delaware. Good job!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 4, 2019 21:19:20 GMT -5
I cut circles with a core bit on a drill press and then dome them. Drilling is slow and boring though. That pun was not intended, but I am enjoying it.
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Post by opalpyrexia on Jan 4, 2019 22:12:39 GMT -5
They certainly are difficult, I needed to make some circular 1 inch cabs for a niece who has a pendant thing that she can clip in a new cab whenever the mood takes her. After lots of mucking around with various ways to do it I came up with a dop stick with the head turned in the lathe to be just under an inch, then just cut the stone to very close to the dop, very accurate and easy, very repeatable too.
Circles can also be made by chucking the dop with a trimmed preform in a flexshaft, Dremel, or hand drill and putting it to a flat lap.
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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 22:33:13 GMT -5
They certainly are difficult, I needed to make some circular 1 inch cabs for a niece who has a pendant thing that she can clip in a new cab whenever the mood takes her. After lots of mucking around with various ways to do it I came up with a dop stick with the head turned in the lathe to be just under an inch, then just cut the stone to very close to the dop, very accurate and easy, very repeatable too. I agree with @rockjunkie...that is a great idea! I will definitely be trying that in the future.
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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 22:35:55 GMT -5
Great job!! I don't like doing circles, either. You're braver than I am to take on so many! Thanks! And I'm off of circles for a while!
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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 22:45:29 GMT -5
Ugh circles. What is the dark green stone on the left next to the white one? I love green and am working with some jades from California and Peru and a pretty serpentine from Delaware. Good job! Thanks! That's chrome chalcedony from Australia. Got that slab earlier this summer and finally got around to working some of it. Nice stuff!
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2011
Posts: 1,278
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Post by mossyrockhound on Jan 4, 2019 22:45:33 GMT -5
Great job on those! Do you have specific plans for them? I've seen some real nice drawer pulls made from polished stones.
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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 22:53:35 GMT -5
They certainly are difficult, I needed to make some circular 1 inch cabs for a niece who has a pendant thing that she can clip in a new cab whenever the mood takes her. After lots of mucking around with various ways to do it I came up with a dop stick with the head turned in the lathe to be just under an inch, then just cut the stone to very close to the dop, very accurate and easy, very repeatable too.
Circles can also be made by chucking the dop with a trimmed preform in a flexshaft, Dremel, or hand drill and putting it to a flat lap.
Thank you! I think I'll try that too 👍
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Post by lpl on Jan 4, 2019 22:58:29 GMT -5
Great job on those! Do you have specific plans for them? I've seen some real nice drawer pulls made from polished stones. Thanks! It was fun, but got old fast. I have a few ideas for some pendants. I hadn't thought of drawer pulls, but I like that idea a lot.
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Post by stephan on Jan 5, 2019 0:34:43 GMT -5
I did a few circle cuts today, it was nice to take a day off and play in the shop! But I need to ask, why are circles so hard to do or is it just me? Seems like every one of these needed a ton of fiddling to make them round...most looked like a toddler drew the pre forms with a crayon or something! In the end, I was pretty happy with them. John Your circles look far better than mine. Symmetry is very unforgiving, and round is about as symmetrical as it gets. I will need a really compelling reason to do ever do another circle (or oval, or most other symmetrical shapes) -- freeforms all the way, baby.
That said, I may need to do a few hearts for Valentines Day/Etsy. Just a few though (very few). I'll probably focus more on pink and/or red stones.
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Post by lpl on Jan 5, 2019 10:03:17 GMT -5
stephan . Ugh hearts are so hard for me to do. I wish you well cutting some!
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Post by stephan on Jan 5, 2019 10:31:03 GMT -5
stephan . Ugh hearts are so hard for me to do. I wish you well cutting some! Thanks. I’ll need it. I’ll likely end up doing at least some that are deliberately assymetrical, especially if I can’t find my template. T
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Post by pauls on Jan 5, 2019 15:32:14 GMT -5
Hearts aren't too difficult if you do it in two stages, tackle it as an odd roundish triangle cab for a start, get that nice and symetrical, then take it almost to polish. Then do the groove between the lobes. When doing the groove and lobes use a fine wheel I do it with 600, that way any mistakes happen nice and slowly and aren't too deep.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 5, 2019 18:25:19 GMT -5
You did a really good job on those.
I hate doing circles, they are very difficult. I did read a trick back a while ago of putting the pre-form on a nail head then putting the nail in a Dremel to spin the preform while working it in the cabbing machine on the first couple of wheels. Have not tried it yet.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 5, 2019 18:42:57 GMT -5
Agree. Great job on the circles.
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