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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 19, 2020 21:47:55 GMT -5
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 20, 2020 9:40:02 GMT -5
Nice job on the cabs, Jason!
Linda Marie is one of those pita stones and some pieces are better quality than others. I have always been tempted to get some to try, but the undercutting in a lot of it has stopped me from pulling the trigger. There's so many other stones out there to cut that don't have undercutting issues. 
I think you're coming along really well. Love the Noreena shield. The dipping is only very slight, now. The more you cut them, the better they're getting!
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 20, 2020 9:49:31 GMT -5
Like Robin said- some of those plumes undercut worse than others. I have been really lucky with mine, but I've had a few that were a PITA.
The noreena looks awesome! Great job on the shield- a more difficult cut. Don't worry if you dip a little. It's a very common issue for just about everyone. You'll get the hang of it.
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Post by victor1941 on Dec 20, 2020 10:12:58 GMT -5
Your work looks really nice. It is very obvious that quality is your goal. Keep the cabs coming.
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 20, 2020 10:39:04 GMT -5
I think that you're doing great, Jason!
If you're finding that the corners are a problem for your girdles, have a try at cutting a cab without a girdle. In other words, a cab where the slope of the dome continues right down the sides, becoming steeper as it approaches the the bottom edge. In my cutting with this style — and this may be only my problem — I occasionally find that my corners are a little too high (!) and require me to take them down a bit.
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Post by miket on Dec 20, 2020 10:52:00 GMT -5
Looking great, Jason !
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 20, 2020 19:47:31 GMT -5
Nice job on the cabs, Jason! Linda Marie is one of those pita stones and some pieces are better quality than others. I have always been tempted to get some to try, but the undercutting in a lot of it has stopped me from pulling the trigger. There's so many other stones out there to cut that don't have undercutting issues. I think you're coming along really well. Love the Noreena shield. The dipping is only very slight, now. The more you cut them, the better they're getting!
Thanks Robin!  If you want a slab or two of the Linda Marie, let me know! I'm struggling with trying to figure out the "why" it's happening...or more the point where along the way I'm doing it. I have been trying to be very cognizant of my motions when I'm doing the dome around the corners, but apparently I'm not paying attention close enough. I'll get it one of these days. Like Robin said- some of those plumes undercut worse than others. I have been really lucky with mine, but I've had a few that were a PITA.
The noreena looks awesome! Great job on the shield- a more difficult cut. Don't worry if you dip a little. It's a very common issue for just about everyone. You'll get the hang of it.
Thanks Tela. I still think I can be WAY lighter with my touch. I really feel myself adding unnecessary pressure. I could also try it with the dremel as I can "firm" up the sanding wheel, while the cabbing machine has that pad under the disk, which allows a little "give" which I've been told can add to the undercutting... I don't know why, but the shield shape is one of my favorite shapes...I think it just looks sharp. Your work looks really nice. It is very obvious that quality is your goal. Keep the cabs coming. Thanks Victor! I've got to figure out how to hound/slab/cab/tumble all at once...I feel like I'm falling behind...and I don't have a time schedule at all! LOL I think that you're doing great, Jason! If you're finding that the corners are a problem for your girdles, have a try at cutting a cab without a girdle. In other words, a cab where the slope of the dome continues right down the sides, becoming steeper as it approaches the the bottom edge. In my cutting with this style — and this may be only my problem — I occasionally find that my corners are a little too high (!) and require me to take them down a bit. Thank you so much! This would be a very interesting approach for me. I might have to give this a try! I've seen cabs where there isn't a distinct girdle line and the dome just slopes downward. So, I think I know what you're describing. Thanks Mike! Sometimes I feel like I'm cheating by not using the dremel! |
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Post by stephan on Dec 22, 2020 1:54:58 GMT -5
I think that you're doing great, Jason! If you're finding that the corners are a problem for your girdles, have a try at cutting a cab without a girdle. In other words, a cab where the slope of the dome continues right down the sides, becoming steeper as it approaches the the bottom edge. In my cutting with this style — and this may be only my problem — I occasionally find that my corners are a little too high (!) and require me to take them down a bit. Thanks for bringing this up. I used to do more of these, but recently started making more girdles after a post about how difficult these stones are to set or wrap. I figure, at least for the ones I put up on Etsy, a girdle will maximize the appeal. But maybe, for the ones I'm making for myself, I'll keep that option open, especially for certain stones. Dino bone, for instance is already fragile, and is often cut ridiculously this, so that people can maximize the number of slabs they can sell at inflated prices. This can make it hard to dome AND give a decent girdle (at least for me). jasoninsd those are looking good. Nice work with the Noreena and Cold Mountain. Sorry about the trouble with the Marie, but maybe you'll find a decent cab-worth of material in the slab. Not too uncommon with plume and moss agates. I have a couple that are over 75% junk, but have a potential really nice cab or two. |
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 22, 2020 10:25:45 GMT -5
I think that you're doing great, Jason! If you're finding that the corners are a problem for your girdles, have a try at cutting a cab without a girdle. In other words, a cab where the slope of the dome continues right down the sides, becoming steeper as it approaches the the bottom edge. In my cutting with this style — and this may be only my problem — I occasionally find that my corners are a little too high (!) and require me to take them down a bit. Thanks for bringing this up. I used to do more of these, but recently started making more girdles after a post about how difficult these stones are to set or wrap. I figure, at least for the ones I put up on Etsy, a girdle will maximize the appeal. But maybe, for the ones I'm making for myself, I'll keep that option open, especially for certain stones. Dino bone, for instance is already fragile, and is often cut ridiculously this, so that people can maximize the number of slabs they can sell at inflated prices. This can make it hard to dome AND give a decent girdle (at least for me).
I wonder if commercially produced cabs (in addition to the explosive growth of wire wrapping) played a role in the adoption of girdles. My daughter, who evidently still thinks of me primarily as a maker of jewelry, had gifted me some commercial cabs. They're not very good material or cut particularly well, and they're far thinner than they should be. They would present difficulty for many wrappers I think.
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chandler
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2020
Posts: 105
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Post by chandler on Dec 22, 2020 10:43:17 GMT -5
Beautiful, Jason!
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 22, 2020 10:49:24 GMT -5
I think that you're doing great, Jason! If you're finding that the corners are a problem for your girdles, have a try at cutting a cab without a girdle. In other words, a cab where the slope of the dome continues right down the sides, becoming steeper as it approaches the the bottom edge. In my cutting with this style — and this may be only my problem — I occasionally find that my corners are a little too high (!) and require me to take them down a bit. Thanks for bringing this up. I used to do more of these, but recently started making more girdles after a post about how difficult these stones are to set or wrap. I figure, at least for the ones I put up on Etsy, a girdle will maximize the appeal. But maybe, for the ones I'm making for myself, I'll keep that option open, especially for certain stones. Dino bone, for instance is already fragile, and is often cut ridiculously this, so that people can maximize the number of slabs they can sell at inflated prices. This can make it hard to dome AND give a decent girdle (at least for me). jasoninsd those are looking good. Nice work with the Noreena and Cold Mountain. Sorry about the trouble with the Marie, but maybe you'll find a decent cab-worth of material in the slab. Not too uncommon with plume and moss agates. I have a couple that are over 75% junk, but have a potential really nice cab or two. Thanks Stephen! So, are you saying there may be no way to avoid the undercutting like this? I'd hate to blame the material if I'm just not using the right technique... Thanks for bringing this up. I used to do more of these, but recently started making more girdles after a post about how difficult these stones are to set or wrap. I figure, at least for the ones I put up on Etsy, a girdle will maximize the appeal. But maybe, for the ones I'm making for myself, I'll keep that option open, especially for certain stones. Dino bone, for instance is already fragile, and is often cut ridiculously this, so that people can maximize the number of slabs they can sell at inflated prices. This can make it hard to dome AND give a decent girdle (at least for me).
I wonder if commercially produced cabs (in addition to the explosive growth of wire wrapping) played a role in the adoption of girdles. My daughter, who evidently still thinks of me primarily as a maker of jewelry, had gifted me some commercial cabs. They're not very good material or cut particularly well, and they're far thinner than they should be. They would present difficulty for many wrappers I think.
When I first started making cabs (a month and a half ago! LOL) I had no idea what "depth" the girdle should be or if there was a standard "ratio" of girdle to dome height. But, my understanding now is it is really just based on the width of whatever the "planned" wrapping material is going to be...am I correct in assuming that? |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 22, 2020 10:50:20 GMT -5
Thanks Chandler! |
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 22, 2020 11:03:50 GMT -5
When I first started making cabs (a month and a half ago! LOL) I had no idea what "depth" the girdle should be or if there was a standard "ratio" of girdle to dome height. But, my understanding now is it is really just based on the width of whatever the "planned" wrapping material is going to be...am I correct in assuming that? Being aware of common bezel wire widths can be helpful. Here are Rio's for plain sterling strip: |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 22, 2020 11:09:53 GMT -5
Nice cabs...
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 22, 2020 11:19:14 GMT -5
When I first started making cabs (a month and a half ago! LOL) I had no idea what "depth" the girdle should be or if there was a standard "ratio" of girdle to dome height. But, my understanding now is it is really just based on the width of whatever the "planned" wrapping material is going to be...am I correct in assuming that? Being aware of common bezel wire widths can be helpful. Here are Rio's for plain sterling strip: Thanks for posting this! Thank you so much! |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 22, 2020 11:20:15 GMT -5
Not that I am the end all, but I usually shoot for between 3 and 4mm girdle height and a bit higher for bigger cabs. But, 3 to 4 is most common for me. I find it works for wrapping and setting.
opalpyrexia I still buy cabs when the price is right. There is a guy on etsy who does decent work and sells ridiculously cheap- cheaper than I can cut them with good material. (One type of stone in particular is silver in cobaltite. I have expensive slabs, but I can buy his at a fraction of my cost.) However, his cabs are thin with thin girdles. For many wrappers, thin is good. Many wrappers use 3 22 gauge wires. So, thin is great, but I use 4 20 gauge wires usually. His cabs require more work for me to get right. I would think those thin girdles would be worse for a silver setter. I have done some silver work and prefer NOT to fold the bezel wire over the top of the girdle. I prefer to let the angle of the girdle hold the stone. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 22, 2020 11:25:50 GMT -5
Not that I am the end all, but I usually shoot for between 3 and 4mm girdle height and a bit higher for bigger cabs. But, 3 to 4 is most common for me. I find it works for wrapping and setting.
opalpyrexia I still buy cabs when the price is right. There is a guy on etsy who does decent work and sells ridiculously cheap- cheaper than I can cut them with good material. (One type of stone in particular is silver in cobaltite. I have expensive slabs, but I can buy his at a fraction of my cost.) However, his cabs are thin with thin girdles. For many wrappers, thin is good. Many wrappers use 3 22 gauge wires. So, thin is great, but I use 4 20 gauge wires usually. His cabs require more work for me to get right. I would think those thin girdles would be worse for a silver setter. I have done some silver work and prefer NOT to fold the bezel wire over the top of the girdle. I prefer to let the angle of the girdle hold the stone. Boy I'm getting some great information this morning! Thank you so much for chiming in on this Tela! This gives me some idea of what to aim for going forward! And yes...you DO have some expensive slabs! I've witnessed one of your most recent auction purchases... |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 22, 2020 11:49:17 GMT -5
Not that I am the end all, but I usually shoot for between 3 and 4mm girdle height and a bit higher for bigger cabs. But, 3 to 4 is most common for me. I find it works for wrapping and setting.
opalpyrexia I still buy cabs when the price is right. There is a guy on etsy who does decent work and sells ridiculously cheap- cheaper than I can cut them with good material. (One type of stone in particular is silver in cobaltite. I have expensive slabs, but I can buy his at a fraction of my cost.) However, his cabs are thin with thin girdles. For many wrappers, thin is good. Many wrappers use 3 22 gauge wires. So, thin is great, but I use 4 20 gauge wires usually. His cabs require more work for me to get right. I would think those thin girdles would be worse for a silver setter. I have done some silver work and prefer NOT to fold the bezel wire over the top of the girdle. I prefer to let the angle of the girdle hold the stone. Boy I'm getting some great information this morning! Thank you so much for chiming in on this Tela! This gives me some idea of what to aim for going forward! And yes...you DO have some expensive slabs! I've witnessed one of your most recent auction purchases...
Keep in mind, that's just my opinion- I'm sure other people swear by something else entirely. Lots of ways to skin a cat in this hobby. But, I do think if you strive towards a heavy 3mm to 4mm you'll be alright. I absolutely detest working with a really thick girdle. |
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 22, 2020 12:33:08 GMT -5
I should add that my comments are influenced by cutting opal. The last thing that I want to do, in nearly all cases, is to cut away material simply to fit a bezel height. To do so risks losing fire and reduces weight, both of which reduce the gemstone's value.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 22, 2020 21:06:24 GMT -5
I usually shoot for about 3 mm, too. I have, on occasion, sanded down a higher bezel to fit a stone that fell in-between bezel wire sizes.
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I have such a difficult time with material that has "softer" areas within the material. You can see all the undercutting all over this thing. I even tried to start back at the 325 stage to try and even it out, but it just happened again. Arghhhh! Thankfully I have a several more slabs of this material to figure this stuff out!
