nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Sept 30, 2020 2:46:05 GMT -5
A rainy afternoon let me get a bit of time at the wheels today, and finally finish a handful of dopped preforms that had been sitting on the bench for months. They came out fairly well, aside from the picture jasper that I dropped on a tile floor while removing it from the dop.  IMG_20200930_165838 by nik1924, on Flickr I was finally able to get the undercutting issue mostly under control on this matrix opal. Not the best fire, but better in person.  IMG_20200930_164110 by nik1924, on Flickr Chrysachola from an old mine tailings pile in Rawlins WY  IMG_20200930_164300 by nik1924, on Flickr A big, curly, gary green for the September cab contest, from one of the first slabs off the new saw.  IMG_20200930_165658 by nik1924, on Flickr Murky Wyoming jade  IMG_20200930_140941 by nik1924, on Flickr backlit  IMG_20200930_165216 by nik1924, on Flickr a little sliver of moss agate, from my grandfather's collection.  IMG_20200930_164442 by nik1924, on Flickr And a bit of noreena  IMG_20200930_165341 by nik1924, on Flickr |
|
|
|
Post by pauls on Sept 30, 2020 16:52:25 GMT -5
Nice,
Can you tell me how you cured the undercutting on that Boulder Opal.
|
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Sept 30, 2020 17:59:25 GMT -5
great moss.
|
|
nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Sept 30, 2020 19:22:29 GMT -5
Nice, Can you tell me how you cured the undercutting on that Boulder Opal. Best I can tell, the difference came from switching from tin oxide on a 8" leather disc at about 800 rpm to 8000 and 14000 diamond paste on 8" resin belts at about 1200 rpm with very light pressure. The shaping progression prior to the polish is the standard 220-3000 soft wheels, although being as soft as it is, you could probably skip the 1200. The end result is not perfect, and the matrix still does not take a great polish, but vastly better than my previous attempts. |
|
nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Sept 30, 2020 19:24:06 GMT -5
Thanks, I wish I had some more of it, or knew where it is from. |
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Sept 30, 2020 19:32:03 GMT -5
Thanks, I wish I had some more of it, or knew where it is from. I have a lot of Horse Canyon. I might guess Ochoco. What I like about your cab is how the filaments stand out. |
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Sept 30, 2020 19:48:27 GMT -5
Great way to spend a rainy day! Nice looking cabs! I watch a lot of cooking shows on TV. Every time they mess up a dish (ie. broken taco shells on tacos) and it doesn't look like it should, they just call it "deconstructed"...perhaps you could just call that picture jasper a "deconstructed cab"!  |
|
|
|
Post by stephan on Oct 3, 2020 13:09:56 GMT -5
Nice shine on the Noreena. I don’t get most of it past a satin finish, even with 100k grit. Kind of a bummer, since I like the patterns.
|
|
nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Oct 3, 2020 15:51:17 GMT -5
Nice shine on the Noreena. I don’t get most of it past a satin finish, even with 100k grit. Kind of a bummer, since I like the patterns. Thanks, I only polishes these to 14000. I think a bit of heat is key to the shine. |
|
|
|
Post by stephan on Oct 3, 2020 18:23:22 GMT -5
Nice shine on the Noreena. I don’t get most of it past a satin finish, even with 100k grit. Kind of a bummer, since I like the patterns. Thanks, I only polishes these to 14000. I think a bit of heat is key to the shine. Ah kinda like obsidian and jade. Maybe I’ll give that a try. |
|
nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Oct 4, 2020 5:00:26 GMT -5
Thanks, I only polishes these to 14000. I think a bit of heat is key to the shine. Ah kinda like obsidian and jade. Maybe I’ll give that a try. Don't hold me to it, I'm definitely not claiming to be an expert. But it has worked well for me.  IMG_20200525_074645 by nik1924, on Flickr  IMG_20200427_171027 by nik1924, on Flickr |
|
|
|
Post by stephan on Oct 4, 2020 10:07:23 GMT -5
Hey, it’s worth a try. If it doesn’t work, then maybe the stuff I have isn’t a high grade. It’s definitely soft for a jasper.
Nice work on those. The top one, especially, is amazing.
|
|
|
|
Post by knave on Oct 4, 2020 10:35:44 GMT -5
I have a nik cab and it is better than the picture was. |
|
nik
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2019
Posts: 315
|
Post by nik on Oct 4, 2020 20:33:15 GMT -5
I have a nik cab and it is better than the picture was. Thanks, these look better in person as well, I don't really have much of a setup for photography. I usually rely on natural light, and it was cloudy and raining for about a week. |
|
