agatewhisperer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2020
Posts: 836
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Post by agatewhisperer on Jan 3, 2022 22:02:10 GMT -5
Had a little time to cab over the holiday. Not shown below is a coprolite cab. It just kept flaking away causing some bad pitting. Might retry it someday. Here's some more leopard skin.   I think this is Ohio flint but not quite sure. Had some cool colors and patterns but kept coming across new pits the further I went, so I called it good. They're highlighted in this pic because some polish got stuck in it...  Not sure what this one is. It's my second try. The green pieces are really flakey and had a side come off so needed to redo it. I noticed the scratches in the picture just now so might go back a third time to try again. Arg!  |
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Post by perkins17 on Jan 3, 2022 22:09:29 GMT -5
First off, those cabs look great. Nice shine and shape. I love the materials as well. Great job!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 3, 2022 22:16:32 GMT -5
Pretty cabs! I like them all, but that green moss is my favorite. I don't see any scratches.
I think your correct - the third one looks like Ohio flint to me, too.  |
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Post by opalpyrexia on Jan 3, 2022 22:23:56 GMT -5
Nice work. Your green moss is outstanding.
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agatewhisperer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2020
Posts: 836
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Post by agatewhisperer on Jan 3, 2022 22:38:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words. Here are my two problem spots on the green moss. I think I rushed the dome and got a few small pits and scuffs in the center. Then on the top right there are what look like three scratches from the coarse wheel but I need to go back and look at it in person to see if it's a scratch or something else. Fairly minor issues I guess but it's hard to unsee it. I don't really want to risk the green moss falling apart on me so I lean towards leaving it and paying more attention next time.  |
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agatewhisperer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2020
Posts: 836
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Post by agatewhisperer on Jan 3, 2022 22:45:23 GMT -5
I just realized it's a little hard to see the marks in the lower resolution upload.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 3, 2022 23:04:29 GMT -5
I can see the scratches at the top, but I'm still not sure what you circled in the middle are scratches. It looks more like schmutz from when the agate was forming to me.  |
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Post by stephan on Jan 3, 2022 23:48:26 GMT -5
Nice work. I like ‘‘em all, but slightly partial to #1. I’m with hummingbirdstones. It looks to me like the middle is something in the stone. Maybe you’re seeing something I don’t, but usually pictures make scratches MORE obvious. At least they do on my cabs. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 4, 2022 2:31:11 GMT -5
Alex, I think you're skills are amazing! I love the Leopard Skin pieces! You're really doing that material the justice it deserves!
I agree that third one is Ohio Flint...in fact, it's screaming to me that's what it is! LOL - I've slabbed some Prairie Agate that has that same type of grey/black/white linear portion with splashes of other colors - and I just had to shake my head at how similar to Ohio Flint it looked.
I'll concur with the others...that green moss agate is stunning!
I've been catching myself missing that same spot (top right on the moss agate) along the edge a couple times lately. I've been catching it on the 600, so I'm able to correct it right away...but I'm still missing it on the 280. I think that particular spot is difficult (for me) because I don't want to dip the girdle there at the top of the teardrop...and if I'm too aggressive along the girdle line right there, I know I can dip the tip! I've started going along the girdle line at a diagonal on the wheel (going from high right and angling toward the lower left of the wheel). This allows me to watch the girdle line as I'm bringing downward on that diagonal. (If any of that makes sense...)
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
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Post by Brian on Jan 4, 2022 7:53:27 GMT -5
That’s a beautiful group of cabs! The materials are outstanding, especially the flint and moss. I just came across the box of Ohio flint I got a few months ago and just hope it looks as good as that!
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2022 8:37:55 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs! I, too, especially like the moss agate. I wouldn't worry about the scratches. Happens to the best of us. At least, you found them. That's the important thing. They should be easy fixes and then you'll have a beautiful AND perfect cab.  |
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Post by miket on Jan 4, 2022 10:20:04 GMT -5
Love them all, very nice!
Everyone knows I'm horrible at ID'ing rocks, but could that last one be Agua Nueva?
I've done some cabs with that and it sure reminds me of it...
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 4, 2022 15:35:59 GMT -5
Great cabs. The first leopard skin is my favorite by far. I have bought leopard skin three or four times, and I've never gotten anything with remotely consistent hardness. I might be able to see a little bit of undercutting in yours, but nothing like the stuff I've tried to work with. And yours took a much better polish, also. Then again, I said the same thing about your Noreena, so maybe it's not the rock, but the person behind the wheels. |
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agatewhisperer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2020
Posts: 836
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Post by agatewhisperer on Jan 4, 2022 20:59:19 GMT -5
Nice work. I like ‘‘em all, but slightly partial to #1. I’m with hummingbirdstones. It looks to me like the middle is something in the stone. Maybe you’re seeing something I don’t, but usually pictures make scratches MORE obvious. At least they do on my cabs. True dat about the scratches showing up a lot more in the pictures! Not sure if I'll go back to try and improve it yet, it looks good in person. I've been catching myself missing that same spot (top right on the moss agate) along the edge a couple times lately. I've been catching it on the 600, so I'm able to correct it right away...but I'm still missing it on the 280. I think that particular spot is difficult (for me) because I don't want to dip the girdle there at the top of the teardrop...and if I'm too aggressive along the girdle line right there, I know I can dip the tip! I've started going along the girdle line at a diagonal on the wheel (going from high right and angling toward the lower left of the wheel). This allows me to watch the girdle line as I'm bringing downward on that diagonal. (If any of that makes sense...) Interesting. Yeah I am a bit cautious when it comes to keeping that girdle straight. Definitely an area I'm trying to be more consistent on. I drool over the sharp lines yours and others that post here. Not exactly sure I can visualize what your technique is tbh but will try a few things. That’s a beautiful group of cabs! The materials are outstanding, especially the flint and moss. I just came across the box of Ohio flint I got a few months ago and just hope it looks as good as that! Thanks! I can't wait to see how your flint turns out! Beautiful cabs! I, too, especially like the moss agate. I wouldn't worry about the scratches. Happens to the best of us. At least, you found them. That's the important thing. They should be easy fixes and then you'll have a beautiful AND perfect cab. Thanks! I went back and read the tutorial pages about doming and need to really pay attention to that. Love them all, very nice! Everyone knows I'm horrible at ID'ing rocks, but could that last one be Agua Nueva? I've done some cabs with that and it sure reminds me of it... Thanks! I'll have to look up Agua Nueva... Great cabs. The first leopard skin is my favorite by far. I have bought leopard skin three or four times, and I've never gotten anything with remotely consistent hardness. I might be able to see a little bit of undercutting in yours, but nothing like the stuff I've tried to work with. And yours took a much better polish, also. Then again, I said the same thing about your Noreena, so maybe it's not the rock, but the person behind the wheels. Bro. I thought about throwing in the towel on this stuff a few times. Just doesn't hold together and it's hit or miss on you get a nice dome or a chunk comes off. I do end up getting a lot of undercutting with this too and should send you a pic showing more of a side view. With that said, I'm loving the color and pattern. Might need to try stabilizing some pieces someday but I'm not there yet. |
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Post by stephan on Jan 5, 2022 0:03:29 GMT -5
If it looks good in person, it’s a win.  |
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