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Post by stardiamond on Sept 30, 2021 21:42:42 GMT -5
If you ever want to down size, buy an extra Genie right side adaptor and use 6 inch sintered wheels. I haven't invested in sintered and keep buying top 80 6 inch wheels. I do all shaping and doming on the 80 grit wheels, the rest are for scratch removal. I use the top 80 for most of the work and then fine tune using an old DP 80 grit. No shaping with the 220 hard and the soft wheels.
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 17, 2021 13:44:58 GMT -5
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Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 13:14:18 GMT -5
Does anyone use the dental Dop pot
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Post by liveoak on Jan 20, 2022 14:13:38 GMT -5
September 1969  With the cabbing article in it Any chance for a clear readable scan of that article from the old Lapidary Journal.
I think that's the clearest write up I've seen & would love to hang it on the wall to help keep me on track as I'm learning.
Thank you
Patty
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Post by knave on Jan 20, 2022 14:50:08 GMT -5
Does anyone use the dental Dop pot The dental Dop pot works great and heats up very quickly. |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 19:01:37 GMT -5
Here is a preform with the first bevel. On large cabs like this I do 3 bevels (80 grit). I will do three bevels at increasingly flat angles. Two bevels on smaller cabs. I try to leave the flat spot in the same shape as the preform on each bevel. Once the bevels are done, I start rocking the cab back and forth on the wheel.  This is one of my keys to flatter domes. It takes a while but it ends up with a pretty uniform dome. Stock removal on any lapidary project is the hardest part. My daughter helped me with the photo. You can actually see the flat spot on top of the cab. When I tried to take a similar photo, the flat spot wasn’t very visible. |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 19:38:33 GMT -5
Here’s bevel two. The flat spot is still similar in shape to the preform.  |
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Post by perkins17 on Feb 27, 2022 21:22:58 GMT -5
You guys should get together and write a book!!! I just read through this whole thread and learned a lot. This is a GREAT resource for new cabbers.
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 22:26:48 GMT -5
Thanks perkins17 . I’m not a finesse cabber. I tend to do a lot of big cabs that are nearly useless for jewelry. I want to get a groove cutter so I can groove wrap some of the thicker cabs. I think you need to cut the groove before cabbing though. I’ll try to get some photos of the cab when it’s done. It’s a crack free Montana moss agate. |
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Post by perkins17 on Feb 27, 2022 22:35:30 GMT -5
Thanks perkins17. I’m not a finesse cabber. I tend to do a lot of big cabs that are nearly useless for jewelry. I want to get a groove cutter so I can groove wrap some of the thicker cabs. I think you need to cut the groove before cabbing though. You're cabs are way better than mine! Big cabs are cool, but not exactly my strong suit. Groove wrapping does look interesting, but no way I have the space for more equipment like that 🙂. |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 22:52:37 GMT -5
perkins17 I doubt if they’re better than yours. I’ve been doing lapidary stuff for 35 years or so. I have accumulated a lot of equipment over the years. I tumble rocks 24/7. I cab when I have time. I need to dig out the faceter again
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Post by perkins17 on Feb 27, 2022 22:57:26 GMT -5
perkins17I doubt if they’re better than yours. I’ve been doing lapidary stuff for 35 years or so. I have accumulated a lot of equipment over the years. I tumble rocks 24/7. I cab when I have time. I need to dig out the facet or again Thank you! Yeah, I'm pretty new to this but I've still accumulated a ton of equipment already! 😂 It's cool how many branches of this hobby there are. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Feb 27, 2022 23:00:50 GMT -5
Thanks perkins17 . I’m not a finesse cabber. I tend to do a lot of big cabs that are nearly useless for jewelry. I want to get a groove cutter so I can groove wrap some of the thicker cabs. I think you need to cut the groove before cabbing though.I’ll try to get some photos of the cab when it’s done. It’s a crack free Montana moss agate. I know a lot of people DO cut the groove before cabbing...but I don't. I've cut my grooves after the cab is complete. I think if you know you're going to do a groove wrap with a particular piece, I'd suggest to anyone to make their girdle a little thicker than they would if they were going to wire-wrap it. With a thicker girdle, you're less likely to chip the edge of the cab while working the wire in the groove. I've done a couple groove wraps when I didn't know they were going to be...and the girdle was pretty thin...and ANY movement of the wire outside the line of the groove risked chipping the cab... |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 23:04:26 GMT -5
perkins17The different branches of the hobby keep me going. If I get burned out on one branch, I switch to another. The tumblers are my biggest time suck but I’ve been getting a lot of slabs from eBay lately. That has kept me working on cabs. It’s such a fun hobby.
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 23:12:50 GMT -5
I know a lot of people DO cut the groove before cabbing...but I don't. I've cut my grooves after the cab is complete. I think if you know you're going to do a groove wrap with a particular piece, I'd suggest to anyone to make their girdle a little thicker than they would if they were going to wire-wrap it. With a thicker girdle, you're less likely to chip the edge of the cab while working the wire in the groove. I've done a couple groove wraps when I didn't know they were going to be...and the girdle was pretty thin...and ANY movement of the wire outside the line of the groove risked chipping the cab... Thanks for the advice jasoninsd. I just ordered the high end gryphete with four groove bits. I’ll be picking your brain in the near future. Your wraps are killer. I need to start on easier projects. rockjunquie has also inspired me. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Feb 27, 2022 23:15:03 GMT -5
I know a lot of people DO cut the groove before cabbing...but I don't. I've cut my grooves after the cab is complete. I think if you know you're going to do a groove wrap with a particular piece, I'd suggest to anyone to make their girdle a little thicker than they would if they were going to wire-wrap it. With a thicker girdle, you're less likely to chip the edge of the cab while working the wire in the groove. I've done a couple groove wraps when I didn't know they were going to be...and the girdle was pretty thin...and ANY movement of the wire outside the line of the groove risked chipping the cab... Thanks for the advice jasoninsd . I just ordered the high end gryphete with four groove bits. I’ll be picking your brain in the near future. Your wraps are killer. I need to start on easier projects. rockjunquie has also inspired me. That's awesome you're getting that! When you get it, give me a call with any questions. I'll answer what I can!  |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 27, 2022 23:40:11 GMT -5
jasoninsd . I’m not very artistic. I did some silversmithing in the past but I chose to focus on the rocks. Isabelle is interested in wire wrapping. She’s very artistic. If I can knock out a couple groove wraps, it might encourage her to start doing the real thing. I always show her your work. She is definitely impressed.
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Post by jasoninsd on Feb 27, 2022 23:53:09 GMT -5
jasoninsd . I’m not very artistic. I did some silversmithing in the past but I chose to focus on the rocks. Isabelle is interested in wire wrapping. She’s very artistic. If I can knock out a couple groove wraps, it might encourage her to start doing the real thing. I always show her your work. She is definitely impressed. She's probably going to put both of us to shame!  (She put us both to shame when we went hounding together...and it was MY stomping grounds! LOL) Let Isabelle know if she has any questions at all, she can jump on the phone with us and we'll get 'em figured out. I'm really stoked to see what she comes up with when she does take the plunge! |
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Post by Mel on Aug 3, 2023 23:52:09 GMT -5
Just piping up that this thread has been IMMENSELY helpful to someone who suffers "flat spot" syndrome.
Awhile ago I read somewhere about an art (I think it was sculpture or pottery) class where the prof divided them into two groups. For the final grade he told one class "Make the most perfect piece you can, you have all semester. That piece will determine your final mark." He told the other group "You'll be graded on how many pieces you make. That's it."
In the end, the group that made more pieces made better quality pieces over the semester because they were more concerned with the "creating" and their skills naturally improved.
I think about that a lot.
I know I've started hammering on the cabs this week for the first time ever and I can already see improvements & less scratches but man, flat spots are my nemesis!!
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Aug 4, 2023 7:58:55 GMT -5
Mel I read the same story years ago. It must be in a book we both have. We also can’t remember which book we read it in here, and have tried several times over the years to remember. My husband and I refer to the story often. We just say “make more pots” and we both know what that means. It was a pottery class, and ya, the students who were tasked with making as many pots as possible made the best quality pots by the end of the semester, while the students tasked with making one perfect pot spent all semester planning beautiful and extravagant pots but never developed the skill to actually accomplish them.
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(She put us both to shame when we went hounding together...and it was MY stomping grounds! LOL)
