NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 16:59:23 GMT -5
This was a long FALL season this year with Covid wiping out. Judging by the timestamps on the pics, these were done in early October...
It turns out that due to the lock down and increased pressure by the State of Nevada on everyone to stay inside, that this was probably the most productive I have ever been turning out pendants.
P185 - Tiny Ruby Red Jasper - Hard to tell but this is 24 gauge wire. It is a small rock (Lavic to be sure) and because it is light weight that means it will probably actually get worn by someone! Unlike most of my attempts.
P186 - Chrysocolla Birds Nest - I have a couple of these, which do have 'some' color. But I have not figured out how to polish them yet. To me the stone looks like a birds nest. If you were just looking at the rock alone, most people would probably toss it out the window with all the other landscape rock.
P187 - Aqua Naga Battle Mage - Ok, what is a 'battle mage'? It is a magic user and conjurer who lived in the middle ages. A Naga is a sea creature. I like playing video games, and if you play enough of them then you might start to see images of these persons or monsters in your cabochons. I promise it is not the LSD. I really see a magic user holding a long cane! Think "Gandalf".
P188 - South Cady Triangle Of Fire - With the rock club, I came across a location at S. Cady Mtns. which should have been picked over by every newbie rockhound many years ago. And it had been. So I wandered way off on my own into the hills where it looked like there might be some other promising material and happened across a bunch of this.
P189 - Colo River Jasper Yellow Bug (Front) - I find some weird stuff along the banks of the Colo. How far away has it traveled? Dozens or hundreds of miles? Who really knows. This yellow Chert is pretty on both sides and so the wrap is done in a way where it can be facing either direction.
P190 - Blue Ocean Driftwood - (Front) - Or flying Pterodactyl! You pick. Another mine tailings rock which i find to be not boring, but unable to figure out how to really polish well; this is two sided. I attempted to mimic the style of another RTH member (who wishes to be not named), as a shout out. I am trying to imitate the motion in the patterns of stone with the wire. I'll just show one side.
P191 - Copper Mine Birds Egg - More Copper mine stuff. There is 3 colors of wire used on it. The picture is terrible; it is a bit more attractive than this. But it reminds me of those candy 'birds egg's that you can buy during Easter time. Some are filled with chocolate, and others have that malted milk ball center. Wrapped so tightly I think I cracked the egg near the bottom.
P192 - Lavic Red Jasper Tri Prong - Lately I am starting to notice that my 'freeform' cabs are starting to get a little too 'free'. By that I mean that it is a lot more lazy to fashion a non-symmetrical cabochon than it is to freehand one that is more pleasing to the eye. The prongs are intentionally offset to give the cab some movement; with the center one lined up with the bail.
More tri-wire bails making appearance now, since I believe they look better than just two wire bails.
Well, that is it for now! Thank you for stopping by to have a look!
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Post by miket on Dec 28, 2020 17:11:33 GMT -5
Very nice work, sir!
I think I like the "Triangle of Fire" best...
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 28, 2020 20:26:13 GMT -5
Bill, like I've said before, I have no experience wrapping, but I think each of these wraps look amazingly professional!  Tiny Ruby Red Jasper - I like the depths this one is showing! Aqua Naga Battle Mage - I so see an amazing Gandolf-like character in that stone! WAY COOL!!! South Cady Triangle Of Fire - Love this cab! That material is amazing and I really like what you did with the wrap on this one. Blue Ocean Driftwood - Again, an amazing picture captured, this time of a pterodactyl!!! Again, WAY COOL! All of these really are fantastic Bill! |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 28, 2020 21:18:41 GMT -5
Stellar wraps, Bill!
I really like the Tiny Ruby Red Jasper wrap and you got a killer shine on that rock!
Also love the Triangle of Fire wrap and the twisted wire on top. Another killer shine on that one, too.
Gandolf and the Pterodactyl are so cool! Great captures in those stones. Some of copper complex stones will never take a high shine, but you can try using some Zam on a cotton buff to see if you can get the shine up a little. They're interesting enough just by themselves, if you ask me.
Great job on these!
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Post by opalpyrexia on Dec 28, 2020 22:58:18 GMT -5
I really enjoy reading your thoughts about your pieces as much as I do admiring them. Thanks for sharing both. I also think that your 'tri-wire' bails look better than two.
My favorite is your P188 - South Cady Triangle Of Fire. It's a great pendant. Don't take this the wrong way, but I once said that your side windings can look like fingers or hands. On the P188, the copper is close to the cab color and I can almost make out two eyes... ...I think the little feller is saying, "I'm gonna jump! I will, I'm gonna do it!"
Very nice work!
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 30, 2020 8:47:06 GMT -5
Another great batch! I see that your getting betterer and betterer. Less nicks, tighter wraps, more control over the wire. Good job!
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 16:13:54 GMT -5
Very nice work, sir! I think I like the "Triangle of Fire" best... Thanks man! I appreciate the kind words! |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 16:15:57 GMT -5
Bill, like I've said before, I have no experience wrapping, but I think each of these wraps look amazingly professional! Tiny Ruby Red Jasper - I like the depths this one is showing! Aqua Naga Battle Mage - I so see an amazing Gandolf-like character in that stone! WAY COOL!!! South Cady Triangle Of Fire - Love this cab! That material is amazing and I really like what you did with the wrap on this one. Blue Ocean Driftwood - Again, an amazing picture captured, this time of a pterodactyl!!! Again, WAY COOL! All of these really are fantastic Bill! Jason, is it possible that you looked at all of the stones in this post?? I think so. Heck I would hardly have the patience to read half of my nonsensical babble let alone view all of the rocks. Thanks again for the nice words. |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 16:20:53 GMT -5
Stellar wraps, Bill!
I really like the Tiny Ruby Red Jasper wrap and you got a killer shine on that rock!
Also love the Triangle of Fire wrap and the twisted wire on top. Another killer shine on that one, too.
Gandolf and the Pterodactyl are so cool! Great captures in those stones. Some of copper complex stones will never take a high shine, but you can try using some Zam on a cotton buff to see if you can get the shine up a little. They're interesting enough just by themselves, if you ask me.
Great job on these!
Thank you for the compliments! The little red Jasper guy is really small. I think the binding wire is 28. These little ones are trying. Sometimes they get finished, and other times I just pull off all the wire and quit. I also like the rocks that I get a shine on. I am starting to slip a little lately and am not getting the kind of shine on the dumber looking rocks that I need to. I use ZAM and cotton buff (and so I really appreciate the comment here), but I think I am doing something wrong. That is an awesome suggestion though, which I very much appreciate! |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 16:26:41 GMT -5
I really enjoy reading your thoughts about your pieces as much as I do admiring them. Thanks for sharing both. I also think that your 'tri-wire' bails look better than two. My favorite is your P188 - South Cady Triangle Of Fire. It's a great pendant. Don't take this the wrong way, but I once said that your side windings can look like fingers or hands. On the P188, the copper is close to the cab color and I can almost make out two eyes... ...I think the little feller is saying, "I'm gonna jump! I will, I'm gonna do it!" Very nice work! Haha! That is rather obvious now that you mention it. Looking at all of them, there could be little hands on the sides. You know, if I ever find the right rock, then I will have to dedicate the wrap to you. I will call it "Kilroy was here!". I can just see it now! |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 16:34:52 GMT -5
Another great batch! I see that your getting betterer and betterer. Less nicks, tighter wraps, more control over the wire. Good job! I appreciate the comment, Tela! The wraps have been getting tighter. So tight that I have had to back off some lately. You once mentioned that many of your own wraps don't really need any elaborate binding wraps or prongs to hold the stone in place. That stuck in my mind. This can be true.
I like to think I am betterrer some times. These were done a couple of months ago during what I would consider one of my betterrest times. I haven't wrapped much over the past few weeks or so though. So I have lost my touch. I need to get back in to it. Otherwise my stones will always look pretty lousy like these ones, but my wraps will match. Then I will be lousyyer. Hehe.
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